The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-21
By LOUIS HYMAN.

and "The Forward" are shouting
themselves hoarse that we have
formed a Communist opposition
scab union at the order of Moscow,
where policy of establishing oppo-
sition unions was decided upon. This
would lead one to believe that up
till now 1.-THE Forward" clique had
recognized US as regularly con-
stituted labor union. 1t is a known
fact, however, that Immediately
after Sigman had issued his edict
expelling the locals and the Joint
Board, representing so per cent of
the membership, we were labelled
by the Forward as the Communist
scab union of 21st Street and Sig
man with a few henchmen proceeded
to organize opposition locals, which
the Forward proclaimed as the real
union. Now, when even those ele-
ments that originally sided with
Sigman are coming over to the
Joint Board and the bankruptcy of
the clique is becoming more evident,
the much abused bugaboo of cor
ders from Moscow must be
dragged by the clique, regardless of
whether it has any bearing on the
situation or not.
An examination of the facts will
prove beyond a doubt that it is not
we, but the clique that has organ
lied an opposition scab union.
Worse Conditions.
Since 1910 the Schlesinger- Sig
man-Forward clique has lorded it
and held sole sway over our union.
Thanks to its policies of treachery
and corruption the cloak and dress
industry was broken up into frag-
ments. In place of the large inside
shops innumerable contracting and
sub-contracting shops have sprung
into existence, where the workers
are compelled to slave long hours
for a starvation wage. The condi-
tons of the workers grew steadily
worse from season to season and
from year to year.
In order to appease the hungry
and dissatisfied workers the clique
has presented demands to the boss
es which it never seriously intended
to put into effect. 1t called fake
strikes and fake stoppages during
which millions of dollars were
sqaundered. After every strike and
after every stoppage, "The For
ward" loudly proclaimed that "Gen-
osse" Schlesinger and "Genosse'
Sigman had defeated the bosses and
secured a great victory for the
workers. Thru such continual "vic-
tories" the union was led to bank
ruptcy and the workers to a state
of pauperism.
Create Jobs.
The machine" in power was in
terested in but one thing-to create
ever new jobs for it's henchmen and
increase their own salaries; to
maintain a. staff of officials end
hirelings in order to build up cor.
rupt machine thru which to per-
petuate themselves in power Mil
lions of dollars were extorted from
the workers in dues and taxes to
maintain this retinue.
The dissatisfied members could
find no opportunity for expressing
their opinion. The organs of the
clique, "The Forward" and "The
Justice" were merely the mouth
pieces of the bureaucracy. To criti-
CHE an official in any other paper
was considered heinous crime for
which members were expelled from
the union.
The corruption and degeneracy of
the clique reached such criminal
proportions that it engendered bit
ter resentment on the part of the
mass of the membership; so that,
in spite of their autocratic and sup
pressive measures and their fraudu-
lent practises in stealing elections,
the clique lost control of the largest
and most important locals, where
the members elected the progress
sive and left wing elements.
"Exper Membership.
Haying lost control of the most