Page THE MILITANT Saturday, December 14, 1929 Schlesinger Bright Ideas The Textile Union «The Freest Country in the World»
wing worker who can draw a clear conclusion from the new policy. Not one of them knows whether the policy is to stay at work while the Right wing is striking, or He «Abolishes» the Class Struggle; the Stalinists Are Still Deciding «the Line»
to go down on strike, or any other alterna The Party Chops Off Another Head tive.
The Cleveland convention of the Inter obtain in the trade. For Tammany Hall and The only way in which the Left wing The Stalinists have executed a new national Ladies Garment Workers Union its officials, it means political capital to be can put a spoke into the plan of Schle revolution in a Left wing union with has approved, as a matter of form, the de used in election times for the labor vote, inger and the dress bosses, is to prevent their customary reckless disregard for concision to call a strike of dressmakers in as was done in the last election to Norman the former from getting control of the sequences. Eli Keller, national secretary of New York at the beginning of next year. Thomas discomfiture. For Schlesinger, it workers on strike. That can be done only it the National Textile Workers union, has The Right wing union further plans to call means a big union, steady per capitathe Left wing workers are shoulder to just been kicked out of his post, and by the strikes in halt a dozen other cities in order which has been sadly lacking for the boys shoulder with the Right wing workers in time this appears will probably be officially to clinch its control of the findustry. All the for a long time now and a measure of the strike, pointing out to them the con expelled from the Party as well, Keller is plans are being made for this unique New power.
crete lessons of the struggle, fighting along suspected of being a follower of the LoveYork strike and the only thing lacking is The significant thing is, however, that side of them, explaining the truth of the stone faction. When the new secretary is the exact date of the call.
the bulk of the workers involved see the situation, winning them for a militant appointed he will be the third one in the We have already commented on the coming strike as a step forward. For them policy, carrying on such an agitation in brief period of a few months, Weisbord, the character of this strike which follows the It is a struggle against the bosses, regardless the very heart of the strike that the Right first secretary, having been removed a pattern of the last cloakmakers walkout led of all that the Daily Worker can say. That wing workers will begin to press their while ago, and now being on the list for exby Schlesinger and Company. The latter this is a bitter and disappointing fact does leaders for a settlement in their own pulsion from the Party, too. In Keller day socialist messiahs of the not mean that ot is not a fact to be reckinterests and not in the interests of their place, temporarily, has been put an office are going to lead the needle trades workers oned with. From that arises again the ques exploiters, something Schlesinger will not committee with Reid, Rusak, Siskind and out of the abyss of the class war and onto tion of what attitude should be taken by accede.
Schmoes in charge, so that the preliminary the bright Wighroad of peace and coopera the Left wing.
To stay away from the struggle the preparations for the coming union convention with the bosses, all through the in At first the Left wing union present confused policy of the Party is tion will be in safe hands, which will see termediary of the capitalist state.
tantamount to that means under the direction of the Stalinists, to leave to it that the Party keeps control and the SCHLESINGER PRAISES TAMMANY formally decided at its meeting to Schlesinger a free road along which to Lovestoneites, who have a measure of At the convention, the socialist ideal stay at work. We pointed out how abdrive the workers to the bosses millstone. strength in the apparatus, are eliminated.
solutely untenable such a position was It means to deliver a heavy blow to the 18t of the New Leader, Benjamin SchleWe are not in the least concerned under the circumstances, how ruinous and name and cause of Communism and the Left singer, the union president, dwelt at Keller and his Right wing colleagues, over length according to the New York Times discrediting it would be for the Left wing wing, already badly discredited by the zig none of whom have any reason or ground (12 29) upon the public spirited zags of the Sta Vinists, and and Communist movement. It would mean for protesting this recent action. Under Lovethat while the workers following the Right AN IMPERATIVE QUESTION friendly attitude of Governor Roosevelt and stone regime he and his consorts practwing union strike call and they will unLeutenant Governor Lehmann in the work The strike is only a few weeks off.
ised the same ruinous factional policy of restoring order out of chaos in the New fortunately be the majority of the workers Much time has already been lost by the against all those who disagreed with his York district. Following his address, the involved are picketing, the Left wing vacillating tactics of the Left wing. There line. He had Voyzey removed in the Nationconvention ordered that telegrams of ap workers, following the Party policy, would 18 still time, though, for a turn in the right al Miners Union for his temporary heresy. preciation be sent to Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.
walk into the shop and work at the machi direction. We demand of the Party leaders he drove Communist Opposition comrades Lehmann for their cooperation. similar nes. Nothing can change the fact that the a clear answer to the questions raised by out of the etc. etc. Even after telegram was sent to Mayor Walker.
Left wing workers would be under charge Schlesinger strike plans, an answer withhis expulsion, Lovestone remained silent This nauseating socialist bootlickery, of scabbing. They will never be able to ex out loopholes and double meanings, an on the scandalous action taken against Watt this currying of favor with the corruptest plain away their actions to the Right wing answer that the workers will understand: and similar stunts throughout the country.
elements in American capitalist politics, workers who must be won to the Left wing What is your policy? What do you Keller himself was the one who engineered the white haired boys of Tammany Hall, if the Schlesingers, the bosses and Tam propose to do? If the Right wing calls the faction controlled New York Gastonia is a commentary on the miles upon miles many Hall are ever to be defeated.
its strike will you require the Left wing conference so as to prevent our comrades that separate Schlesinger, Dubinsky, Anto THE LEFT WING CHANGES FRONT workers to stay on the job or join in from getting the floor in this united front pini and their socialist party friends from body.
Under the pressure of our criticism, the the struggle to win the dressmakers the class interests of the workers.
Left wing made a peculiar change of away from Schlesinger?
In spite of all this, we reiterate what Why the strike call in the face of this policy, a thoroughly confused and mean If the Party leaders do not answer, the we have said in the past: These arbitrary, belly crawling before the capitalist class? ingless, one. There is not today a single Left mechanical methods of influencing the Left wing workers must answer themselves!
The organ of the bosses, the New York organizations dominated by the Party will Times, explains this contradiction editend in ruining them completely. It marks a orially: total disregard and contempt for the masses It should be recalled that a strike nowof non Party workers. It ends in narrowing adays is fast ceasing to be an unfriendly down these movements to the slimmest possible basis. It is not the way to carry on the act. It is rather a brief suspension of do Investigation of the brutality of the Los quota restriction, but under plenty of Wall mestic activities as part of the process Angeles Red Squad in the case of Frank struggle against the Right wing and its Street restriction.
influence on non Party organizations; it is of thoroughly cleaning house. Such was the Spector, local secretary of the International very short and perfunctory strike early this Labor Defense, is being pushed by the The last legal door for escape from serv precisely the way to strengthen it. First the year in the cloak and suit trade resulting American Civil Liberties Union.
ing years in prison for sedition was Then the miners union. Now the in the establishment of representative Spector was speaking on a free speech closed for Peter Muselin, Tom Zima and textile. Soon the needle trades union. We government in the industry, plus a police corner on the outskirts of the city when Milan Resetar when the United States ask: What will be done with Hyman, the system for rooting out the sweat shop he was arrested and taken to the police Supreme Court refused to consider their president of the latter? Will he be removsystem. The same aim is now sought in the station. He said that while being fingerappeal from a decision of the Pennsylva ed also? Will the Party continue to purdress trade and by the same means. The printed, he was suddenly set upon and nia Supreme Court. The three workers had sue its destructive policy of running out of forthcoming strike has the support of the beaten by two uniformed policemen. Two been convicted of sedition folowing their the mass organizations every individual who most responsible employers in the dress plain clothes men and jail physic an stood arrest in 1926 at Woodlawn, Pa. The con does not at one time or another agree with Industry. Wages and hours are mention by without interfering.
victions were for spreading sedition by some inane or even some correct policy ed in the strike resolution, but there will word of mouth, for organizing a seditious that it advocates. be no prolonged hostilities on that score group, and for distributing seditious liter The Stalinists will yet make one palace (80. If the main objectives of a stabilized Seven Communists have been arrested ature.
revolution too many.
industry and improved working conditions and lodged in San Bernardino prison, Caliare attained.
fornia, charged with speaking without a STRIKE BUT NOT FOR WAGES police permit, participating in unlawful asThe strike is therefore no attack on sembly, and failure to disperse upon law ful command. Bail has been fixed Mat the arrogant bosses. Schlesinger and the The bodies of 75 American soldiers ar Thousands of Russian workers and peas 2, 000 each.
bosses, the Times and Governor Roosevelt, rived in New York last week on board the ants, poorly armed, ragged, hungry and acknowledge that. It is not called for the President Roosevelt. The corpses were tired, but inspired with devotion to their purpose of improving the conditions of the brought from the snows of Archangel, Rus cause and faith in their strength, fought Because he tried to confer as an atworkers, Arstly, because that cannot be sian Siberia, where they were interred for on the Siberian fronts in 1918 19 to drive torney with a Negro poet who had been done without an attack upon the bosses ten years.
back the White Guards and the imperialist arrested by the Los Angeles Red Squad proáts which is out of the question by Leo Gallagher, attorney for the No reception committees were on hand troops of the world French, British, Japthe very avowed nature of the strike and to meet them. No president came to speak anese, Czecho Slovaks and was arrested and jailed for interfering Americans.
secondly, because while wages and hours with an officer. Gallagher was attending over the coffins, no one from the Senate Hundreds of them fell in the snowy are mentioned (yes, merely mentioned. a meeting celebrating the 12th anniversary or the House, nb generals, no crowds.
wastes, with words of freedom and the there will be no prolonged hostilities on of the Russian revolution, when he was told Their coming was hardly noticed and barenew day on their lips, and foreign bullets that score. In other words, Schlesinger that someone had been arrested. He went ly announced. Not all of them are even in their hearts. Scores of American workwill not make a fighting point over wages outside, and there found John Owens, Neknown, 29 of the coffins were marked with ers, recruited largely in Michigan regiad hours, e. the corner) stone for gro poet, in the custody of William Hynes the words Unknown United States solments, also paid the cost of American imimproved working conditions in the trade.
of the Red Squad. When Gallagher atdier.
perialist intervention.
The real purpose of the strike is to tempted to tell Owen that he would deWho were they? What brought them to The American press rarely speaks of chain the workers to the efficiency millfend him, Hynes swore at him and said Russia?
the heroic campaign of the Russian workstone of the bosses without the presence of ll bust you in the face! Gallagher fol They are victims of Woodrow Wilson ers and peasants. It passes over in silence e Left vting to hammer away at the chains.
lowed Hynes and Owens to the police sta brutal, reactionary campaign against the the fact that the American troops mutinted The Times reports further (12 1929. tion to see that there was no beating, and Russian Workers Republic. When milin some cases rather than shoot down the The employers said they would cooperate Russians with whom they did not have and then returned to the hall. policeman ap lions throughout the world were celebratwith the union provided the union showed proached him and told him Owens wanted ing the armistice on November 11, 1918, could not have any quarrel. It does not in the strike that it was really in control of to see him at the police station. On his arIt was hardly known that President Wilson speak of the black crime of Woodrow Wila majority of the workers and was able to rival there, Gallagher was told he was unIt force was maintaining son and the American capitalist class of American exert effective pressure on unorganized der arrest and finger printed. He was troops in Siberia which worked hand in would like to have the American workers shops.
jailed until almost midnight, when he was hand with the Russian counter revolution forget.
By unorganized shops are largely meant Over the graves of the Russian workreleased by Judge Reed. Owens said that in its attempt to crush the Workers Reshops under control of the Left wing he was waiting to read some of his poems public. No declaration of war was ever ers who fell in Siberia should be inscribed union.
when he was arrested and told he was made against the Soviets; it was Wilson a stone reading: What the strike will be therefore, so wanted for criminal syndicalism.
unofficial war, his private war carried out HEROES OF THE REVOLUTION far as Schlesinger and the bosses are conat the behest of America bankers and Died Defending the Socialist Fatherland cerned, is a dress parade of the workers business men. While Wilson was babbling Against Reaction to show that Schlesinger has them in his Expelled from Nicaragua because they his hypocritical pledges of world peace, his Over the graves of the American soldiers union, under his control, prepared to ac objected to the American marines and to troops were working to re establish reac brought back from Siberia should be erectcept any scurvy resolution that leaves the the government toleration of foreign tion in Russia while he spoke of fratered a stone inscribed with this legend: workers with the same bad conditions they troops, eight Nicaraguans have been re nity and equality, American soldiers were VICTIMS OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM have suffered under for the last period. fused admittance to the and are engaged in fighting for the restoration of Murdered by the Hand of Woodrow Wilson For the bosses, it means the legaliza being held on Angel Island, California, for capitalist exploitation and class rule in and Wall Street tion by a union of the conditions that now deportation. Nicaragua is not under any the land of the Soviets Those are the only fitting epitaphs.
THE MILITANT, Vol. II, No. 20. December 14, 1929. Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 25 Third Avenue, New York, Subcription rate: 00 per year; foreign 50. Five cents per copy. Bundle rates, cents per copy. Editorial Board: Martin Abern, James Cannon, Max Shachtman, Mauice Spector, Arne Swabeck. Entered as second class mall matter Novembor 28, 1928, at the Post Office at New York, Y, under the act of March 3, 1879.
WILSON SSIBERIAN ADVENTURE ENDS