The daily worker., 1929-11-19
II. .LIN0IS NMlj
In Statement
Watt Never Hesitated
to Defy Union Rules

w DGly OllIOll hU1So
Continued from Page One)
iects class collaboration. 1t will
vigorously expose wrong policies,
misleadership, and sharply uproot
all bureaucratic tendencies. The
preamble of our constitution speaks
very clearly as to the character of
the N. M. u, when it says:
"'Our organization shall ever re-
main truly class conscious, The
National Miners Union categori-
cally rejects the policy of class col
Iaboration and will pursue policy
of militant struggle to obtain its
objects. The history of the coal
miners, as we'll as the workers of
the country, is that Of incessant
struggle between these two classes
the class struggle. Upon the
recognition of this principle the
National Minerss' Union is organ
led
Rank and File Controlled
"This can be the only guarantee
that our Union will ever remain an
instrument of the rank and file and
not degenerate as the U. NJ. W. A.
did under the leadership of the
bosses tools, the Lewises and Fish
wicks.
"Our Union follows leaders only
as long as those leaders uphold and
fight for the principles of ours
Union. The officers and leaders
in our Union must carry out the
wishes of the rank and file.
'In the fight for these principles,
our Union has been compelled from
time to time to fight against op
portunism, and bureaucratic hang
ers which wrecked the U. M. w. A
When this shows it's head in our
Union, attempting to stop its
growth, turn our policies from class
struggle to class collaboration, mis-
lead our Union, disregard the voice
of the rank and file, violate our
laws and regulations, and propose
policies which can only lead to sur
render and defeat, our Union will
fight against them, no matter who
proposed them. Our Union must
remain a fighting, class conscious
organization of rank and file min
ers.
Fight Defeatists and Splitters.
"In defense of our fundamental
laws and condemning attempts to
split the N. M. u, the rank and file
Belleville Convention adopted a
unanimous resolution condemning
John J. Watt, president of the Ma
tional Miners Union, for his at
tempts to split our Union, and re-
fusal to accept decisions of the rank
and file convention which over
whelningly defeated his misleading
policies which play into the hands
of the operators and their agents,
Lewis and Fishwick, to establish
bureaucratic control over the or
ganization. The policies proposed
by Watt are similar to those of the
fake progressives like Music, who
under the cover of radical phrases
stand in the way of real struggle.
and act as shield to protect the
bosses and the labor takers.
THE convention unanimously de-
nounced these policies of Watt, con-
demning his misleading policies and
demanding that he be tried by the
National Executive Board, and until
a final decision is reached he cease
all activity in the state of Illinois.
Since that time Watt has misrepre-
sented this to mean that he has been
removed without trial. This is
not so.
Enemies of the Miners.
"The differences Of the National
Executive Board and the District
Grievance Board with Watt must
be clearly understood by every men,
Der. Watts activities in Illinois
during the past six weeks when he
first became active after years
stay at his home, doing nothing,
were aimed to split the National
Miners Union, and stop it's growth.
The policies proposed and followed
by Watt in different sections of our
district can result only in defeat
and surrender to both bosses and
takers. These policies Of Watt were
examined and decisively repudiated
by the rank and file delegation in
Belleville. Watt answered this de-
cision of the rank and file by trying
to split the convention. Since the
Belleville convention he definitely
proved by his action that he is an
and the work Of Women's, Youth |
Fts