The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-22

a gain of 100000 new members in
537 new local unions, since the
last convention. The convention
voted to strike in the cotton tex
tile industry, with half million
workers, on or before Sept. l, and
voted to strike in the silk, rayOn
and WOODEN and worsted industry,
leaving the strike date to the Ex-
ecutive Board. But q cOmbina-
ton of the socialist leader, Emil
REEVE, together with the Thomas
MachahOn machine, assured the
conservative MacMahOn of re-
election without opposition.
BY CARL REEVE
A SECTION Of the opposition" at
a convention was the Loyestoneite
leadership. Three leaders of the
Lovestone group were delegates to
the convention: Eli Keller, j. Ru-
binstein and Bernard Herman. Dur
ing the course of the convention a
number of speeches were made by
these Loyestoneites. Herman in
troduced a score of resolutions.
But in not single one Of these
speeches was the betrayal policy of
the MacNIahOn German machine
analysed. These Lovestoneite leaders
refrained from any but the most
general phrases in advocating a
militant strike policy. They did not
once go into the whole history of
betrayal of MacMahon and Cor
man.
Concrete Exposure Lacking
OPPORTUNITIES to expose and
v weaken the MacMahon machine
were ample. Why was it for ex-
ample, that Germans report was
not analysed by the Lovestoneites.
German declared: 81 desire to ex-
press our sincere appreciation to the
research department of the A. F. of
L. and the Labor Advisory Board Of
the N.R.A. for the splendid assist
ance rendered to the United Tex
tile Workers of America and their
willingness at all times to cooper
ate In our endeavOrs."
German made this statement at
the conclusion of a report in which
he admitted that he had signed an
agreement with the NR.A. which
called only for an investigation
Of wages and hours, and which gave
up the proposed strike in the cotton
textile industry. German thus
praised the NRA. after he had
quoted the N.RA. investigation"
decision that under existing condi-
tons there is no factual or statisti-
cal basis for any general increase
in Cotton Textile Code wage rates"
German said of this decision that
it was disappointing" then went
on to praise and endorse the N.R-A.
Jim Crow Policies
But the Lovestoneites did not say
a word concretely exposing German
or MacMahons treacherous record.
They did not bring out that Of
| the IL board members elected, not
one was a Negro or woman.
They said not a word against the
Jim Grow policies of the Mac
Mahon machine. They did not
raise their voices even to point
out that of the 500 delegates, not
one was Negro-not even from
the Jim Grow locals of the South.
fact that not a single woman was
Nor did they even mention the
elected or even nominated for one
of the IT executive board members.
This is striking in view of the fact
that there are 452,007 women in
the industry, which employees more
women than any other industry in
the U. S. In the silk and knitting
industry women outnumber the
men. And yet no women officers
were elected by the reactionary
MacMahon machine
1t is one thing to make leftist
speeches of general nature. 1t is
another to concretely expose the
U.T.W. leadership. The reason for
this can be seen in Paterson. Eli
Keller, leader of the Paterson silk
union, is following out MacMahon's
policies in practice. When Schweitz-
err told the convention that, 1--WE
had our hands full inducing the
workers not to strike but to accept
a per cent wage cut" there was
not word from the Lovestoneites.
Keller and Rubinstein helped put
over this wage cut in Paterson.
Keller said not a word in criticism
of Schweitzer throughout the con-
vention. He uttered not one word
of criticism of MacMahon's concrete
acts of treachery. Keller is now
engaged in Paterson in campaign
to expel militants from the union.
The general left phrases of the
Lovestoneites cloak the fact that in
practice they are part and parcel
of the MacMahon machine. To
cap the climax, the Lovestoneites
failed to put up one of their lead
ers as either presidential or vice
presidential candidate and thus the
officers were reelected unopposed.
Tasks of Communists
THE U.T.W. convention once more
1 sharply calls to the attention of
the Communist Party members and
militants within the U.TW. of the
Importance of opposition work in
side the A. F. of L. unions. With
one truly militant floor leader the
complexion of the convention might
have been altered.
MacMahon and his machine will
be unable to drown the militancy
of the textile workers. They will be
unable to prevent the broadcast
strikes in the coming weeks. But
MacMahon will behead these strikes
| ,inIpcc tho Com 1,tlriStc aud the