The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-29

"IS olSO OSA4lS 1OOlSu Ny GIlIS llIu-
sion.
These so-called progressives are
appealing to the left wing to main
tain the united front against the
return Of Zausner or a Zausner can
didate to office. This appeal, we
must state, has hit the mark despite
the fact that the left wing workers
ought to know well enough that
Shapiro as a candidate is just as
dangerous to the interests of the
workers as Mcnamara. The spectre
of Zausner has caused some of the
left wing to hesitate and has re-
suited in the withdrawal of the left
wing candidate from the election
fight. This action was an absolute
mistake.
Those workers who believe that
there is a difference between Sha-
piro and Mcnamara fail to see the
situation. Shapiro may speak
against Zausner, but his entire rec
ord is soaked through and through
with Zausnerism.
Why United Front.
Those left wing workers who re-
gard the united front of all pro-
gressive forces as necessity in the
Painters Union should ask them
selves the fundamental question:
"For what was the united front
formed?" Was it established to
throw one faker out so that another
faker could get into office, or was
the united front established to clean
out Zausnerism and Brindellism
from the Painters Union and estab-
lish a real progressive and militant
class struggle policies?
The fight against grafters and
corruption cannot be successful I'M
less the fight is made against all
kinds of grafters and corruptionists
and against the policy of class col
laboration from which corruption
flows. The building trades unions
under the domination of the A. F.
of L. bureaucracy are saturated
with the policy Of working with
the bosses instead of struggling
against the bosses and are, because
OF that, the most corrupt unions in
the country.
Collaboration Corrupts.
Corruption grows like weeds in
the soil of disqualification. Cor
ruption and DISQUALIFICATION are
twin brothers. The united front of
left wingers and progressives must
be formed on program that will
wipe out class corruption. But even
such programs are mere scraps of
paper if hand in hand with fight
ing program there do not go men
to carry out the program, men whose
honesty and reliability have been
tested in struggle, and whose record
is the best guarantee that the pro-
gram will be carried out.
The united front Of left wingers
and progressives must have as
spokesman and leaders men who are
devoted to the masses, left wingers
who will fight militantly and ag-
gressively for the program. Any
other united front becomes in the
long run a means of demoralizing
the left wing and binders the mo-
bilization of the workers, or where
it is made with fake progressives
is a means of bolstering up the wan
ming influence of such takers. 1t
tends to dim the clarity of the left
wing and prevents the development
of a movement of struggle against
the bosses and their agents-the re-
dictionaries of all stripes.
Lesson of Experience.
In the painters union as whole
in New York there have been too
many united fronts that have limit
ed themselves to mere election
struggle and which stopped short
Of fighting the entire battle against
Brindellism and Zausnerism. A
fight against Zausner is not enough.
Such fights must be developed along
the entire line against Zausnerism
or else they degenerate the left
wing and disappoint the workers
with consequent harm to the left
wing and with decentralization Of the
workers.
Shapiro is a fake progressive. His