October 11, 1919 THE COMMUNIST Page Six The Shop Crafts Revolt.
patriotic citizens who would never think By Wicks PUR hundred delegates from the of using their industrial organizations for United States and Canada, representing various railway shop department at Washington asking his im political purposes. The chairman of the mediate resignation. This idiotic motion resolutions committee recommended the crafts, held a three day convention in was tabled amid the laughter of the few endorsement of the demands of the Pulaski Hall, Chicago, Sept. 25, 26 and men there who understood the class Triple Alliance in Britain, and added 27. All the crafts employed in the railstruggle.
that those demands are not the demands way shops, consisting of carmen, boilerThe convention finally number of resolutions were intro of this body.
makers, machinists, sheet metal workers, electrical workers, maintenance of duced, and on Saturday the resolution agreed to send greetings to the strikers of Great Britain.
way men and even the clerks, were rep committee combined them into one resoresented by delegates.
lution embodying the following de The only other subject that aroused mands: a great deal of heated discussion was the The purpose of the convention was to That the rank and file be given resolution asking for amnesty for politidevise means of dealing with the reactionary officials of their organizations the right to vote on the election of offi cal and industrial prisoners. number cers of the American Federation of of reactionaries contended the endorsewho had refused to call a strike for wage Labor.
ment of such a resolution would be an increases for journeymen from 65 cents to 85 cents an hour and for helpers from The right to decide its policy by insult to the patriotic Americans who fought in France, and that a real Amer45 to 65 cents an hour, after over 90 per popular vote.
cent of the organized crafts employed in The immediate resignation of all ican labor organization should be in this industry had voted for the strike. labor representatives from government favor of long terms in prison for those The officials of the unions entered into commissions.
who obstructed the operations of the an agreement with the government for The immediate release of all con government during the war. few mild an increase of four cents per hour for a scientious objectors and political pris mannered radicals secured the floor and period of three months. At the end of spoke in opposition to that sentiment, but oners.
that time the proposition was to be again Withdrawal of all military, finau not one of them mentioned the possibilibrought before the unions for action. cial and moral support to any faction in ties of using the mass power of the workThe three months clause was inserted in Russian affairs.
ers for the liberation of political prisorder to give President Wilson suffi6. Nationalization of all vital indusoners.
cient time to reduce the cost of living. tries under the Plumb plan.
The convention was a disappointment Many stormy discussions took place The inauguration of a national co to many who expected firm and intellion the floor, and during the first two operative system of distribution.
gent action against the reactionary poldays there was much talk of secession policy of economic group action icy of the of and it was clearly from the craft organizations and the on the political field.
apparent that in principles and tactics formation of a union representing the The formation of a national po it was absolutely dominated by typical federated crafts. Finally a resolution litical party representative of the two trades unionists, who were temporarily was presented for the establishment of great economic groups of farmers and disgruntled at the action of certain a dual organization, which was defeated workers.
groups of their officials.
by a very narrow margin. The debate The representatives of the labor polion this resolution brought out the fact ticians who are busily engaged in the that most of the delegates were opposed organization of the Labor Party were to the reactionary of but when there and secured the endorsement of Steel and Life.
it came to any definite solution of the their party. The co called Socialist dele(Continued from page 5)
problem of dealing with that machine gates put up no argument against it, some there was no unanimity of opinion. Al of them even favoring it.
more than the greater accumulation of though the convention was presided over On Saturday morning, after endorsing capital, which means the ever greater by men who had been expelled from the the strike of the steel workers and the demand for tributes of profits! Because organizations affiliated with the of policemen strike at Boston, a communiif the greater production were consumed the principal argument against a dual cation was read from the Triple Alliance by the workers, without exaction of organization seemed to be that as that of the transport workers, railway work profit, that would be for capital to comorganization had been a shelter for them ers and miners of Great Britain, which mit suicide. There is only one way to in the past, they should not destroy it, offered a wonderful opportunity for revoend the vicious circle, and that way is but endeavor to repair it, so it would lutionary propaganda and education had to end the taking of profits.
be a more efficient shelter in the fu there been anyone on the floor capable ture. Speeches comparing the of of presenting the arguments. The comAn organized working class is arising, to a house with a leaky roof, and sug munication declared that the organized Its demands for the fullness of life must conscious of its destiny to rule society.
gestions as to how to proceed to repair workers of Great Britain had heretofore the roof, drew applause from most of the devoted themselves exclusively to eco ers industrialism, freed from the profit quickly become the demand for a workthe delegates on the floor.
nomic and industrial action of the workcancer.
After the attempt to put through the ers, but that their recent experiences dual organization resolution failed the had taught them the necessity for poIt is out of the immediate struggles, convention became more and more con litical organization against the state of like the steel strike here and the railroad servative, and the speeches, which had the ruling class. They illustrated their strike in England, that this power and been of a mildly radical tinge in the early political activity by calling attention to understanding of the workers must desessions, took on the character of any preparations being made for a mass velop. There is a manhood and courage pure and simple craft union convention. strike against intervention in Russia and on the part of the strikers which asserts Their one grievance was finally disposed against conscription. The communica itself against tremendously favored opof by passing a resolution to call a strike tion concluded by expressing the hope position.
for November 1, in case their demands that the workers of this country would The unrest of today is the birth pangs were not granted.
not permit America to be the stronghold of the new civilization. There is yet to Conspicuous among those who assisted of capitalist reaction.
be an Age of Steel, when the ruddy ore the convention toward reaction were a The reactionaries were immediately on shall be converted into the building of number of Socialist Party workers, under the floor, and stated that, while they enthe dwellings of free workmen.
the leadership of onc John Collins of dorsed such action for Britain, there was Chicago, representing the New York no necessity for such action in this land are the hunkies who live in the miserThe carriers of the new civilization Central Shop. Instead of trying to of democracy. All the speeches on the able shacks, and who work from dark to formulate a program of revolutionary or communication from Britain emphasized dark. The truth will lead them out of ganization, this Socialist introduced a the fact that the railway shop crafts the darkness into the sunlight, the truth resolution asking that a message be sent were not in opposition to the policy of of their class power and of their way to to the president of the railway employes the government, and that they were all freedom.