The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-11

district office (Edmondson has already opened
up district office in Springfield The fight
for the check-on in Illinois has taken on now
a three cornered character-LeWis-W Walker Ed
mondSon
Tagging along behind Edmondson come the
Musteites Keck is the secretary of the new
organization. He is strong Music man. The
MusteiteS are now working with EdmondSon as
before they worked with Fishw1ck, harrington
Walker and the Peabody Coal Co. They offer
the strongest defense of Edmondson in the
northern fields, where the miners haven't got
the slightest shred of confidence in Ednnondson
or his movement due to the work of the Ma
tional Miners Union.
Lost somewhere in Muste's coat-tails are the
Shiny, yellow-IVered renegades from Commun-
1snn-the T-otSkyites. Gerry Allard writes in
the so-called Militant that Edmondson and his
groups sincerity cannot be doubted" Allard
attacks the NNGU and the Communist Party for
exposing this new msleader before he can carry
out more treacherouS acts against the miners
Allard is for Saving the UNdWA" and for work
ing with Edmondson. The Shiny, yellow Auard
definitely informed Edmondson that on Tues
day night, July I, the NMU was calling broad
caucus meeting of left wing delegates in the
Dietz Hall, BelleviIle. Edmondson notified fash
and myself that this meeting (caucus) was 60
ing to be smashed physically. The renegade has
taken the next step downward-he has turned
into stool-pigeon and informer-against the
Party and NMU. And the "Militant"-Trotsky-
ist-Cannon organ - publishes Allard's stuff
against the Party and the NNfU, which means
that Allard is carrying thru their policy in
Illinois.
Just as the Militant" defended and sup
ported Sylvan A. Pollack last year, after he
het t1rO and he
of the Party and NNfU to the State Troopers
and sheriffs in Scranton, Pa!
In the Illinois coal fields, the leading COM
rades did not begin enough to expose Ed
nondson to the MIXERS. This mistake was very
costly to us. Ednondson permitted to place
himself at the head of the opposition rank and
file movement in Illinois Also as a result of
two years neglect of work in the NMWA in IL
llnols the writer especially, failed to under
stand the imperative need of exposing Edmond
son long before the Belleville convention.
The task of the National Miners Union in the
Illinois fields now is to establish locals of the
NMU Around these locals of the NMU, strong
and broad unity committees Of action must be
built up. Already, we are having splendid res
ponse and success with the building up of the
Unity Committees of Action thruout the field
The Unity Committees must function both in
w
mands must be worked out to cover the main
localities and the most important mines Local
grievances must be the starting point for devel-
oping and broadening the struggle in Illinois
and linking it up with Pennsylvania, Ohio, West
Virginia ond Kentucky, well as with the
Orient strike. The unemployed movement must
be developed and branches established every
where. County conferences, county hunger
marches are already being organized in two
counties in illinois, but this will have to be
broadened to include the northern fields
Marches in the different mining communities
must be organized-right down to the company
and chain stores-especally in view of the fact
that the stores have cut out all credit for the
unemployed miners.
Relief for the Penn-Ohio-W Va and Ken
lucky strike activities will have to- be intensi-
fled House to house collections and colec-
tons of food and clothing must be organized
In the northern field this has already been ar
ranged Local unions are being visited for do
nations as well as fraternal organizations.
Strike struggles are on the order Of the day
in Illinois as well rs In the rest OF the coal
regions thruout the country Conditions are
forcing the miners into action. The basic ques-
ton is one of organization and preparation for
these strike struggles Immediately; and the
working out of concrete local demands. The
terrific and costly blunders of December 9, 1929
must and cannot ever be repeated again in the
Illinois coal fields.
The development OF these struggles depends
entirely upon us.
P. S.--After finishing this article, the writer
picked up copy of the latest issue of the Uni
ted Mine Workers Journal Lewis's organ. This