The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-11
Packing of Indianapolis
Convention Exposed
by Opposition
IL ron MYERsCOUGH

As predicted In a previous article,
the United Mine Workers Of America
payroll gang is very much on the Job
getting delegates by "hook or crook"
for the coming international Conyen-
ton, which opens in Indianapolis ON
Jan. %.
A specific instance is to be found in
Central Pennsylvania, at the Jerome,
Somerset County, local Of the o. M.
W. A., where the Lewis organizer,
Martin, In deliberate defiance Of the
constitution, persuaded the local union
to add the name Of Jim Marks, PreSi-
dent Of District No. 2, o. M. W. A, to
the credentials Of the two delegates
previously elected at q regular meet
ing, saying, ut won't cost you any
thing"
Constitution Violated
The constitution is quite clear on
this point, and reads as follows:
Section IA, Article IL. Delegates to
International Conventions must be
elected at official meetings OF Local
Unions after the call for the COnven-
ton is received and has been read
TO the Local Union. The Local Re-
cording Secretary shall post notices,
signed by himself and the Local Pres
ident, at the mine at least three days
prior to such meetings, stating that
delegates are to be elected on a GER
tain day. Delegates must receive a
majority vote of the members present
at such meeting, and no meeting other
than the orc fi'H advertised and
called Ia accordance herewith shall
be recognized as an official meeting
for the election of delegates" :. 49,.
It develops that at Jerome there is
state of uncertainty as to the atti-
tude OF the men toward he Lewis
gang. The frs local union president
and his brother we're juggled out OF
Office ard out of their jobs through
company influence, and a miner
preacher was put into the Office OF
local president.
Soon after, the company gave this
preacher a good Job in the mine and
nothing could be gotten for the men
through any action by him, so he was
dumped" by the Jerome miners
with the selection of new president
and the election Of two delegates to
the convention, uncertainty as to their
'leanings" was felt, and the Levi:
machine thought it best to play
safe
Meeting Hastily Adjourned
They played on the lack Of knowl-
edge Of the constitution by these new
members of the union and, at the
meeting following the election OF del
egates, organizer Martin, after spend
ing several days in Jerome, pretending
to guide" the new local officers, got
the local to add the names Of the
District President, Grandpa jim
Marks. to the credentials. Martin
told the local union, and the local
president, Cook, told me himself, that
it would not cost them any more
to do this.
Cook himself is regarded as an
honest element, but after I talked
with him, he appeared not only naive
but also quite tinid about converSine
longer with me. More, although he
bOltl Lie tAldb d1lJO11C VIII 0tFOAC 4OA
the workers could address the local
he allowed it to adjourn without CIV
ing me the chance or announcing that
I desired to do so.
Hand Picked FavoriteS
Thereupon, we advertised O mass
meeting for the following night al
the same hall, where an interesting
meeting was held. There I told the
miners assembled that, despite organ
izer Martins assurance that at would
cost them nothing extra" that II
would prove to be very costly mis-
take unless they correct 1t at sub
seQuent meeting.
In other parts Of the county this
same organizer is running around
carrying on his crooked attempts tt
have the locals get themselves exon.
Grated from sending delegates and
then going into their meetings and
getting hard-picked company favor
ties elected without a si-gle constitu.