The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-07
How to Decide Who Will Lead
Miners Mass Struggles in 1888

membership and preparing for q
Mass United Front Conference on
March 10 to prepare q strike at the
earliest possible date.
AS a part of the general CAM
paign it is sending delegation TO
Harrisburg to intensity the expo
sure of the Pinchot demagogy. 1t
actively participates in the prepa-
rations for the State Hunger
March. All OF these steps are in
tended to develop immediate local
struggles, strengthen the Union and
thus lay the basis for a mass strike.
MORE EFFORT
NEEDED
However, all of these steps are
far from being sufficient and CT
fective to meet the acute situation,
if the serious weaknesses of our
Union and the activity and
strength of our enemy is taken into
consideration. The NMU., espe-
cially, now, is experiencing some
tremendous difficulties which can
be overcome only by most deter
mined struggle and real revolu-
tionary self sacrifice on the part
OF the entire membership.
COME of the weaknesses that
y must be overcome Immediately
are:
Tendency on part of some
comrades to give the miners fight
ing perspective by setting strike
dates at the leading committee
meetings and entirely underesti-
mating, neglecting, in fact deny
ing the necessity OF preparing the
strike through immediate local
struggles and the building Of the
NM.U. and other strike organs.
Without such preparations there
can be no strike under the leader
ship of the N.M.U.
2-Concealed and open OPPOSE
ton to the Organizafional line of
the Union and serious efforts to
hinder its application. Connected
with this is the effort to push in
the background all new forces
by trying to discourage them and
convince them that they are in
capable of fulfilling the posts as
signed them by the Union.
3--Almost complete absence of
agitational and propaganda appa-
ratus: no systematic mass meet
ings, no leaflets reacting to the new
developments and above all no Of
fetal organ of the Union.
4--As result of tremendous fl
nancial difficulty considerable de-
moralization of some leading forces
to the extent that some of the
leafing organizers are asking leave
of absence to put themselves in
shape and others are staying home
without being able to move.
Sand most important, tie
Union is isolated from the masses
of employed miners. In 1881, prior
to the strike, the Union had
stronger connections with the en-
ployed than 1t has now.
HOW THESE WEAKNESSES
WILL BE OVERCOME
These are some of the chief
weaknesses that must be overcome
Immediately If the National Min
ers Union is to lead the struggles
OF the miners this year With a
revolutionary self-sacrifice and de-
termination, with a ruthless strug~
gle against all wrong tendencies
the Union can overcome these
weaknesses.
First of all the Union as a whole
must plunge into the struggle to
break down its isolation from the
masses of the employed. This can
not be done by setting strike dates.
This can be done only, and orce
more. only by establishing personal
contGcts with The miners. by rails.
ing their most burning problems, by
initiaJing and developing immedi-
ute struggle around these problems,
by developing unity between EN-.
pioyed and unemployed, and by
building the NM.U., the commit
tees Of action ETC., in the course Of
these struggles.
HOW TO DECIDE
STRIKE DATE
This is what will still further de-
velop strike sentiment; this is what
will set u broad strike perspective;
this is what will disillusion the
miners In the reformist unions;
this is what will strengthen their
confidence In the N.M.U.; and this
is what will make it possible TO
set real strike date.
II the National Miners Upion
Immediately plunges into these
struggles this is what will solve
the undesirable financial situation.