The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-06
THE MINORITY'S UNITED FRONT POLICY

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Of our past activities. will deal
mainly with District because / am
more familiar with and took part in
these activities.
The Record Speaks.
Take the unemployed campaign of
1921 and 20. Who was it that per.
fected the united front and formed
the unemployed councils? The com.
rades who took the lead in that cam
paign in District were Krumbein, Swa-
beck Overgaard, Kjar, Greenwood and
a host of others l could mention, but
cudgel my memory as much as 1 may
I cannot recall single leading sup.
porter of the minority who was to be
found during that campaign. A cam
paign in which our party played
leading role. Where over 100 meet
ings were held in Chicago alone,
where hundreds of local unions had
open meetings, all of which heard, for
the first time the Communist message.
Unemployment.
In every committee in this cam.
paign we had representation. Over.
gard, chairman of the speakers com.
mittee. Krumbein, on the committee
to look after the open union meetings
Swabeck, publicity committee and so
on down the line. 1t was a splendid
campaign, despite the fact that we
were more enthusiastic over the UNI
ov,o ofx
ployed were themselves. For the com
rades who took an active part, it was
an invaluable experience, and it brot
our party much closer to the workers.
In the Open Shop Drive.
In the open shop drive Of 1922,
who were our active actionists? Take
the building trades strike of Chicago.
Who were the members of our party
who advocated and set up a united
front of the union movement TO fight
protest parade of over 100000 workers
against the open shop" Lands
award. One-half million leaflets were
distributed and hundreds of union
meetings addressed. Again we find
the same group and we fail to locate
the minority.
The Railway Strike.
In the big railroad shopmen's strike
we find the same situation, the minor
ity who are now demanding more ac-
ton did not answer the roll call. Here
was the opportunity for real action.
Comrade Overgaard who was also
chairman of the speakers committee
did much good work in that strike and
two years later in the machinist con-
vention held in Detroit, was defended
by delegates whom he did not know
and who pointed out in defense of the
Communists and members of the T.
U e. l.. that these two organizations
were the spirit of the shopmen's
strike, and that if the leaders of the
union had done half the work done by
Overgaard and his comrades the
strike would have been won.
The Non-Political Majority.
Comrade Foster, according to the
minority is merely a program writer,
took an active part in all of these united
fronts. In the railroad shopmen's
strike Comrades Foster and Dunno
spoke to at least 100 meetings in a
tour made by them from Chicago to
the coast. The same story could be
told about the miners and othey
strikes that took place during that
great capitalist offensive. And what
was advocated, comrades, as well as
the fight against wage cuts? Defy
the Injunction" was one of the slo-
gans. OF course, according to the
minority, when this is done at strike
meeting or in a union hall, by some
piece of magic it becomes an indus
trial and not a political act. Strange
as it may seem to Minor, they also
pointed out the necessity Of establish
ing a workers and farmers govern
ment.
Where Were the Minority?
In case it may seem to be taking
an unfair advantage, by getting too
close to our underground days, and
that am not giving our minority COM
rades a chance to get off their over
alls after our mining experience, let
me cite a recent strike-the Interna
tional Ladies' Garment Workers
strike of last year. oh, where, oh,
where were these actionists? They
will have to answer that themselves
we could not find them. oh, yes, we
found one who spoke at strike meet
ing. Comrade Engdahl Comrade
Kruse, a loud clamorer for more action
(if we ever got flicker Of action out
Of Kruse we would be more than sat
istied), stated in the Chicago member.
ship meeting that | appealed to the
political committee to stop Comrade
Engdahl from launching fight
against Alderman Oscar Nelson.
Nothing was further from the truth
and Kruse knows it,
Strike meetings are always the best
meetings for Communist Propaganda
but. there is also such a thing as a
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