The daily worker., 1934-08-18

(CORtiHued from Page l
of some support had they opposed
him. This failure to put up a can
didate against MacMahon belied
their Notwithstanding speeches.
MacMahon, triumphant over those
delegates who favor militant strike
action, told reporters Immediately
after his reelection that he will
put the question of wages, hours
and stretchout in the hands OF
President Roosevelt and seek
through Roosevelt to secure arbi-
tration which will head off the
strike. Thus MacNfahon already
carries a step further his previous
betrayal, when he postponed the
cotton textile strike this summer,
and now lays the basis for once
more preventing the textile cotton
workers from putting up a fight
for their demands. Even though it
has already been made clear time
and again that the textile workers
have nothing to hope for from the
NFA, MacMahon takes the whole
question back into the lap of the
NRA and Roosevelt. This policy of
heading off the strike means sure
defeat for the demands of the tex
tile workers if allowed to go
through.
Roosevelt Aids ReactionarieS
The hand of the Roosevelt gov
ernment was stretched out to Mac
Mahon yesterday to strengthen his
position, when it was announced in
Washington only few hours be-
fore tho election OF officers that
MacMahon had been appointed n
member of the Labor Advisory
Board Of the NRA.
In order to influence the South
ern delegates to line up with Mac
Mahon, Green sent to the conven-
ton as his representative George
Googe, a southerner now located in
Atlanta, Georgia. Googe at yes
tsrday'5 session wac obviously act
ing as the steering committee for
MacAdahon.
MacMahon, expertly guided,
throughout the convention, took
care not to jeopardize his chances
for reelection Although it almost
choked him, he took no stand
against the motions for strike. The
strategy of these A. F.. of l.. leaders
was to allow the strike vote to go
through, knowing they could not
head it OF, and at the same time,
10 retain complete organizations
control of the union They thus
put themselves in a position to pre-
vent the strike by going to Rocse-
welt or to betray it by failing to
organize the forces of the textile
workers 70: the battle.
Socialist Aids Betrayal
The greatest aid to MacMahon in
putting over this strategy was
Emil RieVe. This Socialist Party
leader, head of the Hosiery Work
ers Federation, by his sham can
didacy, blocked the crystallization
of militant opposition and at
the last minute his withdrawal left
a clear road fer MacMahon. His
lest-minute withdrawal left the
hosiery workers, some of the Pat
erson delegation, and some of the
southern delegates. and others op-
posed to MacMahon, dumbfounded
Undoubtedly they do not yet resi-
ize the nlaneuvers u1ed to keep the
reactionary MacMahon Green
leadership in power.
The argument was used to the
southern delegates, all of whom
we're militantly demanding strike
that it would split and weaken the
union to change leadership on the
eve Of a strike.
In his talk to reporters it was
brought out that MacMahon is
d strong advocate Of Jim Grow
unions. at one point MacMahon
used the word "nigge~." He de-
clared that he is a firm believer
in separate locals for the Negro
tcxsi;e wc,ke-s.
There are a number of seps-
rate Negro locals in the South
he said, The white locals help
organize them and install ther
officers" He was asked if there
were any Negroes as delegates to
the convention. The answer was
that there is not a single Negro
delegate. When asked why the
Negro locals were not represented
at the convention. MacMahon re-
piled that they did not have the
money to come" When in Rome
do as the Romans do" MacMahon
concluded. ,>4<s.-
The executive board was en-
larged and now consists of the
president, five vice-prasidents, the
sscetary-treasurer, and ten addi-
tional members elected by lie
convention, totalling II members
instead Of the present 13.
John A. Peel, of Greenvile. s. C..
defeated Frank Schweitzer. OF
Paterson. N. j. for the Office Of third
vice-president by a vote of a44 to
l0l Peel is the only Sou5herner to
be elected among the officers.
Horace REVERE of Manchester
N. Z, was CHOSEN fourth vice-presi-
dent; Joseph White, Cohoes. N. y.
fifth yice-president. and James
Starr was reelected secretary
treasurer.