The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-12-18
TODAY In WORKERS HISTORY

December 1S, 1S65-Negro slavery abolished
throughout United States by ratification of
thirteenth amendment to constitution. 1876
First Russian political workers demonstration
In Kazan Place, S. Petersburg. 1883-Twenty
thousand cotton weavers in London struck
for wage raise and shorter work day. 1915
Policemen of Toronto, Canada, struck against
dismissal of members for joining union. 1915
Twenty-seven LW.W.'s found guilty in espion-
age cases at Kansas City, Kan. 192o-San
Francisco ferry boat crews struck for wage
increase.
vention Of District Nine, the same gentleman
who betrayed the militants in 1928, he has again
attempted to stage his little game of foolng
and betraying the miners into the hands of the
reactionary Harrington and Fishwick machine.
Tagging Behind.
The revolutionary movement did not succeed
in mastering its task in the anthracite, it has
played no role in mobilizing the miners and
leading them in their struggles.
The whole work carried in the anthracite
was record making work, we have substituted
general propaganda, speech making occasionally
the issuing of leaflet, for persistent daily ac-
tivitieS for developing the struggle and building
the union.
Eight wing, opportunism and left wing sect
aranism has greatly contributed to the failure
of building movement in the anthracite
For the sake of brevity we will enumerate
fey of methods.
For period of few weeks prior to any con-
vention one or two were sent into the field to
build groups and to get delegates to send to the
convention. Here and there locals were organ
lied, but the Mine, Oil and Smelter Workers In
duStrial Union never made an effort
to follow the work up and then before another
VIC of he
work
We have met miner in Ashley who claimed
that he has paid initiation fee twice into our
union, but was never called to union meeting,
We have criminally played around with the
slogan Strike on Sept First" we have even
talked about this strike and issued the slogan in
our leaflets as late as last July, but at the same
time failed to carry on preparatory organize
tonal work, which would convince the miners
that we are willing and able to defend their
every day interests. The whole work of the revo-
lutionary union cloud OF generalities. here
we may note that the union hasn't any concrete
demands for the anthracite miners.
The united front from below has only re-
manned phrase on paper. In spite of the fact
that the anthracite is the last stronghold of the
Lewis machine, we have completely abandoned
the work of carrying on the struggle inside the
U.MWA. The very fact that among the 1919
delegates at the Tri-District Convention who
openly demonstrated their opposition to the
Lewis gang, we did not have even single con-
tact to give this opposition the proper guidance,
or for instance comrade who enjoys tho con-
fdence of hundreds of miners in District Nine
has failed to attend his local union for months
at a time while at the same time delegates OF Il
this local led the opposition in the recent Dis
trict Min convention. t@
Present Policy.
Not until a few months ago did the militants
in the field earnestly discuss and analyze the
methods of work, and work out the policy
which gives us base for the developing of our
movement and building the union.
We are concentrating today on given collieries,
with the development Of struggles for the every 4,
day demands of the miners and the main task
is to build broad committees of action in the
mines.
These action committees are composed OF
members of the U.M.W.A. and members of the
revolutionary Mine, Oil and Smelter Workers
Industrial Union. They have their specific de-
naands in the given colliery conferred around the
general demands Of the M.O.S.WIU. The CEN
trail task OF the committee Of action is to develop
the struggle and also to expose the role OF the
company union and to win over the miners for
membership in the real lInion