The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-14

60 brazen have the Pennsylvania au-,
thorities become in their fight on
the striking miners that the executive
council of the American Federation
OF Labor has felt compelled to issue
special statement dealing with the
situation.
But what statement!
1t first cites the facts, facts which
are a matter of public knowledge,
such as the employment of large
forces of coal and iron" police, paid
by the steel and coal companies but
commissioned by the state, and the
eviction of miners and their families.
NO workers will object to having
~ these facts emphasized and it is
matter of regret that the executive
council does not base an appeal to the
whole labor movement in behalf of
the miners upon these facts.
Instead it talks vaguely of the "'for-
mutation of plans" for the use of
their political power" by the workers.
Just what does the executive coun-
Gil mean when it says with character
istic indefiniteness that the workers
of Pennsylvania should use their
political power lin behalf of their
friends and in opposition to their
enemies ?"
1T does not urge the labor movement
of that state to support the labor
party which has been in existence for
number of years in spite of official
sabotage. Consequently, the state
ment of the executive council must
mean that it will favor candidates of
the republican and democrat parties
who give verbal evidence of opposi-
tien to the use of coal and iron police
in strikes.
This has been the policy of Pennsyl-
vania labor officialdom since it en-
tered into politics and the results
speak for themselves.
THAT great friend of labor" Gift
ford Pinchot, was supported by
the United Mine Workers officialdom
and other leaders of the labor move
ment ostensibly because he was
pledged to abolish the state con-
stabulary-the military police force
which is used the year around against
the workers.
Pinchot, however, did not abolish
the state cossacks but found new
excuse for maintaining them lie. en-
fOrcement of the prohibition law.
Neither did Pinchot repeal the state
criminal syndicalism law under which
dozens of workers have been prose-
cuted.
ANOTHER favorite of Pennsylvania
IA labor officialdom is William B.
Wilson, former secretary of labor and
democrat who was supported by
certain sections of it against the
notorious Ware. Wilson was dis
covered subsequently to have been In
terested financially in some open
shop coal minesS
Pinchot, the republican, and Wilson
the democrat, are fair samplesaof the
friends of labor" endorsed by labor
officialdom in a state where the out
right suppression of the labor move
ment has been policy pursued con-
sistently by the agents of the steel
and coal capitalists in public office.
THERE is no doubt that energetic
support of the labor party in
Pennsylvania by labor officialdom
would result in arousing mass back
ing for it of such proportions that it
would become a powerful factor in
Pennsylvania politics and unifying
center for the whole labor movement,
strengthening it immensely and en-
abling it to combat more effectively
than ever before the onslaughts of
the Pennsylvania capitalists, their
governmental agents, gunner and
stool-pigeons.
THIS last point needs some special
attention.
There has been, in recent years, a
number of exposures of labor Off
Gals in Pennsylvania. These Off
Gals have been shown to be spies of
the enemies of the labor movement.
That many of them still remain in the
ranks of labor is admitted by every
one familiar with the situation.
AS long as labor officially sup
ports candidates of the capitalist
parties the intelligence department of
the steel and coal companies working