The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-09
A. F. of [. Leaders Betrav
Tom Mooney

This is the final instalIment of MONEYS ex-
posure of the A. F. of L. leaders, assistance in
the frame-up of Mooney and Billings, and their
sabotage of the long struggle to free these two
workers. In the lines below, Mooney sums up
what he has said before and draws conclusions.
These articles reprint of pamphlet issued
in January, 1881, through the Tom Mooney
Moulders Defense Committee of San Francisco.
CONCLUSION
The limited space of pamphlet is inadequate
to describe in greater detail all the putridness,
all the amazing corruption and treachery of the
A. F. Of L. leadership. Under the circumstances
only brief exposure is possible and it is hoped
that the contents of this pamphlet will be an
important addition to the already voluminous
literature which rips the mask off the face of
these scoundrels who in leech-like fashion sap
the ife-blood of the American organized labor
movement This pamphlet deals with a parti-
cular phase of treachery of the A. F. Of LIS
bureaucrats-that of actual aid in the CHASTITY
frame-up of Mooney and Billings Nevertheless,
the purpose of this pamphlet will not be
achieved if it fails to point out with unmistak-
able clearness that the betrayal of Mooney and
Billings by the A. F. of L, leadership is but
part of the history of their betrayal of the
American workers.
The whole world is at present undergoing a
terrible economic crisis which is shaking Wall
Streets rule to its very foundations. The rich
est land on earth-the United States of America
has not escaped the iron law of capitalist
development. The crisis in the U. S. A. is more
acute, more widespread because of the greater
peak reached in industrial growth in this coun-
try. Over nine million (9000000) jobless work
ers are today starving with their families and
them
the form of charity, in place of genuine unen-
ployment relief or work at living wages.
Capital does not propose to bear the burden
of the crisis; it loads its weight upon the toers
and finds the A. F. of l.. leaders willing tools
who do their utmost to help crush labor and
hammer down its standards of living. In every
struggle of the workers against brutal exploita-
ton and political oppression the A. F. of L.
leadership acts as an open strike-breaking force
true to its role-the mortal enemy of labor
within its own ranks. They act thus in the
Mooney-Billipgs case in which they are no less
scabs than they are in most struggles of the
workers.
The fiftieth convention of the A. F. of L. held
in Boston clearly demonstrated the bankruptcy
of its leadership. The close alliance with Hoover,
the Republican party and Big Business was
openly admitted by the A F. of L. leaders. 1t
has become commonplace to say that this
A. +. of L. convention was lone of the most re-
dictionary assemblages in its history" That trait,
indeed, has come to be taken with an almost
fatalistic certainty. The Boston Convention did
not seem to be illuminated with the faintest ray
of light The burning problems Of the American
workers, crying out for solution, were either en-
tirely ignored or else treated with a cold dead
hand.
Increasing millions of workers are unemployed
in this country suffering intense misery, starv-
ing in these United States--the golden store
house of the world-though surrounded by i'm
mense quantities of food they cannot obtain.
The only loud voices raised on the subject of
unemployment and relief were those of the re-
dictionaries who, like Green, considered it pref
cradle TO- the workers to starve in the streets,
than they should ask for unemployment insur-
ance. Like servile footmen, the A. F. Of L.
leaders are more concerned about the inter-
ests of their masters than are the masters them
selves. How else can their stand on unem-
ployment insurance be explained? The National
Association of Manufacturers is broadcasting a
warning" against the menace OF unemploy-
ment insurance" and the leaders of the A. F..
OF l.. Justify chorus degrading - humiliating."
DO they know better and lie to the workers?
Or don't they know any better? 1t is certain
they are not doing single fundamental thing
TO prevent acute distress among the masses.
They have done nothing about raising wages,
the five-day week, sx-hour workday. redstrib-
uting the national income and organizing the
unorganized ---..----"--------------