The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-12-04
Frank harrington Was
Always Opposed to the
Workers Class Interests
BY J. LOUIS ENoDAHL.


president and got his as "a Dollar
Year Man" during the war.
Even in those early days, however,
harrington was constantly under
fire as a good spender" of miners'
money. His expense accounts were
under continuous scrutiny, indi-
eating that Harrington spent more
time in luxurious hotel Hobbies than
in the coal camps, harrington was
never real student of coal miners
problems, in the sense that John
Brophy, now candidate for the presi-
dency against John L. Lewis, has
tried to be. He never took a stand
for anything on principle. His only
purpose was to build his power in
the union and he maneuverde &C
cordingly.
In his war against John L. Lewis,
when the two were at loggerheads,
he made his alliances with elements
opposing Lewis. This accounts for
his leaning toward Howat, nothing
else. Lewis opposed the nationalist
ton of the coal mines, therefore
Harrington favored 1t, and not be
cause he had any realization Of
what it signified The Illinois miners
are radical. Harrington had to play
up to this radicalism without COM
promising himself. He did this in
part by his alliance with what Nc
Alister calls "the Oklahoma social
lists" This is the small clique
grouped about the Oklahoma Leader.
headed by Oscar Ameringer, that
not only quit the socialist party, but
also the farmer-labor party and has
scandals all its own that might make
even Harrington blush. Ameringer's
editorship OF Farrington's illinois
Miner" now in the hands of the ad-
ministration that harrington left
after him, attacked none of the vital
problems comforting the Illinois coal
miners. 1t was perfectly safe. for
harrington. It did not attack Far
rington's alliance with the repub-
lican party machine in Illinois, with
open shopper" Sammy insult dump
ing hundreds of thousands of dol
lars into the campaign chest of Far
rington's candidate, Frank L. Smith.
for the United States senate. Far
rington should have been, and no
doubt was happy to have such an
editorship to jump at his bidding to
furnish amusement for those coal
miners who could be misled by the
anti-militant philosophy of adam
Coaldigger." harrington played the
game, knowingly or not, of the rul-
ing class that let's liberals and even
socialists come into a little power
in order to deceive the disconnected
masses, awaiting the time that
wave of protest should have spent
its force. The classic example of
this is, of course, the betrayal of the
German working class by the Ger
man social-democracy.
but capitalist outlook on the labor
/ struggle. 1t was, therefore, in
evitable that he should ultimately
and openly ally himself with labor's
enemies, just as so many other Of
fcials of the miners union have
done. In this sense he was always
a betrayer of the working class
from which he sprang.
harrington was always an agent
of the capitalist class within the
miners union. His presence within
the union crippled it in its forward
| struggle, which must be based on
the class struggle, with class pro-
| gram.
1t IS easy to understand Nc
Alister's error. Like harrington, he
has fiirted with socialists, but knows
nothing of socialism. One of his
greatest achievements was getting
out publicity for J. A. H Hopkins
Committee of AS" of middle class
liberals sworn to fight revolution"
One of McAlister's ideas of fight
ing capitalist propaganda is to or
ganize "a committee OF experienced
men and women" to furnish material
that can be disseminated ito the
public, largely thru the medium Of
THE CAPITALIST PRESS lem
phasis ours)"! This proposal was
seriously presented and favorably
acted on at the Twelfth Annual
Conferepce OF the League for In
dustrial Democracy. McAlister
doesn't know any better. 1t is quite
in line with his liberal viewpoint.
But II has no place in the work
ing class movement Efforts Of the
socialist New Leader" TO dope the
mind OF labor with such stuff will
fail. No wonder that. in this same
issue Of the New Leader" w. J..
Client has another article confess
ing in its two opening sentences the
| folIowfne.