The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-11-26
Out With the Crown Drsvnon

Out With the Crown
 Prince
 MT. Lewis is not the sort of fighter to pick set-ups for his 0p- ponents. Not so long ago he blasted out of the Civic Fedora tion, Matthew Woll, head of the photo-engravers union and who during the incumbency of the late Samuel Gompers was looked upon as the Crown Prince of the Federation. MT. Woll is the most vociferous of conservative organ ized labor spokesmen, 8 volun- inous writer upon every subject under the sun including those he knows least about, and a positive genius in the art of putting his foot in it. The Civic Federation is a well-intentioned organiza- tion which likes to meddle in all sorts of industrial rows, a pacifi- cator which fails to pacify, and has been since its creation viewed with suspicion by experienced labor leaders who mistrust its de- clared love for the working class. MT. Woll was not the first union executive to get tangled up in the Civic Federation's web. MT. Gom- pers and a former president of the United Mine Workers, the late John Mitchell, one of the truly great figures in the labor world were connected with it for a time. But the organized labor movement considering that being put in the position of carrying water on both shoulders was un- worthy of such battle-scarred champions ordered them to pick their sides. Either the American Federation of Labor and the United Mine Workers or the Civic Federation. MT. Gompers retired from the Civic Federation and, if my memory serves me correct ly, MT. Mitchell resigned from the mine workers although no suspicion of disloyalty to that or- ganization or the labor movement was ever hinted where he was concerned.
 On the Blacklist
 As far as the United Mine Workers are concerned, the Civic Federation has been a labor bait ing outfit and no bona-f1de labor man should be mixed up with 1t. When therefore, MT. Woll rose to eminence in 1t and became one of its mouth organs, it was 8 sure thing that he was in for trouble
 MT. Lewis, who can be an ora torical Big Bertha when he sees a target which needs knocking down, turned his attention to MT. Woll's membership in the Civic Federation with the result that MT. Woll has severed his official connection with that organizR- tion. All of which did not please the members of the Executive Council who have used MT. Woll frequently to give utterance to sentiments which they approved but which other labor officials disapproved. They might not love MT. Woll but they certainly hated MT. Lewis, president of an indus trial union and have made his position on the council white hot gridiron accordingly. '.
 
 The Outcome
 The result of MT. Lewis fight to increase the number of indus trial unions if successful will alter completely the whole com plexion of the labor movement. Personally hope he does it. But whether he does or not his op- ponents will know they have not been in a kissing contest. The president of the United Mine Workers is a big man physically, whose only dissipation is smoking endless cigars, and he is Q glut- ton for punishment. He has won out in more life-and-death strug- gles in his own organization than any other international union head in the A. F. of L. He has brains and patience. And the kind of cold-blooded courage be- fitting the leader of an organiza- ton whose history has been writ. knsa fsa n&ossrsn fff.Va o4ae9 hln0A on3