The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-11
By BEN LOUIS

Shiplacoff's role in the Pocketbook
Workers Union, it is necessary to
touch upon the general conditions in
the union at the close Of Ossip VOL
insky's administration.
Ossip Wolinsky, former manager,
was undoubtedly one of the most
brazen takers in the labor movement.
Quite openly and shamelessly, he
utilized the union for the satisfaction
Of his own selfish ends. Being
good demagogue, however, he man
aged to quiet the membership of the
union. He was so successful that
the rank and file in the union is
practically indifferent to its activi-
ties.
Wolinsky successfully crushed the
morale Of the membership. The more
courageous ones were suspended, ter
rorized and in many cases kept out
Of jobs. The union spirit of the
membership was so low that the dis
covery of his business connections
with one of the biggest leather-goods
manufacturers failed to rouse them
from their apathy. This discovery,
which spelled the death Of Wolinsky
in the labor movement meant very
little to the union members. Violin
sly's clique remained and continued
his policies.
Upon this scene one of the high
priests of the socialist party, A. l.
Shiplacoff, appeared. Those who
knew his record, who knew of his
failure in the Amalgamated Joint
Board and as manager of the
Brownsville Labor Lyceum, expected
very little from him. They hoped,
however, that in spite of his incom-
petence as manager, he would stir
members to take a more active in
terest in their union. They thought
that he was honest and that he would
permit fair discussion of union
problems at union meetings.
1t did not take long for members
to discover that Shiplacoff was a
weakling, who was thoroly incapable
of dealing with the problems of the
union. He was too weak to make an
open courageous fight against the
corruptionists.
Shiplacoff's strong point was his
"honesty"-and in his early speeches
he constantly reminded members
that he was honest-failing, in the
meantime, to expose the corruption
lists in the unio. He put up a feeble
fight against them behind closed
doors. But he never made an open
and strenuous effort to drive out the
crooks and reactionaries. He was too
weak to do that.
Shiplacoff admitted to a number
of active workers that /. Goldman,
the secretary-treasurer, was a dis
grace to the union and that his deal
ings with the underworld had cost
the union several thousands of dol
lars. He claimed at the time that
the coming conferences with the
bosses made it impossible for to ex-
pose Goldman. Why doesn't he ex-
pose Goldman now?
The answer to that question is that
Shiplacoff, who was too weak to
fight the corruptionsists, became
their hireling. He fell in with their
policies and became the bosom friend
Of the secretary-treasurer whom he
had previously denounced. He became
the champion of reaction and cor
ruption in the Pocketbook Makers
Union.
This is the man who has taken it
upon himself to "preserve the Amer
lean trade unions. A contemplate
weakling, he has been broken by the
labor takers. He has become their
official errand boy. The labor takers
press the buttons and Shiplacoff
runs the errands.
In our union, his incompetence and
spineiessness are by-words. He
knows nothing about the trade or the