The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-08-20
A New Wave of Struggle by
Illinois Miners

Secretary of Labor Davis is very much in
terested that something be done to keep the
miners in submission; he is alarmed over the
opinion of one of the miners of West Frank
fort who wrote him a letter telling him that
"a general strike is imminent as is shown IN
the letter written by Davis in answer to the
miners Letter and published in the press in
Southern Illinois.
The real face of the leaders of the fake rank
and file movement and their true social fascist
role is exposed clearly in their letter just re-
ferred to which declares for government sub
sidy for coal operators so, as they state, to
put the operators on their feet financially"
Mr.. Ward and Murray are interested in only
one thing-to put the operators on their feet
financially. They don't give damn about the
starving miners and their families, about the
killing of miners as result of the speed-up
in the mines, but they are interested that
operators should not lose anything in the pre-
sent economic criss,s which hits the coal field
hard as we'll as the chronic crisis of the min
ing industry.
Mr. Davis is not the only one who is worried
about the conditions. Billy Green, fascist pres
dent of the A. F. of L.. is worried very much
because:
"The extremists will capitalize the situation
will appeal to the feelings and will mob
ilize discomfort so that it will be well nigh
impossible for anyone to require the mine
workers to observe the provision of the joint
agreement or to conform to the laws, rules
and practice of the organized labor move
ment."
Two Conclusions
All these facts clearly show two things. %
The social fascist character of the leadership
of this so-caled frank and file" movement.
(2) That the operators, government, fascist
L. e A of r
and U.M.W.A. are worried very much to
the possibilities of organizing and leading the
miners in the struggle against naturalization,
unemployment and for increased wages, short
.ening of the working hours and social insur-
ance for unemployed workers.
The struggle can be organized only by the
Mine, Oil and Smeter Workers Industrial
Union.
We must also clearly understand the DEM
ogogical propaganda of the social fascist lead
ers of the so-called rank and file movement
with their left phrases which are misleading
the miners They claim they are against both
Lewis and Fishwick, Howatt anil Peabody, that
they are even for the program of the N.M.U.
but they cannot affiliate with the movement
because it is a red movement.
Left Phrases.
1t is not surprise that the social fascists
use left phrases Otherwise they simply can
not speak to the miners. The Mine, Oil and
Shelter Workers Industrial Union can take
advantage of this situation and is taking adj
vantage by fighting against the social fascist
of the rank and file movement, exposing their
role and fighting for independent leadership
and struggle by the miners. In local unions OF
the U.M.W.A. where elections are taking place
to send delegates to the fake frank and file"
convention. miners put up candidates who are
members of the new miner union and fighting
for its independent leadership and program.
They are electing delegates to the convention
by the local unions of the M.O.S.WIU., to
fight there for the M.O.S.W.LU.
This activity cannot be confined to the in
side of the local unions. A broad campaign
must be started exposing the fake leaders and
linked up with the economic every day strug
gle of the miners in every mine, setting up
mine committees to undertake the immediate
tasks and organizing miners for strike, for
spreading local strikes. The unemployment
movement must be organized and find express
sion in mass demonstrations on Labor Day
throughout the coal fields. The economic strug-
gle of the miners must be brought to higher
political ge by bringing into the coal field
the cleo I campaign of the Communist Party
The election campaign of the Communist Party
aust unite all the STR giles of the miners and
poor farming population in that region which
is also on the point of starvation, and make
united struggle against capitalism and the
capitalist government
Througho' this campaign the social yascist
character of the leaders of the fake rank and
file movement must be fully understood by
everybody. The fight against this can be car
ried out successfully only when not a single
OF. anizaiona question is overlooked.
Miners viii follow the union and the Party
when we clearly set the facts before them.