The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-31
The Lewis Machine Shows Its Inner Weakness

The Lewis Machine Shows Its Inner Weakness.
The Lewis machine was defeated last Wednesday afternoon
1t did not lose permanent control of the convention thanks
to the organzona control which enables it to count votes
pase but for almost hours the rank and file speakers
roaed their dsapprov of the machine proposal with respect to
Section rs of the constitution.
there such thing spontaneous revolt this is what
it that swept VcePreden Murray, Van Bner Cap
tain Percy Tow and other heavyweights of the administration
Section Is reads:
The board shall have power to levy and collect assess
men when necessary but shall be collected
Tor than two months unless authorized by refer
endum vote of the members.
The constitution committee had proposed that
but shall be collected for than months
unless authorized by referendum vote of the membership This
deetion would given the Lewis machine authority levy
and collect assessments at will.
Suddenly the convention uproar. Rank and file
delegates shouting for the floor Some of them and
then the machine speakers tried to stem the tide They could
not Murray tried stop young otund and goodnatured
looking delegate but told his face Il represent local
union and going speak" He did So did many
The delegates from the anthracite especially acrmo
NOUS Let enforce the checoff and won't have to worry
about We spending four five hundred dollars
every month local collecting Dues said speaker
The wenown progressive leaders took part the fight
Apparently they quite satisfied with the way things
going and wanted to how much fighting spirit there in
the convention.
Finally Murray forced vote.
There clear majority against the committee report but
Murray declared it carried
There hundreds of demands for a roll CALL
80 cent of the delegates must vote in favor
roll call Murray talked Of the etc. but when he called
show of hsI.ds than hundred fists
raised-almost half of the delegates voted for it.
machine telers said not the re-
quired amount. Murray adjourned the convention
the delegates the open air
there steady murmur of curses and complaints.
$50 this what get supporting constructive pol
icies of those SIS of B." said
1--WE been Howat but by god said another
81 didn't vote for Brophy but hope he again. that's
all" said third.
Writing January 26, we said:
What the opposition will accomplish if it catches
the machine off guard for is to defeat by
posing its political weakness the convention floor"
This has been done.
The whole convention has the machine covering
rank and file onslaught and forced itself disgrace
full defeat thwar openly the expressed will of the rank and file
Every honest delegate drawing his conclusons-an
they not complimentary to the Lewis machine
There for this sudden the
convention They
~ The issue which the machine felt sure of
victory and consequently neglected to stage the usual redbang
(2) The granting of unlimited power to levy collect
practical question which every delegate under
stand at
If the left wing able to take the lead in fight orl
reconsideration of vote which every delegate knows crooked
the Lewis machine will be in bad way It's artificial majority
from locals will enable favor
but something than mechanical majoe needed to
preserve the political prestige of machine during
this convention.
That prestige damaged badly Thursday afternoon