The daily worker., 1929-11-19


got him. Sneed, formerly with the
Fishwick machine, switched to the
Lewis machine.
The Illinois Miner flares up big
open enemy of the National Min
ers' Union, and is joining forces
with other discredited elements to
fight the N. M. U.
"Watt states that the coal oper-
ators are neutral in this struggle,
and that we should not fight against
the coal operators. This the N. M.
U. cannot accept. Such beliefs are
wrong. 1t is well known that the
coal operators are the chief enemy
to be fought if we hope to oust the
Lewis Fishwick machine who are
the agents of the operators. Our
fight is against the operators and
the takers at the same time. One
fight cannot be separated from the
other. Our Union cannot agree
when Watt proposes that we keep
our members inside the U. NJ. W. A.
and make futile efforts to capture
the u M. w. U. locals to conf
promise, ETC., instead of breaking
with the Lewis machine and swing
ing 100 per cent to the National
Miners Union Only an enemy of
the n M. U. would propose such a
policy.
No Dealings With Fake
PrOgressives.
"The National Miners Union will
not allow Watt to use the name of
our Union to make any secret deal
ings with Howatt, Brophy, Hap
good and other deserters of the min
ers in their struggles. These dis
credited men cannot take the lead
ership of our Union to betray its
interests as Watt wishes.
"The National Miners Union
will not allow Watt to use the name
of our Union to make any secret
dealings with coal companies in or
der to establish rotten check-off sys-
tens through the medium of a COM
pany union, as he tried to do IN
Bicknell, Indiana, and which the
Executive Board repudiated. The
National Miners Union will not al
low Watt or any other individual
to build a machine, seize control,
and bureaucratically rule our rank
and file Union, as he and his clique
wishes, or to revise our fighting
policies and substitute policies of
surrender and defeat.
Watts Policy Similar to Lewis
"The N. M. U. refuses to accede
to Watts demand that all militant
workers, such as Communists, who
are building and fighting for the
principles of orr Union, be excluded
from membership and leadership in
the National Miners Union.
"The N. W. U. refuses to allow
Watt to establish another district
office and instruct secretaries to
send per capita tax to hsi picked
friend as he asked the Pocohontas
local. The N. M. U. refuses to al
low Watt even though he is the
national president, to overrule the
authority of the District Grievance
Board, and conduct independent ac-
tivity in our district without giving
any account to any authorized
elected committee, or to allow him
to establish a new district board
made up of his personal followers.
"Our Union will fight all such
policies and bureaucratic methods,
no matter who proposes them.
Violates Principles of n. NJ. U.
"Watt never functioned as the ma
tional president of the N. M. U.
He remained at home for many
months, refusing to take up his post
to direct the work of the N. M. U.
He has refused to work with the
National Executive Board or our
District Board, preferring to follow
an Individual bureaucratic attitude
and policy. Flaunting the District
Convention and the National Ex-
ecutive Board, he contends that mo
one can tell him what to do Dur
ing the past six weeks his policy has
been openly trying to get control Of
the N. M. U. or split it. This policy
if unchecked leads to the destruc-
ticr Of our Union. This the rank
and file will now allow, but will
fight uncompromisingly.
"The National Miners Union has
lived through intense difficulties to
establish itself. Instead of facing our
tasks with the courage and energy
necessary to sweep aside obstacles
in the path of our union, Watt re-
tracted and gave up the fight, and
now attempts to split the N. M. U.
Watts wrong policies have been re-
pudiated time and again by our
Union. He never hesitated to defy
the laws and constitution of our
Union, when he did not agree with
them. Now that the N. M. U. has
developed into strong organization