Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-01-28

e x C e SSeS OF rS..I 0,,.l-
misbehavior
have described.
Their doubts express them
selves for the most part in two
questions: /. Do not the facts
brought out here give ammuni-
ton to the labor-baiters? and 2.
Doesn't your censure of the
Communists constitute red-bait-
ing?
ANSWER is OBVIOUS
The answer to the first ques-
ton seems quite obvious. We
only make ammunition for the
Peglers and the Hearsts when we
do not cleanse ourselves Of
known corruption in our ranks.
Let us not worry about condem-
nation which is not based on fact,
but rather let US force these hate
mongers to stick to lies and in
situations in the absence of
actual material. We, in the labor
movement, anticipate these lies
and it is possible to counteract
them with the weapon of truth.
When, however, we are con-
fronted with misdeeds by people
holding official positions and
can show no record Of corrective
measures applied, the task of
justification becomes especially
difficult.
AS to the issue of red-baiting;
no one has any more contempt
for the red batter than /, who
have been victimized by the prac-
tice on more occasions than one,
for, as you know, one form of
red-baiting consists of hanging
the tag communist" on persons
who have no connection with the
American Communist Party, re-
ject it's philosophy and despise
its methods and much of it's per-
sonnel. This is one of the IA
vorite tricks of our bosses who
use it indiscriminately.
Certainly this column has been
guilty of none of this! II has
operated on the theory that the
Communist Party is no more
immune to criticism than any
other segment of the American
picture. 1t has insisted on a
close examination of the policies
and tactics of the C. P. as they
relate to the welfare of the
American workingman. Finally.
and very important, it has had
much to say about those people
here in Toledo who have been
political bed-fellows of the dis
ciples of Browder during the last
three conventions of the UAW.
FELLOW TRAVELLERS
| do not claim that any mem
Der Of the present Auto-Lite
committee is member of the
Communist Party. ] do claim
that some have given their sup
port, voice and vote in recent
conventions to the program of
the party as expressed in its
various publicity organs. do
claim that persons associated
with the Party have given COM
fort to the exposed officers by
belittling their transgressions,
viciously condemning this col
umn and attacking the admins
tration Of the local union and the
regional office.
Why should we object To
these people following the c. P.
line at conventions
In the first place, we elect dele
gates to vote for the wishes and
welfare of the people back in
the shop, not for the wishes and
welfare Of political minority
groups. Secondly have you ex-
amined the Party line recently?
For those of you who are in
clined in that direction, It is no
longer a revolutionary party but
a political association working
with and within the two-party
system" II says, according to
Browder's recent report, that
free enterprise" the watchword
of the n. A. M. synonymous
with exploitation, will not be an
issue with them after the war.
1t says that they will be opposed
to the use of the strike weapon
even after the war is over. Do
they want a continuation of the
War Labor Board? They say
that in order to promote indus
trial peace in postwar it will be
necessary to win over a certain
segment of big business to Coz
operation.
The next time you have
grievance you want set
tied, try that one on your boss,
Maybe these fellows are a lot
smarter than | am. Maybe APP
peasement is the best method to
help the guys in the factories.
Maybe building the bosses ma
chine bigger and stronger is the
answer to our problem of estab-
fishing economic justice. But to
me, in my stupidity, it looks like
betrayal Of the American work.