The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-21
BY AN ANTHRACITE MINER.

What is the present role of the
Brennan forces in the anthracite?
/ The fact that an individual or group
Of individuals have in the past made
certain gestures and grand-stand
plays and have acted the role of
champion of the rank and file should
not obscure the view of the masses
of workers.
Parading under false colors in the
midst Of the struggle the Brennan
group has built up a machine con-
sisting Of the officials of about fifty
locals in District one, who maintain
the leadership in their locals because
of their past records and on the basis
of the ''spoils system" Many honest
/ and militant progressive workers
! still support this machine because of
their inability clearly to see the real
Brennan and his machine behind the
smoke-sc raised by the Brennan
ties. 1t is therefore important for
the Save-the- Union forces to build
blocks and extend and broaden the
leadership of these blocks so that
the widest masses may participate in
the leadership of the progressive
forces.
Brennan Win Show Hand.
The district convention which the
Brennan machine was forced to call
on May u at Scranton, will afford
ample opportunity to all miners to
see thru the Brennan smoke-screen.
The fact that this is an insurgent
convention should not fool anyone as
to the nature Of the Brennan gang
and its purpose. The militant and
progressive miners of the district
should have real progressives to rep
resent them at this convention. The
progressives must assert themselves
and force Brennan and his henchmen
either to put up or shut up. 1t is
of utmost Importance to wage a Wig
orous fight against the machine at
this convention.
Why is it necessary now, more than
ever, to fight the Brennan gang all
along the line? Because many I'M
thinking miners still have confidence
in Brennan or his followers and also
because many timid miners are ac-
tually afraid to be in opposition to
| the Brennanites, even against their
own better judgement. This condi-
ton of affairs, must be reversed and
an open fight against the Brennan
! forces. must be conducted with the
same vigor as the fight against Lew
I is and Cappelini. Brennan is but a
| fig-leaf cloaking the Lewis shame.
Brennan must be exposed and elimin-
ated in order to clear the road for
the march against the operators.
Supported by Capitalist Press.
In the convention call signed by
eight Brennanites and given wide
publicity by the press in District 1,
these Brennanites make it clear that
/ They are not calling the convention
to embarrass the International Of
/ ficers; they are not opposed to the
work and policies of Lewis; they are
not with any "dual" organization;
they, want Lewis or one of his rep
fresentatives to preside at the conven-
ton; they want to investigate the
murders in Pittston of Campbell,
Reilly, Lillis, including the shooting
of the gunman Frank Agati. These
Brennanites pretend to be opposed
to Cappelini, yet only few weeks
ago they were asking even Cappelini
to preside over this convention.
Brennan's development as power
must be checked at once. Brennan,
like all opportunists who have trick
cards up their sleeves, has seized
upon the ever rising sentiments of
the surging masses of miners who
are out to get rid of Cappelini-and
also Lewis. Everyone in District !
hates Cappelini. The miners, oper-
ators, businessmen, professionals, all
detest Cappelini. Even the politicians
have no use for him. All these ele-
ments have different reasons for
their hatred, the chief being that he
is not sufficiently clever to "play the
game" like the rest of the labor
skates. lncidently it is interesting to
note with what maternalistic love the
press of this district embraces Bren-
nan, who knows how, and does play
the game" The same press, politi-
clans, businessmen, etc, who dispise