The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-03
OUR TASKS IN ILLINOIS AND
INDIANA COAL-FIELDS

One OF the organizers OF the /. u u Ii
sent to the coal fields to help build the union
after a few weeks IN the coal fields reports as
follows: THE town could be revived very
easily if someone could stay here for few
days" This is the same old story of the So
called work of some of the organizers who
think that they are not the ones who should
build the union, but survey the field, and some
body else would go and build the union.
Pay Attention to Details.
Comrade Overgaard, in his article on build
ing the Metal Workers Industrial League,
very correctly stated that we should not be too
big to pay the utmost attention to the little"
organzatonal questions This must be under
stood by organizers and by leading members of
the Party and unions everywhere that we are
passing from the period of agitation to the
Period of organization and organization for
struggle, for strikes.
The whole conception of work must be
changed. In the past we have been satisfied
with holding mass meetings and completely
forgetting organizational work. Some of the
comrades IN the field can make good speeches
on the objective conditions of building the
movement. Some of them made the speeches
for months, but in the meantime they did not
proceed to make one step toward building the
organization. Such organizers, for the good
of the working class must be taken away
At present, the MOSWIU in Illinois is con-
centrating to rebuild its organization In Frank
lin county, the biggest coal pro iucing county
in the state and the organizers have been ac-
cordingly instructed to build nuclei of the
union in Franklin county to establish a base
of organization from which we proceed to
build movement throughout one state.
This is more important than making flying
trips thru the field and not accomplishing any
thing. We are taking these drastic steps after
removing from the field incompetent organic
ers who have not only done any work, but
destroyed everything built before.
There are unlimited possibilities in Illinois.
1t is only necessary to have clear conception
of the building of the union on the basis of
setting up mine committees which shall under
take campaign to organize miners for strug
gle and lead them in the struggle on the basis
of united front from below on concrete de-
mands.
The economic struggles shall be linked up
with the political struggle of the working class
and in the present election campaign, with the
candidacy of Freeman Thompson who is now in
Jail for leadership in the December, 1929,
strike in Illinois. 1t is possible to put the
Party and the union in Illinois on a real or
ganizational basis. By stressing so much the
organizational side | do not want to minimize
an iota of the importance of the political at
tention of the miners and general agitation,
but emphasis must be put on organization.
Exploit the Possibilities.
The situation we are in in Illinois coal fields
is about the same in Indiana and there also
are unlimited possibilities for building the or
ganization A few days ago, an organizational
trip to Indiana coal fields resulted in establish
ing a Party unit in Bicknell of 10, local union
of 40, and Party unit in Clinton of 5. Also
we were able to speak at a meeting of unem-
ployed miners in Oakland City.
These facts, together with the recent strikes
in Franklin and Saline county, mass meetings
in Zeigler and West Frankfort with mass meet
ings of unemployed over 800 workers in Bel
leville with the support of Communist can
didate for U. S. senate, Freeman Thompson,
in Illinois coal fields, are signs of how much
could be done in the coal fields. 1t is our duty
as Party to help the MCSWIU to build it as
a mighty power of the miners.