The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-24
GITLOW AT PHILADELPHIA
CONVENTION OF I.L.G.W.U.

nclv taken up the defense of Gitlow and his
speech at the I. L. G. W. U. convention IN
1925. In leaflet distributed in the market,
these people say "The charges made are
deliberate Justification Why isn't the speech
quoted? Gitlow never praised by the
reactionary A. F. of L. officialdom"
The Daily Worker is glad to quote the
sneecb and give to all workers the full details
surrounding it. This will make clear that
Gitlow's present campaign against the Union
is only the logical elimination of line that
has been long in preparation.
The PHILADELPHIA Convention in 1925 was of
historic Importance to the entire revolution
arv trade union movement. At that time the
left-wing had reached a point where leadlng
a vast majority of the members IN the unon'
but facing a rght-wing bureaucracy IN con-
troll of the offices, it either had to compromise
with these officials on their basis of class col
laboration. or make decisive turn in the dlrec-
tion of the new revolutionary unions. One or
the other had to become the main line of policy.
Gitlow's speech in that convention was the
high mark in forcing the policy of compro-
mise upon the left wing, which had most dlsas-
trous results
At the Crossroads.
This issue was presenting itself in many in
dustries and it was but natural that III the
needle trades, where the left wing was strong
est. the dividing line should be reached earh-
est at a crucial moment when the lett wing
by taking up a clear and decisive policy,
could have swept all before it. Instead of TAX
ing advantage of this situation, however, the
left wing had forced upon it an outdated
policy, which was here degenerated into plain
Mysticism, into class collaboration covered with
- cleft" phrases.
Everyone will remember that 1924 and 1925
was the period of mass explosions of revou-
tionary workers from the A. F. of L., the turn
ing point of social-reformism into fasclsm.
In the needle trades this process assumed a
particularly extensive character. The majority
of members were expelled, locals 2, and Y
especially. by the Sigman administration The
bureaucrats soon found out, however, that they
had expelled themselves, for the masses were
soldlv with the left-wing Action Committee.
The bureaucrats therefore made retreat,
maneuver in order to gain more favorable
moment for an attack. 1t is under such cir
cumstances that the Philadelphia Convention
occurred and Gitlow made his speech.
When the convention opened, the Sigman
gang controlled the offices of the international
Union, and thereby had organized majority"
of the delegates by representation from nom
existing "paper" locals. The left wing dele
gates, however, represented 80 per cent OF the
membership and completely controlled the most
important market, New York If we accepted
Sigman's artificially created majority" as
legal, the rest would be simple for Sigman
and the forces he represented.
Bowed to Paper Majority.
Under the Lovestonian policy of staying in
the A. F. of L. at all costs, the left wing came
into the convention upon the basis of accepting
Sigman's majority" as legal fighting only to
put across some democratic reforms, such as
proportional representation, etc. Sigman's OBJ
jective was to show at this convention that
% he still rules the International Union, ~
has the full support of the A. F. of L., and
80 to demoralize the left wing as much
possible.
In spite of the Lovestone policy, the fight
in the convention tended to assume the natural
orms that the left wing, the main body of the
union, should break through the artificial
legality of Sigman, that the actual relation
ship of forces among the membership must
come into collision with the legality" recog-
nized by Lovestone and Gitlow This contra
diction between policy and reality undermined
tha fighting firmness of the left wing dele
gates, and Sigman took full advantage of this
Here we come to the point where opportunist
policy, bad enough, is reinforced with oppor-
tunist corruption, IN the person OF Mr.. Ben
jamin Gitlow, at present the leader of the rem
egades from Communism and defended by the
Opposition" in the Needle Trades Workers In
dustrial Union.
1t was about the third or the fourth day of
the convention when, through the instrument
atty of Sigman the regular procedure was laid
aside in order to pass a resolution demanding
the release of Gtlow, who was serving the
remainder of his sentence to Sing Sing, of
about year. Very soon the word was spread
through the convention that Sigman, together
with Moskowitz (Tammany labor expert of
Governor Smith, were working to get Gitlow
released during the time of the convention.
Smith, Tammany's governor, was then in New
York City in his hotel suite, and trips were
made to and from.
Sigman Needed Gitlow.
Why all this eagerness of Sigman in behalf
of Gitlow? Did not Sigman just few weeks
before cause the arrest of our most active rank
and filters? 1t did not take long to disclose the
purposes of liberal" Sigman, quite clearly
indeed
In the middle of the convention when the
flight was at it's hottest, word went through
the convention that Gitlow released! Git
low on the way to the convention! Mos
kowitz must have worked quite fast. How gen.
erous, how liberal, our Tammany COVER
nor to pardon "Comrade" Gitlow so quickly!
The left wing leadership in Philadelphia
looked high and low for Gitlow, so as to ap-