The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-26
PRE-CONVENTION DISCUSSION
The Needle Trades Under the Surgical
Knife of Self Criticism

makers Unions as we'll as over the Chicago
Joint Boards the left wing leadership made no
attempt to Immediately reorganze the organ
izations on the basis of the shop delegates sys-
tenn and develop campaign for actual ANAL
gamation, whereby we would have firmly
trenched ourselves and made another attack
by the bureaucracy more difficult 1t was not
done so, firstly, because the leadership thought
it too early and had to wait till we get COM
plete control over the national apparatus; Sec
ondly, because of the legal status (being afraid
to come in clash with the G.E.B) and thirdly
which is the most significant, the harboring Of
illusions of possible cooperation with the "bet-
ter" right wngers election of Fish to the most
strategic and important post of secretary treas
urer in the J. b..
Strange as it may seem it was the arch
betrayer Sigman who seeing the new develop
ing trend in the industry, advanced the idea
that there cannot be any reconciliation between
the right and the left His statement to the
committee of shop chairmen and that company
unionism which was already then in the max
ing was incompatible with the policies of the
Trade Union Educational League. 1t was Sig
man who deliberately first capituated to the
Joint Action Committee only to gain breath
ing spell, re-intrench himself and prepare after
for more vicious attack, for life and death
WIFI Ine IelC Wig.
Right Deeds Under Left Cloak.
Failure to overhaul the old rotten, obsolete
apparatus resulted in the left wing following
into the foot steps of the old bureaucracy.
Methods of organization, methods of court de-
tense, police collaboration was the inheritance
from the old bureaucracy applied by the left
wing leadership 1t is exactly the same road
that the socialists travelled Started originally
as the left wing of the ALL, they have en-
barked upon a policy of graft and corruption
that eventually developed a maze of graft
scandals besmearing the entire labor move
ment, such that had no parallel in any Euro
pean country. The issue of Shapiro, wrongly
inserted in the article, is absolutely irreveant
in this case. What we are to establish and
focus the attention of the membership upon is
the fact that it is these practices that breed
and produce corrupt elements. 1t is these prac-
tees that create illusions among the masses
about capitalist justice and dampens the class
struggle. 1t is the essence of class colabora-
ton. One mistake led to another and all of
them, taken together, and defended, make
right wing opportunist line
All have their share of responsibility for the
past, those who were the actual sponsors of
such policies well as those who offered
slight resistance but have finally capitulated
ing (this applies particularly to the writer).
The Two Front Theory.
On the basis of a wrong analysis the 1926
general cloak strike, presumably under the left
wing leadership, has enriched us with the
famous two-front theory to which the Love
stone opposition in union still clings at
this period. The essence of this theory con-
sisted IN the following: Eve cannot fight Sig
man and the bosses at the same time. These(
are two separate fronts of the struggle The
members will look upon it as mere politics"
etc.
The truth of the matter was this: Sigman
was the chief commander of the bosses against
the cloakmakers. 1t was Sgman who had Bres-
law and Feinberg open special "Real Estate
Offlces for the purpose of supplying scabs
1t was due to the manipulations of Sgman
that the strike was prolonged to over twenty
weeks and it also due to him that the
bosses fought so valiantly for the famous re-
organization clause. Thanks to the stiff re-
slstance of the cloakmakers and their bitter
hatred for the right wing the outcome of the
strike In spite of all the obstacles was under
the circumstances victory. Would the leader
snip have understood that it is in reality one
front OF the struggle, that to fight against the
bosses means to fight Sigman at the same
! time, then the strike would have been settled
! IN the early stages and the membership would
nave approved this course hundred per cent
The result would have been that the second
pogrom upon the Joint Board planned in adj
vance would have been nipped in the bud.
| (To be continued)