The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-03-30
A Fraternal
Order for the
us. Workers
By JAMES P. CANNON.

VI LllCA1 uCNCtODl11GILJ IA bIIUkklG L44SX
will approach the line of Communism
by various zig-zag movements and
roundabout ways. 1t is the task of
the party to facilitate this process
and to devise various ways and means
of establishing contact with the partly
awakening workers in order to draw
them ever deeper into the class strug-
gle and nearer to the platform of rev.
clution. From this arises the well
established Communist practice of set
ting up bridge" organizations which
are at once a base of wider support
for the revolutionary movement and
field for propaganda and agitation.
Such organizations are absolutely in
dispensable, particularly in America
where the great masses Of the workers
have not yet learned the A. B. G. Of
the class struggle. The present ex-
periments in this field must be mor@
fully developed and extended and in
addition, new forms and methods Of
intermediary organizations must be-
devised to take advantage of re-
sources and possibilities not yet fully
utilized.
Time Ripe for Labor Fraternal Order.
From this point Of view l am of
the opinion that the time is ripe to
plan the formation of an American
workers fraternal order, and I will
give reasons why think such prof.
ect would attract thousands Of work
ers who could be organized in this
way into base of support for the
movement. There is an economic
basis for such an organization, and
the habits and psychology of the
American workers would be power
full supporting factor.
The foundation for such fraternal
organization. on mass basis, is group
insurance. The absence Of social leg
islation gives the system of insurance,
both privately conducted as a bust
ness and mutual, an exceptional i'm
portance in America. The super
structure of ritualistic mystery and
password fol-de-rol in practically all
the Furnishing "lodges" in America
rests on this economic base.
Insurance Schemes of Bosses.
The necessity of the workers for
cheap insurance is recognized by a
horde of professional "lodge men"
who devise various methods Of sup
plying this demand.
Many big corporations also exploit
this need by forming benefit societies
for the workers under company con-
troll. The Colorado Fuel and iron
Company, for example, devotes Sec
ton of it's official employees maya
zine for February to boosting "The
| Sunrise Mutual Benefit Association"
organized last fall with a membership
composed wholly of employees of the
c. F. and /. Company and it's sub
sidiaries." For an initiation fee Of
$500 and dues Of rs cents per month
benefits are assured in the amount
of S1.50 per day for all accidents and
sickness and a $75 death benefit.
Existing Orders Aid Bosses.
It is self-evident that a large per-
centage of the 80 million lodge men,
bers in America consists Of workers.
In fact, it is quite safe to say that
the majority of the members Of such
bodies as the Loyal Order of Moose,
the vehicle which carried James j.
Davies to the presidential cabinet as
secretary of labor, are workers.
All the existing American fraternal
orders, without exception, are instru-
ments for bunting the edge Of the
class struggle, for teaching patriotism
and for hampering the acquisition of
q distinct class outlook on the part
of the workers. During the world war
they became powerful mobilization
centers for popular support of that
bloody enterprise. In many strike
they have played a similar role.
Graft in Fraternal Orders.
The swollen profit and graft Of the
insurance companies are matters Of
comomn knowledge. The fraternal in
surance orders also accumulate big
treasures, made up largely from the
workers. dues, which are squandered
on big salaries, memorials and various
other Stunts" We should be skillful
enough to divert part of the money
which is taken from the workers for
these purposes into genuine workers
organization, the surplus funds Of
which could be given to the support
of the movement for strikes, etc.
The important role played by the
workers fraternal organizations IN
foreign languages in this respect is
we'll known They have set an eY-
ample which the English speaking Sec
ton of the movement has been slow
to follow. But such development Is
hound to come and the experiences OF
the foreign born workers in this field
will be a factor in stimulating It. The
progressive assimilation Of foreign
born workers into the American life
and language simultaneously unds-s
mines the foundations Of the foreign
L - -