The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-09
STARVING PENNSYLVANIA MINERS READY TO HUNGER MARCH
HoeUatt and Trotzkyites in
Neav Betrayal of the Miners
Unite With Music for ''National" Convention
in st. Louis to Lead the Miners
Away From Struggle


Dor agents. Howatt, despite his re-
cent alliance with these notorious
agents of the Peabody Coal Co., an
alliance consummated in the face of
open denunciation by the National
Miners Union, now actually has the
assurance to appear before the Ilii-
nois miners in the guise of an oppo-
sitionist, and TO call upon the miners
to support his proposal for forming q
progressive U, M. w. of A." He is
still trading upon his one-time repu-
tation of fighter in the Kansas
coal fields.
The National Miners Union should
carry ON campaign of the most
thorough exposure of Howatt and his
pals, Such elements are the greatest
danger to the miners. With the en-
ployers slashing wages and worsen-
ing conditions ruthlessly in every
section Of the mining industry, and
with the u. M. w. of A, losing its
grip more and more upon the min
ers. these Musteites are always on
hand to try to prevent the miners
from taking drastic action against
their exploiters. The Fishwick- How
att betrayal in Illinois is elassica'
example of their treachery. The
sell out of the Anthracite "outlaW
strike" by the progressive" leaders,
supported by the Lovestone ele-
ments, is of the same stripe. Only by
the defeat of these tools of the OPP
orators and the Lewis machine can
the National Miners Union establish
its organization and leadership in
the mining industry.
The course that the miners should
take at the Illinois convention is
clear. First of all, they should clean
out Howatt and his gang. Howatt
has shown by his alliance with Fish
wick that he is utterly unfit to stand
at the head of a miners union. He
knew perfectly we'll that Fishwick,
together with his cronies, Harrington
and Walker, were paid agents of the
Peabody Coal Co. The miners must
repudiate Howatt as first essential
to the building Of a real fighting
miners union.
Secondly, at the convention the
miners should take charge Of their
movement themselves. They should
elect a rank and file committee to
head the organization, making sure
that none of those associated with
the FislWiek- Harrington adventure
be given any post of trust whstso-
ever.
Thirdly, the miners of the Illinois
convention should then develop a
united front with the National Min
ers' Union, Such a united front,
based upon the elementary demands
of the miners, would lead to real
qualification of the workers ranks
and lay the basis for effective strug-
gle,
The situation in Illinois is one that
offers real opportunity for the
building of the National Miners
Union. Many locals in the district,
disguised with both Lewis and How
att, are disaffiliated altogether and
can be readily won over to the N.
M. U. The N. M, u, aggressively
developing its initiative as the ma
tional fighting organization of the
miners, should lose no opportunity
for developing united front struggles
with the rank and file members of
the movement coming to a head at
the st. Louis convention. In ILL.,
nois the N. M. U. made many serious
during the strike of a year
and a half ago. These errors can
and will be overcome. Not through
fake Howatt organizations in Illinois,
or treaeherous progressive" move
ments in the Anthracite, can the
miners build an organization. This
can only be done through strength
ening the fighting National Miners
Union.