Saturday, June 28, 1930 THE MILITANT Page Operators Prey Upon Passivity of the Coal Miners «Revolutionary Ages Barred from Mails Reverberations from the soft coal n:iners revolt against the ruinous rule of the John Lewis machine in the United Mine Workers have come back as a resounding echo from the anthracite. So far, however, it has been only as disorganized expression of universal rank and fle discontent: given voice at the recent tri disther gains from being made and facilitated position of progressive elements, but resulting in some serious defeats for Lewis, The practically complete absence of an organized conscious Left wing prevented further pains frof being made and facilitated the obscuring of some of the most burning issues With deep seated general discontent in the anthracitte the sentiment at the convention testifies eloquently to the pressure of the membership for a clean cut fighting policy. No doubt, there is a rich field and a great need for Left wing direction has been frittered away through a series of senseless mistakes everywhere in the mine fields. This is a condition for which the official Communist Party leadership is mainly responsible and has resulted in the almost complete isolation of the Left wing.
Lewis suffered defeat first in his endeavors to avoid holding the convention and when It took place despite his desires as a result of insistent demands of the local unions. Lewis suffered a defeat to on his main proposition to authorize his handpicked scale committee to negotiate the best possible contract. But the disorganized opposition, led by progressives. did not succeed, or did not care, to get favorable action on the needs of wage inoreases, shorter workday, unemployment relief and a deterined ht against the contracting system.
New Union Grows Under Friendly Auspices of Operators Meanwhile the move started by Illinois local miners unions to reinstate members previously expelled for opposition to the corrupt bureaucracy both the John Lewis and the Howatt Fish wick union are endeavoring to turn to their account. Both sides can well afford to use this method of catering to the Left wing in its present disorganized state with no intention displayed as yet to soriously contest with them for influence over the rank and file membership. The Howatt Fishwick union, thanks to its objective position of an in urgent movement without as yet having had to face a test of struggle with the opperators, is able to claim considerable gains. For example, during the first two months of its existence, the new union claims 21 new locals organized in Okjohoma, Arkansas and Texas, three locals in Indiana, one in Iowa and ten in Ohio.
The total membership, dues paying and exempt, for the period, it claims to be 51, 618.
From its inception the new union has enjoyed the most friendly attitude from the Illinois operators headed by the large Peabody Co. It was decidedly evidenced in the Springfield court decision barring Lew.
is from interfering in Illinois fields. The Black Diamond, organ of the Illinois operators, gave favorable publicity to the Springfield convention, commenting on the selection of John Walker for secretary that. During the years he has been associated with the labor movement of Illinois, Walker has gained the confidence of leaders in all branches of business and industry. This friendly attitude is already being translated into harmonious collaboration on the job in carrying out the notorious Fishwick costract to the advantage of the operators. The friendly atitude is surely to be appreciated by Fishwick, possibly also by Howatt, the coal miners, however, should bave no ditficulty in remembering that only the contracts had any value, which were gained by militant struggle and maintained by organized power in face of the histility of the bosses Undoubtedly the Howatt Fishwick union has prospects of growth, at least for a time. The fact that it came about as a result of a revolt against the Lewis machine, a revolt which for the moment stirred many miners into action and now com.
pels it to move on for organization; the fact that due to Howatt past militant reputation it can generato some hopes by its apparently progressive front, coupled with the important fact that conditions in the unorganized fields in particular have forced the miners practically below the Bubsistence level, eager for organization, these will all count in its favor. But it will be the kind ten gair used By ARNE SWABECK the fight against the reactionaries of all shades.
by workers grasping for a last straw in bought out by Lewis. The adoption of Left Wing Must Return to Fundamental a desperate situation. It cannot count on constitutional clauses barring Communists Task lasting rank and file support or become a from membership and classifying them with The problem of building a new union, factor contributing to the organization of the reactionary Civic Federation and Ku we repeat still remains. And while cera real union embracing all the miners, with Klux Klan met no opposition from Ilowatu, tain amount of passivity amongst the minout policies of militant struggle and with instead he joined in red bating. Yet the ers is prevalent, while they have been put out a leadership free from past corruptions most decisive is the attitude towards the on the defensive, opportunities are availand ready to stand solid as a rock for these increased exploitation by the operators. And able. Perhaps nowhere better than in the policies. This, however, cannot be ex here the friendly co operation can lead unorganized fields for extension of organpected under the benevolent utelage of the to no other career than the one so successfully pursued by Lewis.
zation and Loft wing ideology, for buildcoal operators.
Will the Two Uniony Unite?
Preying Upon Miners Momentary Passivity ing a union with militant policies. The additional fact that masses were set into What are the points of division between The squabble on the appeal against motion through the recent revolt, as well the two unions, both claiming the title of the injunction, now begun in the operator as the course this motion has followed, must United Mine Workers? First and foremost controlled court at Springfield, is expected be properly evaluated. If it proves any.
one must Judge by the rank and ifle mem to last until late in the fall. This has be thing, above all it proves the necessity of bership. And there can be no denying the come one means of holding the general the Left wing again adopting its fundamenfact that the Howatt Fishwick union is membership resentment against both the tal task, that is, as the means of building here as a result of the long standing deep cliques in abeyance and retarding its de one union, take up the indispensible work seated revolt against the Lewis rule of velopment. But enormous bills, no matter of organizing and extending its influenco corruption, betrayal and destruction. Had whom the operators favor in this tilt, will for a fighting program within the existing the Left wing, under direction of the offi be due for payment by this membership unlons. In such fields as Illinois, Kancial Communist Party, not completely for and perhaps help blow the lid off again. day and the anthracite there should be no feited its mass leadership by a series of Throughout the fields the coal miners doubt that the proper course is to organize fatal blunders, this revolt, now temporarare suffering under crushing weight the Left wing within the two unions having ily retarded, could have been coatinued in of unempolymont constantly increasing by control to build the united front from beits once adopted direction definitely to the advancing machine loading and me low for the demands of the Left which ward the Left. It could thus have become chanical mining. The major soft coal fields correspond to the needs of the miners and decisive for the course in the anthracite in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virgina, Ken thus to compel a united struggle with the as well.
tucky and other places are entirely without where it functions.
As far as the two union leaderships are a union and with all gains of the past To this end roinstatement of formerly concerned it has quite clearly been a con wiped out Many bitter disappointments expulcd union opposition members must be test for spoils coming with oficial positions have been experienced. certain degree taken up as a definite policy. policy from which their conflict grew and swung of exhaustion in addition to the general which guarantees the continuation and or in one section, the Fishwick group. over more important effects of the economic ganization of the fight.
to the side of endeavoring to take advan crisis has engendered in the miners a state The field is ripe for such tactics. The tage of the mass revolt. Is there any point of momentary passivity though isolated rank and file will soon learn through exof division of policies in its decisive aspect, spontaneous strikes have taken place. perience to correctly estimate the position that is, in attitude towards the operators? Fatal Blunders of the Left Wing of the progressives now progressing to The records of both the Lewis and FishResult in Isolation ward the Right and one of the big tasks of the Left wing is to build and broaden the wick groups are already well known. They Yet the problem in the mine field reunion with the masses, take advantage of have been identically treasonable to the mains the building of a union whtch will rank and file and there have been no statethe conflict between the reactionary and embrace all coal miners and adopt the polments or proclamations showing any deoportunist leaders in a manner more effec.
icy of militant struggle. What does the tively to expose them and win the influee parture from or any difference on this official Communist Party policy contribute of the masses for its program.
score. There have, however, been stateto a solution of this problem? big inments for unity of the two unions. surgent movement has just taken place unity which could be accomplished only on the basis of division of spoils of position by growing out of discontent with the reactionary policies of the old officialdom. It both cliques and to the further loss of the was the first insurgency in the of rank and file. For the coal miners it can for a long time taking place in a basic inat least be certain that there would be no dustry and important union with a gonfuture union progress that way.
erally favorable basis for the Left. Yet it The denial of the mails by tthe Federa Where is Howatt Going?
did not lend strength to the Left wing at Government to the Revolutionary Age, or It should always be borne in mind that all.
On the contrary, the main benefits gan of the Right wing (Lovestone Gitlow the bulk of leadership of the new union went to social reformism, The is group in the Communist movement on the is furnished by the Fishwick group which practically extinct. Its convention first ground of seditious and indecent con through its history has been part and scheduled for April first, then postponed to tents is an act which the entire working parcel of all the crimes of the sell out June 1, has now agains seemingly been post class movement must protest. At the same breaking down of working standards and poned to June 28th or will there be none? time they must emphatically demand thi union destruction carried on by the Lewis What becomes of responsibility to the restoration of second class mailing privo machine. The background of Howatt, and working class and to the miners in par leges for the Revolutionary Age.
a few with him, is quite a different one. ticular who did follow the Left wing?
Tois high handed act of the Post Office But judging by the present position there The meaningless hurling of extrava Department is a revival of the ugly Bur could be but scant hopes for the futuro to gant phrases of fascism and social fasleson Wilson war days, and, if allowed to show a revival of their past. Their pre ism, coming from the top, can be no substand, is a lever to smash the press and sent route of travel is decisive and when stitute for correct policies and only con organizations of the workers at the inclin concerning a union leader it becomes one fuses the situation, to put it mildly. Down ation of the government. Not for year for the rank and file to take serious note among the ranks the small scattered Left has such an attempt been made. The ol wing groups, still existing, become footbals Government has devised a pretext for the The fight made by Howatt against the for either of the two old cliques. consuppression of this organ. It can find like Kansas Industrial Court law is one of the tinuation of this inevitably brings further excuses for action against the Militant few bright pages of Amorican labor history. isolation by membors of these groups beDaily Worker and other of the working His fight during a number of years, up coming compelled, in order to get a job, to class and revolutionary press.
until his expulsion from the old union, rejoin either of the two unions having conThe workers under capitalism haya against the Lewis corruption and betrayals trol without any policy of carrying on Lelu every reason and need to fight to maintain added favorable weight to his record. His wing and progressive activities within.
and oxtend so called civil rights free struggle for reinstatement into the union Two main reasons for this isolation press, free speech and assemblage the right for was a correct tactical position; but with are casily discernible.
workers to organize, etc. The Progressivo elethat reinstatenient the turn to the right are fundamental needs of agitation, prot ments who in the past became allies of the began. He failed to renew his fight and to Left wing movement and should have been aganda and organization and can only be give any support whatever to the revolt properly utilized as bridges to the masses maintained through constant vigilance and which became particularly widespread dur.
struggle by the workers against the em were instead, during the period of right ing the period of defeat of the Pennsyl opportunist policies of the Party elevated ployers and capitalist government. blon vania Ohio strike and found its expression to leadership.
against one is a blow against all.
Hence thoy are now still IO is in the Save the Union Movement. He able to maintain a commanding position in this light that the government attack failed to support its further development on the Revolutionary Age must be under while travelling definitely toward the Right.
in the organization of the National Miners Secindly, the failure of the not stood.
The Union. Rogardless of the mistakes in de caused by unfavorable objective conditions Communist movement in thx velopment and weaknesses inherent in the United States is unfortunately at the pre but by repeated mistakes of policy during N:M. from its inception, true progressives sent time engaged in such a deep going the Communist Party present course of internal struggle that the Government con.
could nou fail to support it. Howatt in opportunist adventurism.
stead later chose to join with the corrupt ceives it can attack it with greater impun.
From the Daily Worker (6 13 1930. in Fish wick group.
ity. The three currents in the Communist an article commenting upon the anthracite Party are each ropresented by a separate At the convention forming the new convention we notice somewhat of a turn union at Springfield Illinois, Howatt failed organ.
Up to now the Daily Worker, the at least toward a halt recognition of the to fight against the seating of Farrington organ of the Centrist Stalin faction which necessity of the Left wing working within speaks officialy for the Party, has main.
who so completely personified the agent of the existing unions. This partial though tained the silonce of the deep on the victhe coal Operators in the union ranks. it is, is to be welcomed. But how can timization of the Revolutionary Age.
Honest delegates from the ranks had come Τα such turns become effective and clear to adopt an attitude of such unscrupulous factbcre determined to fight and root out all the workers without an explanation of the vestiges of the Lewis wrecking machine, mistakes of the opposite direction, as for tionalism (incidentally characteristic of the Dally Worker for a considerable time) 18 embodied as fully in the Fishwick group. example, calling upon the progressive min anything but revolutionary. It is unprinThey found in their former ally Howatt, ere to stay away from the Springfield con cipled. Every worker must protest against now an opponent. Referring to them How vention of revolt against Lewis. Precisely att made the outrageous charge that, the attack on the press of the workers, at that place was where all Left wing and whatever faction in the Party they belong few lelegates to the convention have been progressives should have been to continue to