The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-12
STAGE SET FOR
Big BATTLE AT
Miners MEET
Progressive Is Elected;
Takers Gust Him


the opening of the annual sub-dlstrict
convention of the eastern Ohio sec
ton, the stage is set for battle be-
tween the progressive forces led by
J. J. Hoge of this CITY and Frank Led
vinka, ex-soeialist, subservlent Lewis
tool and present incumbent Of the Of
flee of district president.
One of the big fights of the conven-
ton is expected to take place over the
failure Of the tellersi report to declare
]. Buksa, of Yorkyille, elected to the
office of trustee. Ruksa is an old time
miner, but becauseJche is paralysed
has not been able to work in the
mines for several years But his
fellow workers in his local union
think so much Of IBuksa that they
keep his dues paid up for him.
! The takers now declare Buksa is
not eligible to Office in the ground
that he is not working at his trade.
But no objection was raised by the
reactionaries when Buksa's candidacy
was announced and none would be
made now had he not been elected,
and progressive.
The dishonesty of the takers is
proven by the fact that supporter
of Ledvinka, by name Hemsly, who is
not working at his trade was declared
elected by Ledvinka's tellers. Thru
the fact of his election as trustee Bulk
sa would be a delegate to the next
convention automatically and teller
This is what the takers feared most.
Another Forgery
Before the convention opened, the
usual red fire campaign was organ,
lied by the yellow socialist Ledvinka
and his cohorts. A fake telegram
after the fashion of the British tory
forgery was produced in order to
prove that the Communists were try
ing to capture the convention. This
telegram was addressed to a pro-
gressive in the Eastern Ohio sub
district and came from Cleveland. The
name of Papcun "a member Of the
Young Workers League was signed
to it.
1t happens that Ledvinka was in
Cleveland on the very date this tele-
gram was sent and that Papcun
denies having sent it. This was part
of the campaign launched by the
takers against Communist influence. at
the convention.
The convention heard the reports OF
the officers which were mainly Trades
against radicalism, amalgamation, the
naturalization of mines and against
an alliance with the railroad workers.
Ledvinka the yellow socialist outdid
all others in his fury against anything
that smacked of progress. He rallied
against the programs of the progress.
i've miners but failed to say what
their program demanded. He defend.
ed John Lewis and asked why pro-
gressives don't go to ton-union fields.
Evidently this faker believes that the
sub-district is his personal property
and that all those who do not agree
with him are trespassing on his pro-
perty.
War On Radicals
The progressive miners retort by
asking why John L. Lewis does not
spend the union funds organizing the
scab coal fields instead of draining
the treasury in carrying on crusades
against the radicals and progressive
leaders like Alexander Howat, Dun.
can Macdonald, Tom Meyerscough
and Jim MacLachlan. They point out
that as a result of Lewis treachery,
the open shop coal operators are sap
ping the foundations from under the
union. .rs
When the telleRs report on the
voting for officers, in the last sub
district convention was made, ]. ].
Hoge asked why a1tabulated vote was
not sent to the localunions before the
convention as prescribed by the con.
stitution. District President Lee Hall,
in good jesuit style explained that the
constitution did not specify when
voting returns should be sent.
John Cirque. suS-district vice-pres.
ident, attacked strikes in his report
and declared they were seldom justi.
fed. He urged the gnion label, tho sub.
district officials use scab paper for
letter heads tho using union label on
printing. 80 a..
For Progressive Platform
In a circulationissued by the pro.
gressives before the last sub-district
election, the miners were urged tc
support the progressive candidates.
They stood for the progressive pro
gram and pledged to use the influence
OF the sub-district office as well as
the collective might OF the miners ir
order to secure the release from pris.
on OF Dominick venturato and the
other miners who were in Moundsville
prison. This reminder of their treach.
cry to the imprisoned miners infur.
lated the officials, and they issued a
trade against the progressiyes, en-.
doaVOurfnQ IN hoIofor nm fhafr froo ~,