The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-10-09

HOMES Oh the miners were INVADED at all QOuTS
of the night, miners were driven into their yards
at the point of guns in the hands of deputy
sheriffs The office of the NMU. was ran
sacked, the organizer of the Communist Party
arrested while speaking to a meeting of miners,
warrants were gotten out for organizers of the
N.MU., including the writer.
While the terror against our union is let loose,
the miners are coming closer to the N.M.U. This
was proven at a meeting which was addressed
by Walker himself At the conclusion of Walkers
speech, the writer took the floor. When some
henchmen of the district machine tried to stop
him, the audience yelled LET him talk" They
Esteemed with glee to the attacks made against
walker and Lewis. After speaking several
minutes was arrested and taken off the plat
form amidst the protest of the miners. The
sentiment at this meeting was for the N.M.U.
and representative of the mood of the miners
in the entire field
Edmonson Betrays
The frank and file" movement, headed by
Edmonson played the black role that we warned
against Edmonson and his followers advised
the men to go back to Lewis and Walker which
meant the breaking of the Orient strike Need
less to say that because of this action. the So
called rank and file organization for the time
being has disappeared, it has served its purpose
it broke the Orient strike it drove the men back
to Lewis and Walker and it served to isolate
the miners of Illinois from the strike led by
the N.M.U. in the East. However, the danger
of other movements of similar character (pro--
gressive in words and reactonary in deeds) can
not be underestimated, and the NMU. must
fight to expose any and all takers who mas
querade as Champions of the miners interests"
but who have either only their selfish interest
in view, or to misIead the miners. 1t is our
task to show the miners that movement will
only stand and fight for the interests of the
miners when it is based upon a militant pro-
gram and not upon an individual.
Edmonson still has the brass to try to regain
the confidence of the miners he is still uttering
demagogic and misleading statements Dema-
gogy will not help Edmonson any longer. His
deeds have been too plain to the miners.
Miners Active
The arrests of the organizers of the NMU.
in the Northern section of the Illinois coal fields,
did not mean that the work had ceased. The
local men did a successful job of the work plan
ned This fact goes to show that the workers
and especially the miners are capable and possess
the initiative when given responsibility, to carry
through necessary functions in an organizational
campaign
In the southern section, in Franklin county
which has always led the fascist onslaught
against the NMU., the sudden sharpness of the
attack drove the miners for the time being into
a state of fear. Although the militants have
been forced to make temporary retreat, and
although the UMWA. together with the coun-
ty authorities are using every means to keep the
miners in submission, the situation is such that
with the correct organizational approach a mass
movement can be developed under the leadership
of the NMU. The conditions in the Orient
mines as well as in practically every mine in the
district are the same and worse than they we're
before the strike. The men in the Orient mines
work one week out of every five and this is
only in theory, they are supposed to work on
that basis, many of the miners work one and
two days month. The Orient men seeking
way out, have again been betrayed by another
faker.
Criticism is due to the N.M.U. in the Illinois
district for allowing this faker to mislead and
betray the miners; it was due to our weakness
and the unclarity of some of the organizers re-
garding the role of the Edmonsonites that was
to great extent responsible and it is to be
noted that the past mistakes of the union had
cast an unfavorable reflection However, Ed
monson has through his own deeds exposed him
self. The miners, on the other hand, see clearly
in the N.M.U. and more so due to the recent
attack, the only organization that has the I'M
derstanding of the present situation, and the
psogram to unite and lead the miners to VIC
tori -