The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-02


II
THE more one shuffles the
L cards dealt in the final
showdown to the members of
the Minneapolis Drivers and
/ Helpers Union STA in the mil
liant struggle in which the
whole working class had a
stake, the clearer is the proof that
the workers were cold decked by
James P. Cannon, his lieutenants in
the leadership of the union, Cover
nor Olson and his Farmer-Labor
Party henchnen in control Of the
Minneapolis Trades and Labor As
sembly.
The panic-stricken retreat from a
developing general strike situation
to abject surrender of the militant
workers to compulsory arbitration
under the regional Labor Board
cannot be explained on the basis of
sudden shift in the relationship OF
class forces.
It is the result of the inherent
and incurable OppOrtunism in
separabIe from the Trotskyite
position and which Is its main
theological base. II is all the more
menacing to workers who come
under the influence of its priests
and altar boys, as the Minneapolis
defeat shows, since these artful
rascals can even be yelling for
general strike while they prepare
the machinery to make it impOS-
sible. This is the practical result
for workers of OppOrtunism
covered by revolutionary phrases.
Truce Meant Defeat for Workers
The signing of the truce" after
the building trades council had de-
clared a sympathetic strike and
general strike sentiment was mount
ing in the other unions, disrupted
the working class ranks and spelt
death for the main demands of the
auto truck drivers and helpers.
That the general strike was on
the order of the day in Minneapolis
is admitted by the Trotskyite sheet
for May 26. It says, under a Min
neapolis date line: THE rank and
file of the unions are ready for this
action and it is possible that they
may go out in day or two. (Since
this was written $4,000 building
trades workers have gone out-Ed) y"
To show by number Of facts the
general upsurge that was taking
place in the labor movement-and
to one who knows the Twin Cities
they are Of the greatest significance
we quote again from this sheet:
-. THE st. Paul drivers voted to go
out but failed to do so at the last
minute and agreed to arbitrate a
point or two. The street car men
(Minneapolis) made similar deci-
sion. The labor movement seethes
with indignation against the leaders
responsible for these actions in the
face Of the situation created by the
drivers strike"
In regard to the general strike
possibility, Cannon wired from Min
neapolis on May % that sentiment
for it spreading like Wildfire." He
stated further in the same dispatch
eff the negotiations fail general
strike Of sympathy with the drivers
may result"
In order to show by their own
statements that the shameful set
tlement and surrender of the
strikers to N. r. A. and compulsory
arbitration was not the result of a
defeated strike, to show that it bore
no relation to the actual disposition
of class forces at the time, we quote
still further from an editorial state
ment in the Communist" League
sheet for May 26:
In pitched battles last Saturday
and again on Monday the strikers
fought back and held their own.
And on Tuesday they took the
offensive, with devastating results"
Businessmen" volunteering to put
the workers in their place and
college boys out for a lark-as
special deputies-to say nothing Of
the uniformed cops-handed over
their badges and fed in terror be-
fore the mass fury of aroused work
ers. >. A second feature Of the fight