The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-05
BEGIN A. C. ".
explosions
IN CHICAGO
Sam Dragonsky Victim
In Local 80

The campaign Of explosions Of the
left wing from the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers, begun by the Hill
man administration to prevent inter-
ference with his policy OF class coll
Elaboration with the bosses, has reach
ed Chicago and had its first victim,
Sam Dragonsky, sacrificed to official
treachery at the meeting Of Local 80,
Tuesday night
After conspiracy to keep Sam
Dragonsky out of work for nineteen
months, a forewarning Of viler things
to come was given him even before
the charges were preferred when the
union employment Office informed
Dragonsky that it had instructions"
not to give him any work.
The Reign Of Terror Begins.
When the members of Local 40
gathered at the meeting, they found
that all the officials possible to gath
er up, together with the gangster
crowd were on hand to carry out the
Hillman-LeYin policy, by tricks If
possible, by violence II necessary.
Business agents, who control the Jobs
and thus have power Of discrimina-
ton, were plentifully present from
other locals
The farcical nature OF the proceed
ing became evident when Dragonskv
was refused the right, supposedly
guaranteed" of having the charges
against him presented in writing
This was the beginning. The charges
were not given any attention even at
ter they were made, and their sole
content was that Dragonsky was al.
legged to be a painters contractor
which he easily disproved.
His Higness, Levin, Is Offended.
But none Of the "prosecution"-au
ofhcials-had anything to say about
the charges. They were not spoken
of at all. Instead every oficial who
spoke, dealt solely with the peculiar
offense Of "disloyalty TO Sam Levin
and lese majestic to the exceliencfes
OF the official family. It appeared 70
be case of an absolute despot, sur
rounded by sycophantic courtfers, be-
heading a vile commoner for daring to
smoker at royal parsonage.
All officials who spoke, spoke for
expulsion. All members who spoke.
spoke without exception for acquittai.
and pointed out that the union on
Gals expelled Dragonsky because he
was a Communist. They objected that
union must include workers of all
| opinions, and pointed out that the
officials policy of class collaboration
was periling the union and the expul-
sions were being carried out TO pre-
vent rebellion against such policy
from the rank and file.
Half Of Local Afraid to Vote.
However, with the terroristng ma
chine present, over half the members
were afraid to vote, and with these
abstensions, the motion to expel car
ried by 80 to 221.
An amusing comparison rs seen in
the treatment of the charges pre-
ferred by the local in the joint board
against Business Agent weinstein,
alias Chalatnik, who. two weeks ago
broke up the meeting Of the local.
The joint board refused the chRrs-
es, saying that when weinstein
broke upzthe meeting, he was acting
as rank and file member" and thar
it was the local which should handle
the charges. But when charges were
bruited in the local, it was objected
that Weinstein when he broke up the
meeting, was acting as business
agent" consequently. he should be
tried by the joint board. This chame-
leon protection does not serve any
left winger, however.
on to Rank and File Viesoryl
The membership Of the Amalgamad
ed express the opinion that the tight
has only begun. and that protest on
national scale with demands for
The reinstatement of members expell-
I'd by such official perfidy. shall ring
.hruoutout the union until the Hill
man policy is beatan