The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-07-27

/ this time. In 1925 L took one OF the
leading parts in the Dover, New
Hampshire strike. Bert Emsley was
the leading figure. The strike in
Dover was over the increase of
Tonnage. l was arrested in this
strike along with Bert Emsley. The
strikers picketed the Jail which was
under the City Hall, to get US out.
At least 5000 people were on the
outside. The next day they brought
in machine guns.
We held mass meetings every day
and on Sunday we held it in the
best theatre in town, called the
Strand Theatre. A Mrs. Dolan was
the manager of this theatre and
she gave it to us free of charge.
She was a fine, pleasant woman
with a great lot of courage and
love for the textile workers whom
she knew were greatly exploited.
The Chamber of Commerce, also
some of the preachers, U. T.
w. officials and the police were
constantly after her to stop us
from meeting there. She stood
against them but finally the police
one Sunday lined up in front of
the door and refused to let anyone
in. While we had the use of the
theatre, many different speakers ad-
dressed the workers and people of
the town and surrounding sections.
One Sunday was turned over to the
Sacco-Vanzetti Defense with Mrs.
Glendower Evans as the speaker.
After the Dover strike l continued
my activity in the One Big Union
and the Socialist Party. 1 also
helped the Workers (Communist)
Party put on entertainments and
other benefits they ran for the
working-class. helped them put on
"The Fifth Year." dressing up in
Russian costume with Russian boys
and girls and riding down the street
in a carriage to advertise the pic
ture which turned out to be a great
success, turning away thousand
people.
In 1924 the Socialist Party en-
dorsed La Toilette for President and
Wheeler for Vice-President. At this
time, Albert Weisbord was national
secretary of the Young Peoples So
coalist League and New England
Secretary of the Socialist Party. AL
the unions CA. F. of L. and Ameri-
can Federation of Textile Opera
tives) backed La Toilette. However
it was the Socialist Party local in
Lawrence that did most of the work
in the campaign for that city, issu-
ing a weekly paper called "The Es-
sex County News and Workers Ad-
vocate." The One Big Union did not
endorse La Toilette because it did
not believe in parliamentary politi-
cal action. Thomas Nicholson was
the principal speaker for the Law
renee branch of the S. P. He was
an advocate of right wing socialism
and put great lot of time and
money he had to the cause.
Leaves Socialist Party.
After the campaign was over, l
left the Socialist Party because |
thought it did not represent the
best interests of the working class.
Too many lawyers, doctors and bust
ness men were in control. At
around this time 1 became secretary
of the One Big Union. Bert Ems
ley went back to a college teach
ing and Ben Legere to California
to produce plays. took part in
many minor strikes around this
section. l then formed in 1925 the
Lawrence United Front Committee.
The purpose of this Committee was
to bring together all the unions then
existing in the textile field. The
American Federation of Textile
Operatives, One Big Union, many
textile clubs and Mill Committees
Joined in this. The committees
were spread in many sections of the
north. Albert Weisbord organized
the Passaic United Front Commit
tee (1926). Here the longest and
one of the most important textile
strikes took place. The strike lasted
over a year. l worked in the Law
renee and New England section rails
ing funds for the strikers and or
ganiZing the workers. With. me at
this time were William Murdoch,
George Siskind, Anthony Rumulia
and Ella Reeves Bloor, better known
by the workers as Mother Bloor,'
a grand young woman of 65 years.
Mother Bloor is known and loved
by the workers from coast to coast.
She is now working actively for the
defense of the Gastonia framed-up
victims.
Later, the United Front Commit
tee went into the Textile Mills Com
mittee ct. M. c.. This organiza-
ton led the big New Bedford strike
in 1926. William Murdoch and
were the leaders of this strike, the
III WORKMEN'S SICK AND