The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-18
(CoNtinNed fron roc Onel

1 ulation of American trade unions by
efficiency unionism and pI-love-my-
boss" schemes propagated by the
Civic Federation's agents, comes from
the Communists and the left wing.
The hardboiled attitude of the coal
barons which has compelled the
miners to strike to save their union
and their living standards is the COM
plete proof of the bankruptcy of the
efficiency unionism policy. The coal
baFons, in spite of the shameful divide
and surrender program offered by
President John l.. Lewis, are deter
mined to accept nothing but still more
complete equalization,
IN the face of this attack on the
most important union in the Amer
lean labor movement, unquestionably
a forerunner of a general drive on
the working class, the heads of the
American labor movement unite with
labor's enemies to make war on one
Of its most conscious and loyal sec
tions.
Even in labor movement which
accepts American capitalism as the
beginning and end of all things this
requires some explanation. A united
front with churches, bar associations
and businessmen, openly constituted
for all the world to see, warning on a
section of the working class, was
tolerated by the union membership
during the war. The dire danger in
which, according to the Wilsonian
theory, democracy stood, was its ex-
cuse.
WHAT reason or reasons prompted
" the present shameless abandon
ment to concubinage with the Civic
Federation on the part of the Militia
of Christers? Remember that Vol
and his crew are not campaigning
against Communism in the abstract
but that the living standards Of some
$4,000 needle workers and the liber-
ties of their tried and proven leaders
are menaced by the attack of the
A. F. of L. special committee.
Working with the police depart
ment and the bosses, Vol has sue
ceeded in framing-up IL officials of
the Furriers' Joint Board. They are
treated worse than the lowest Grim
inals, are denied bail and are brought
into court manacled.
WHY? 1t is very simple. The Fur
" riers' Joint Board officials won
strike and established the forty-hour
week. In so doing they upset labor
officialdom's pet theory Git is also
the pet theory of the bosses) that
workers can gain nothing by strikes.
There is the second reason that Ia
Dor officials of the type of Vol are
popular and valuable to the bosses
only when they can prevent strikes
and cajole workers into taking less
than they could win. Even gilded
Civic Federation stool pigeons have
to make good.
THIRD, there is the fact that in adj
! vance of a general attack on
American labor, presaged by the Of
fensive against the miners, the bosses
want to crush all elements which
could and would organize labor for
successful resistance.
Fourth, American imperialism is
getting ready to put the nation on a
war basis. As usual the preparation
begins with an attack on the revolu-
tionary section of the labor move
ment-the Communists and the left
wing. The only section of the work
ing class that is fully conscious of
the danger to the masses and that
has practical program which is put
forward fearlessly.
THE invasion of Nicaragua, the con-
4 tinual threats and plots against
Mexico, the participation of Ameri-
can gunboats in the Marking mas
sacre-all of these are only prelimin-
airy skirmishes of American imperial
ism. AS the English say, these little
affairs serve to "blood" our brave
fighters. Wall Street government
dares not undertake a major war
until the labor movement has been
made even more solidly a part of the
imperialist machinery than it is to-
day. The furriers' strike, the cloak
makers strike and the Passaic strike
came after the anthracite strikers
had been Unanswered into a defeat
by John L. Lewis and sharp con-
trast was drawn between the methods
of militants and those of Civic Fed |
Grafton leadership.
IN a period when labor officialdom,
= following its many expulsion cam
paigns beginning in 1923, was UNI
doubtedly Boosting to the bosses Of
its success in chasing the reds"
these strikes appeared like a bolt
from the blue and gave them the
lie. There must have been many
severe reprimands administered to
sheepish labor leaders in the privacy
of the Civic Federation offices and