The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-10-07
explosions NOW
WITHOUT A SIGN
OF JUSTIFICATION
Trade Union Commun-
lists Have No Rights
BY }. L. COOPER

NEW 1Ohh, OcJ. ON july ~,
Brother e. Steinberger, a member Of
the Bookkeepers, and Stenographer
Union, Local 12646, brot up charges
against me accusing me that my
conduct at the regular meeting oil
the union was unbecoming members
of this union"
The specific points of the charges
read as follow:
1. "At this meeting the trial com
mittee elected at the June meeting
in the case of George Primoff on the
charges of being member of the
Workers Party, Communist organ
ization and a member of the Trade
Union Educational League, reported
finding the defendent guilty.
2. "Chernow and ]. L. Cooper as
members of the trial committee sub
mitted a minority report, exonerat-
ing Primoff and demanding a dis
missal of the charges"
All Opposition A "crlme"
So my first offense was, that I sub
mitted minority report in Prlmoffs
case and the second crime l commit
ted was, that l tried to exonerate
Primoff and demanded to dismiss his
trial. Probably it would not SURPRISE
me, if these charges were brought by
a Tammany Hall man or a republic
an, who never pretended to be a
Pr;aud nf tho vvorkaro apd vyb0 h,,
the nature of his party had to pro-
secute any member that looked like a
red" by his active participation I'll
the union. But the charges were
brout by socialist, who was ready
to give his life for the labor move
ment" las long as it serves his pur-
pose) and the verdict was supported
by socialists.
The trial committee decided that to
submit a minority report is not d
crime and / should not be expelled
on this charges. Neither could Stein
berger prove that l acted as an at
torney for Primoff though l did try
to exonerate Primoff on the basis
that he was not given fair trial.
A "Fair Trial" Another Crime
My demand for a fair trial in the
case of a Communists was consider
ed by our brothers-socialist a ter
rible crime. But they coult not ex-
pell on such charges so they cnangeo
the nature of the case and expelled
me because | am a member of the
Workers Party of America.
At the membership meeting Of the
inion quoted the Workers Party re.
solution on our work in the trade
lnion, the resolutions of the 5th cor
yress of the Comintern in which it is
stated clearly that the Communists
must build the unions, they must
strengthen them and work FOR ANAL.
gamation and organize the morgan
lied.
Innocent-5ut Guilty Anyhow
1t is true l admitted that l am "a
member of the W. P. of A. and con.
fessed that l am proud of it, because
the Communists are the only ones
who sincerely and energeticaliy work
in the union for the benefit of the
workers. brought in facts by whica
| proved that while I, a Communist.
tried my best to support any organ
national plan in the union, the ac-
cuser Steinberger ana some other
brothers of his type hampered the
work, they fought against any plan
that would really be useful for tne
union. My witness, the president OF
the union openly declared that ur
to Primoff's trial l was one Of the
best union members. The on,y crime
| committed is that | defended a Com
munist.
None of the socialist stars of the
union could give any argument to dis
approve my statement in regards to
the role of the Workers Party in the
labor movement, none of them dared
to deny the presidents admission that
was one of the best unionists. Very
few participated in the voting, be-
cause they could not expel me. but
were afraid to vote against the deci-
sion, because that would mean a new
trial and another month would be
lost.
The Bookkeepers' Union leaders
proved how much they care for their
union and where they could put any
one who will dare to be active and