The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-28
The Anthracite Mine Strike Settlement

-racL, Win out TWO dissenting
votes. To those not acquainted
with miners conventions this is
quite problem. If the contract is
40 good, then why was it accepted ?
The recent convention is an example
of all miners conventions-ruled by
thugs and gangsters.- - The rank and
file, the workers in the mines, are
opposed to the contract. Everywhere
the contract is condemned. But then
the rank and file have nothing to say
about it.
When the general grievance COM
mittee of the district unanimously
condemned the contract, when many
locals repudiated it when it was first
made public, extreme care was taken
by the Lewis gang to effectively stifle
the membership. The convention was
hastily called in three days time.
Every local was to call meetings dur
ing that time to elect delegates to the
convention. Scores of locals, in the
hands of Lewis tools, called no meet
ings but appointed delegates. Local
union meetings were held, in many
cases, unknown to the vast majority
Of the membership and elected" dele
gates.
Machine Packs "conVentlon."
Aided by the last minute change in
the basis of representation of dele
gates to the convention, these local
lackeys put it over. Violating all ira
ditional and constitutional procedure
the fat boys" decided among them.
selves the locals should send but one
delegate for each five hundred mem
bers instead of one delegate for each
one hundred members as is the law
and custom. This deprived the mem.
bership Of any great amount Of rep
resentation and was direct blow at
the left wing elements.
Unseat Left Wing Delegates.
Packing the convention with his
supporters and hirelings, Lewis pro,
ceeded to jam thru the contract, by
the use of clowns, priests, policemen
and professional DULLES. Many left
wing delegates were unseated by the
credentials committee long before the
convention started. This move was
directed to forestall the development
of fight over representation on the
floor of the convention.
Organize For Future Struggles.
The role of the left wing is to or
ganize for the struggles ahead. To
organize and place into leadership in
the union, leaders who lead to vic
tory, leaders whose policy is a policy
of class struggle. The left wing will
continue their militant struggle to win
the American miners for their prin
ciples and program. The left wing will
continue to fight as they have fought
in the past, with their program and
principles as the basis of attack
against the class collaborationist, pro
capitalist policies and tactics Of the
burocracy of the miners union.
Allied with this burocracy are all
the agencies and forces inimical to
the interests of the miners and their
dependents. This burocracy rules with
the aid and cooperation of the boss.
es and the capitalist government and
all the lackeys of these two. The press,
the churches, the chambers of com.
merce, every capitalist politician sup.
ports the burocracy and aids in stiff
ling the membership, jails, persecutes
and expels militant members whose
sole existence is devoted to the bet.
terment of the conditions of their fell
low workers, who fight the bosses at
all times.
Fight For Real Victory.
The left wing in the miners un.
ion is rallied around the progressive
international committee. 1t is the
duty Of every sincere member of the
miners union to support the program,
the principles and the campaigns OF
the progressive miners, for their fight
is the fight for the workers victory.