The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-15

brainless. Even such loyal supporters of Fitzpatrc
Johannson and Scheck refused to follow Fitz int
the Dever camp. They accepted the lead of Nelson
supported Thompson. Fitz democrat in 1917
From 1918 to the July, 1922 split, he Labol
Partyte, then he became state republican and Cool
County democrat. From then he has had foo
in each of the old parties and in his stump speaking
for Dever he gave voice to this gem The Chicago Fed
Grafton of Labor has not endorsed any candidate il
the present election the attitude of the federation il
politics is in favor of labor party but that is moi
here yet the organization and members free to
else their franchise in any way they fit"
GAS president of the federation / am at liberty t.
vote for any candidate for mayor of Chicago April
9Th" Then he proceeded to show that the he
supported Dever that he considered him the bes
and friend of labor Well, Thompson, the enemy
of labor according to Fitz, and friend of labor &C
cordng to Nelson, has been elected There is only
of left for this group to follow and that
is to either quit giving mouth service for the forma
ton of labor party, openly abandon the idea of
labor party continue their political toe dancing to the
tune played by Oscar Nelson, and join the Thompson
boosters club
The split in the Fitzpatrick group and the labor
leaders in general which candidate to support fol
mayor, while it bitter and vicious, is fake one
and will be smoothed The real fight is whether
Fitz or Nelson will lead the federation few years
ago this would have meant something, today it
very little. Nelson speaks authoritatvey and one
Of abors orthodox bureaucrats. Fitz has gone bach
the fold but has not yet been fully forgiven for his
quarres with the official family and for the few years
he browsed in the progressive pasture Fitzpatrick still
gives mouth service occasionally to the labor party
He will have to give this up before he is fully forgiven
In due time he will The fight between Fitz and Nelson
for control of the federation will continue 1t will fol
low fake division, such is supposed to divide the
republican and democratic parties The old differences
labor party, amalgamaton, organize the unorganzed
militant struggle against the employers ETC., that d.
vided Fitz from the Nelson reactionaries no longer
exist, the progressves should longer interest them
selves to whether Fitz Nelson leads the fedora
ton, they must bring forth new leaders
The Chicago Federation officially took no part in the
election. 1t remained silent. This no doubt was by
agreement between the Fitzpatrick and Nelson forces
because of mutual fear to raise such touchy issue
that might have resulted in the refusal of the fedora
ton to endorse either candidate and this quite
feasible Both sides massed their forces for the fed
Grafton meeting each side seemed to have about equal
strength, with the left wing and the progressives who
say they for labor party, holding the deciding
votes 1t quite possible that if someone had made
motion to discuss the mayoraty election and for the
federation to issue election statement that both
the Thompsonites and Deverites would have been de-
feated.
This not DONE The progressives made mistake
in not raising the issue. Here an opportunity tc
expose the role of reactionary labor leaders who be-
prominent politicians because of their power tc
deliver large section of abors to capitalist can
didates. 1t is only through the of these methods
that the true situation be brought home to the
workers, by showing to the workers that Fitzpatrick
lining up with the enemies of labor.
There number of progressives in the Chicago
Federation of Labor and scattered throughout the Chi
trade unions who have followed Fitzpatrick right
along because of their fear that Nelson would get
control and who believe in the formation of labor
party and for progressive trade unionism and whose
support makes possible the endorsement by the Local
unions and the federation of such resolutions as de-
manding the withdrawal of American troops and mar.
ines from Nicaragua and China, in support Of the
Gales in Mexico for the protection Of the
foreign born for the release of Sacco and Vanzet and
other class prisoners etc. This weak attitude has
demoraized the progressive forces leaving only small
left wing to really carry the struggle.
This group of progressives did not support either
Ftz or Nelson in this campaign, at least not openly
They it objective support because they remained
silent. They fear Nelson, they fear the Communists
they shy at supporting resolutions If they are
by known Communists or TUEL-ites and only support
progressive resolutions providing they are introduced by
Communists or UTILITIES who not yet we'll known
They weak vacillating group that won't even pre-
sent resolutions Of their own have we'll defined pro-
gram and no leaders. They could become q power Il
they would act unit and in conjunction with the
left wing could retrieve the lost prestige Of the Chi
Federation Of Labor, by struggling for the many
progressive points that they have in