The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-09
BY YERN SMITH.

LAWRENCE, Mass. Nov. THE
mask If OF the United Textile Work
srs' misleaders noWl German, Ri
Were, Sylvia, and the little takers
like Green and Red Mike" Shulman
are openly driving the Lawrence
strikers, as far as they are able to do
SO, to that slaughter house of strikers,
the secret ballot" of the employers.
Last Friday night the UTW Off
Gals, aided by Watt, the president Of
the local Aft central body, rail-
roaded through Joint meeting of
the two UTW locals by the foulest
kind of trickery and the most brazen
demagogy the motion that gives the
Lawrence morning paper chance
to come out with a big black streamef
headline; "UTW Approves Poll of
Help" This Is a lie. The UTW
membership voted against the ballot.
Then the misleaders took a vote on
: another question, to consider" and
declared this carried and announced
i. it as an approval Of the ballot.
The UTW chiefs have been hand
ing out cards in their union to all
/. they suspect are the most conserva-
tive. They got them all out Of their
joint meeting last night, something
like a thousand assembling in a
closed meeting in Moose Hall ON
t, Common st. Watt, Riviere, and Syl-
via took the lead in a furious cam.
paign there for the members to agree
to vote in the Citizens Committee bal
lot. They trimmed this ballot with
all sorts Of apparently "fair" provi-
sionS. They stated that there should
be only one question on the ballot:
do you favor 9 return TO work with
ten per cent reduction and no dis
. crininationl"--a eyes" or mo" vote
on that. They assured the members
that the big chiefs of the U.T.W
would be on the ballot counting COM
nnittee to assure a fair count"
Some Of the U'TW leaders as the re-
sentiment to balloting made itself
evident in many parts of the hall,
took the floor and assured the mem
bers they should vote NO." at the
polls and that if they did not accept
the Citizens Committee ballot, the
mills would all hold their own, as
the Monomac did. The translation
in French and Polish of these re-
marks (Reviere translated his own in
French) went much further, they
were plain strike breaking speeches,
declaring that other nationalities
were going back to work and the
French and Poles should not be left
In the lurch.
The cold facts are that If any con-
siderable number of strikers enter
this polls of the Citizens Committee,
IL won't make an iota of difference
what question they vote on or which
way they vote. The votes will be
counted by the enemies Of the work
ers, by the representatives Of the
companies, Of the strike breaking Cit
lens committee, and perhaps by the
officials of the UTW--those same off,
Gals who last month put through
As per cent wage cut in the hosiery
d. industry, those same UTW officials
who have tried to split the picket
lines, tried to divide the workers on
relief and defense and whose every
move has been towards strike break
ing.
The mill owners have assigned the
UT'W the job of leading enough
thousands to the polls so that they
can announce ten or fifteen thous-
and votes for return to work with
out looking ridiculous because only
few dozen even went into the polls.
How they vote when they get into the
polls won't hav eanything to do with
the results that are announced.
The strikers in general are uneasy
they suspect these leaders, but be-
cause the United Front Rank and
File Strike Committee and the Ma
tional Textile Workers Union have
been practically deprived of chance
to speak to the large masses of the
strikers, while police clubs guard the
speakers of the UTW as they pour
Into the ears Of thousands on Law
renee Common daily, many of the
strikers do not see the full infamy
Of the Germans and Riyieres and
Watts. Indeed, such young social
fascist types as RED Mike Shulman
have certain, though limited, popu-
.iarity.
Even with all these disadvantages.
the healthy instinct Of the rank and
file members of the UTW was impos-
slble TO entirely thwart When the
motion to endorse the Citizens Com
mittec ballot was put before the
meeting in Moose Hall Friday night,
hitter all that tricky propaganda,
there was an Overwhelming majority
against 1t. Many members Missed
and booed.
Then the fraud came in. Another
barrage of speeches. this time OF
militant tone, by Shulman and Green
iWho Us another "here" of the kid
mapping eposide, and has been SEN
fenced to a. year for trying to res
tue" Nike and then Riviere came
out with proposal: That we con-
lider the ballot" Enough voted for
this, apparently innocent, motion to
five the counting tellers and chair
han chance to declare a majority |
tor it.