SPECIAL MINERS EDITION A Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 84 East 10th Street, New York, Entered as second class mall matter, November 28, 1928 at the Post Office at New York, under the act of March, 1879 VOLUME V, NO. 40 (WHOLE NO. 136 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1932 PRICE CENTS Down with Lewiatsm!
One Road for Miners!
Lewis Gangsters Fail to Cow Miners Two More Expelled for «Trotskyism»
Which Political Party Shall the Miners Problems Before the Gillespie Convention Support in the Coming Elections of the Progressive Miners of America Lay Firm Class Foundation at the Gillespie Convention The Progressive Miners constitutional When given the prerequisites of millconvention, which meets at Gillespie, tant unionism, resting on a class foundaOct. 3, has a mighty job in hand and a tion, your best guarantee for victory in great duty to perform. Its actions will this present strike struggle is at hand.
undoubtedly have far reaching consequ Even in the Southern part of the state ences for the future working class move the terror will be forced to relinquish ment.
its hold. The present added oppression Springfield Miners Resist Strike Breaker Mobilization First on the agenda, if not in numerical is now so much more surely preparing order, then at least in importance, is the the rank and tile revolt there. It is your task of solidifying the union foundation task to send in there your best organizers SPRINGFIELD, ILLwenpons Haunted in their hands, Incens in a working class sense, to secure its to perform their quiet function in preWilliam Sneed, generallesimo of the ing the strikers by threatening to shoot progressive direction and clinch the obparation for another mass picket line.
Lewis gunmen in this state, called a ir a word was uttered. Dominic Digjective which establishes its militant Stand fast for the basic 10 wage scale meeting at Knights of Columbus build crolamo shouted, Long live the character. Translated into the language and division of work. Continue your ing on Sunday, September 25, for the and immediately had a bullet shot of its practical problems that means to fight for the six hour day and for tolerpurpose of organizing strike breakers to through his chest.
defeat the corrupting influence of the reable working conditions. In that you open up mines in Sangamon County. The The miners, still displaying that maractionary Lewis Walker clique and to will be sure to have the full and unstintmeeting ended in a riot created by Lewis velous courage that has characterized strengthen the fight against the operators ed support of the rank and file every provocateurs. Sangamon County is one them throughout the entire struggle, reWage cut drive.
where. Militant unionism accepts comhundred percent for the Progressive fused to be intimidated by the bloodYour way to victory is the one of mill promise only when it is weak and will Miners of America and Sneed could only thirsty savages employed by Peabody and tant struggle. That is your one main never trade of the mere favor of union get 15 strikebreaking miners to attend Lewis. The firmness of the miners in weapon and powerful one. Of this thercognition as a substitute theнe св.
his meeting.
their insistence that the gunmen be run past has furnished ample proof to you. sential conditions because without them The riot resulted in the death of Porter out of town created a frenzy among the It is therefore logical that you should the mere recognition would be an empty Williams, a police detective. They have latter who shot Detective Porter Wudraw the conclusion of first of all secur victory.
charged Garnett Smith, another of the lams while alming a miner. They also ing the class basis for your union by Lewis gunmen with the murder of W11 wounded Dan McGill, a local leader of recognition of the class struggle and the PROGRESSIVE MINERS OF AMERICA lams, although several eye witnesses the In the ensuing tight, the Initiation of the practical program of CAN SHOW THE WAY saw Bil Sneed shoot down Williams. gunmen got a deserved trimming.
action which flows from this recognition. Your future tasks are enormous and United States Deputy Marshal o. The miners, carrying out their decision there are great difficulties in your way.
RANK AND FILE UNITY AND Baules, who was assisting the police, to run the thugs out of town, pursued CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP But given a class foundation, a rank Following the arbitrary expulsion of comrade Sebastien Pappas for Trotsky states in a report appearing in the st. them to the Leland Hotel. Here they It is the class struggle that you are and file membership Imbued with the will ism. the Stalinist bureaucracy in New York has summarily expelled from the Louis Globe Democrat, plainly saw were met by State Cossacks, sheriffs, now engaged in. Only the blind could to win, the spirit to fight to the last party two more of the active militants for their refusal to denounce the left Sneed shoot Williams. Garnett Smith deputies and the entire detective and fail to see this.
It is the bitter realities and the readiness to sacrifice for the Opposition and comrade Trotsky as counter revolutionists. The latest victims is at the point of death, so they are man police force of Springbeld, with macheuvering to cover up Sneed by accusing ine guns, tear gas bombs and the para every step you are taking and upon which scious of its class position, you will be fore the Control Commission on September 13, 1932, they were presented with the Smith of the murder. Some others of phernalia of modern warfare. Despite your future is conditioned. Hence the able to overcome the greatest obstacles. eustomary questions and demands for a statement. which they refused to sign Lewis gunmen were also injured in the this, the miners milled around the hotel.
necessity of its bold recognition. But the scuffle.
Then, to subdue the rising tide that was the realization of the program of action Progressive Miners of America has a Comrade Gordon is a charter member of the Communist movement in this When news of the meeting appeared beginning to surge through the ranks demands the completest possible unity great duty to perform to the Illinois country, foundation member of the Communist Labor Party in 1919. His ac in the local press the decided to Buck Roberts, characterized in these of all the forces within the union, sup miners, to the miners of the United tivity in Chicago, Detroit, Rochester and New York is well knon in wide circles of picket the of building and 1, 500 columns last week, addressed the miners, plemented by the widest working class States and to the American working the party. For some time he has been an active functionary in the Food Work members were on the picket line. telling them to disperse, that the police democracy and freedom of expression of class. It is coming about as a serious ens Industrial Union, a militant strike lewer, as is attested by the numerous The meeting ended at 5:30 with another would arrest all the gunmen. The minminority opinion. Given such unity the revolt against the murderous exployers rests in which he has been involved. Comrade Weiner, who has also been a one decided on for the Leland Hotel on er called for a rank and file committee wage cutting offensive. It has the oppor Communist party fighter for several years, and a militant in the is Monday. At this meeting they tried to of 100 to see that the arrests were made.
first steps are secured. Othere will fol low from them, which demand that this tunity of taking the first steps toward equally well known for her devotion to the revolutionary movement in strike lines complete arrangements for the extension The police, in their usual role of of the strike breaking offensive to San bosses lackeys, carried the gunmen to unity be extended to a embracing the other miners rebel secserious resistance against this offensive degeneration of the Stalinist officials and of the growing popularity of the Left Ramon County safety in the police station, while the tions, the National Miners Union, the and to support the forces charting the Opposition views in the ranks of the party. As for comrade Pappas, who was The local strike breakers came first from street leading to the Jall was guarded by West Virginia Miners Union similar road toward working class freedom from expelled a few weeks ago, the Militant will pubish next week a statement by him the of bullding and were followed the National Guardsmen. Hundreds of announcing his reasons for adherence to the Communist League of America (0. by Peabody Lewis gunmen, with deadly miners jeered them on the way.
groups. First, in the form of unity of capitalist oppression.
action in ways and means to obtain bet.
The miners are learning lessons in this ter wages and working conditions and to struggle, lessons they cannot easily for smash the Lewis machine. Secondly, get. The role of the state as an instruin ways and means toward complete anment of the bosses is being keenly brought ification in one national militant union.
home to them. The state, Peabody and The road to its accomplishment is Lewis, feeling secure in keeping the through rank and file control plus mines in Franklin, Williamson and saline leadership conscious of its tasks.
SPRINGFIELD, ILLus entertained equally ridiculous notions SPRINGFIELDIllinois miners since 1928 made quite a Counties operating, have now moved the WHO RAISE THE BOGEY The coal diggers Illinois are fight about the troopers and the militia, even The first constittional convention of the few efforts to form a clean militant un offensive to Christian County. Here the OF THE REDS ing a great battle It is a battle against though we were quite mature individuals. Progressive Miners of America which will ion. The National Miners Union was the militancy of the is at a high The bogey of the Red issue is raised many foes, which promises no easy vic Then came the march on Franklin Coun convene in Gillespie, Ill, on Oct. 3, will first atempt to form a new miners union level. The state, realizing that this is no in order to swerve the miners from their tory. Yet every day is rich in lessons ty. All we wanted to do was to help our be a very important event in the history It put forth a militant program and the ordinary struggle, has sent two battaprogressive path. Stay clear of the for every miner that wants to learn. brothers down south maintain the 10 of the miners of America. With the move was correct. But because of the lions of machine gunners to reinforce the red. says the operators propaganda Let us take an accounting our enem wage scale. What did we get? Bullets brutal opposition of the coal operators, hesitancy on the part of certain pro artillery already stationed here. Martial designed to catch the weak kneed fel les, why they are arrayed against us and clubs and machine guns from troopers state and government forces from with gressives and due to the blunders of the law, while not officially proclaimed, virlows who fall subject to this propaganda why we fight them to the finish.
in the delusive hope of gaining favors Tliere are the coal operators who breaks up miners meetings with tear gas of the Lewis Walker machine within the leadership and their conception of mech women and children, as assemblage of and deputies. In Taylorville the militia out and the treacherous sell out policies Communist party, through its Stalinist cually exists. Tear gas is used to disperse by appearing as good boys to the oper would redudce our living conditions to bombs.
Progressive Miners Union will have a anical control, it became small sectar more than three is not allowed, while ators. But a serious struggle cannot be the starvation level.
It is clear now that Lewis and Walker sigantic tasks to overcome in order to tan group.
the bosses thugs and gunmen make a won that way. The Lewises, the Walkers There are Lewis Walker and hench are not the only agency of the coal re establish once more a real rank and The second break was the shwick pretense of operating the Taylorville to the operators and a thousand times miners who protest against their cor inery is brought into action against the helping the miners in their daily strug. This attempt carried within itself them. is to call for mass picketing at and their henchmen are much better boys men who steal ballots and club and shoot barons. The whole governmental mach file militant mines union capable of Walker liowat Re organizedu.
The duty of the leadership of the to. service at mere capi. Sles with the because it Reds which is forged through the And then there are the courts, the ficials, thugs, police, deputies and mill them, the miners have marched ahead combine, who, with their whole clique they have already lost time. Mass pick power of your class forces in militant prisons, the armed deputies, the state tia whose purpose it is to insure the with tremendous speed; both against the ot petty officials, succeeded 1ne turning eting will shut down Taylorville!
array. That is the road which the Comtroopers and the militia.
rule of the parasitic, exploiting few over coal operators and the Lewis Walker ma this movement into one for personal. JACK CARMODY.
munist Left Opposition proposes. There can be no doubt about the real the overwhelming majority of the people chine and the detrmination and militancy spoils and finally making peace with the We do not forget the fact that the character of the Peabodys and their the working masses. Can the worker of the rank and file miners will continue Lewis machine In spite of open terror and semi legmany blunders and false policies of the flunkies, Lewis and Walker. With them place any confidence in these lickspittles the onward march against the coal oper Then came the St. Louis conference, ality, the Communist party won a great oflicial Communist party stalinist lead there can be no peace. But the troop decorated with the badge of authority, ators and their flunkeys.
The Progressive Miners Union is meet. Penn. Indiana and Illinois. At this con the capital of Bulgaria, giving evidence to with delegates from West Virginia, Iowa, victory in the municipal election at Sofia, such propaganda to appear. But beware duty merely the prevention of speeding on worsening conditions by merely a unioning in convention at a time when the ference the delegate members of the Left the constantly growing sympathies for of those in your own ranks who use it. the highways, apprehending thieves, and battle? He cannot. He must transform whole system of capitalism is in a stage Opposition correctly proposed the forma communism among the oppressed and We are not unmindful of the fact that helping old ladies across the streets?
militant rank and Ale min enslaved masses. However, according to these blundering mistakes have tempor When we were children we believed in Ble: the scrap against wage reduction try that is world wide and is made more ers union and the amalgamation of all the Communists, the election victory 18 arily served to turn the miners away from Santa Claus. Before the strike many of (Continued on page 4)
acute by (a) world shrinkage of con(Continued on page 4)
to be nullified. the Communist party in disgust. But it sumption. b) increased industrial de should be remembered that it was the velopment in other countries, thereby departy of Lenin and Trotsky which sec MOSCOW LETTER stroying markets and creating new com BERLIN LETTER ured the first serious working class vie petitors. c) developments of other tory the establishment of the Soviet sources of power, such as: oil, hydroRepublic. Under the Stalin regime the electric, etc. this has created a general party bas departed from the basis of anarchy in produdction and contradie Lenin. But that gives us only so much tions in the capitalist system. The coal more cause to strive to restore it to its operators, through their flunkeys, the rightful position.
WHICH IS THE POLITICAL Stalinism Endangers Alliance Between Town and Village Lewises and Walkers propose to solve Struggle for Democratic Rights Now on Agenda in Germany this problem and save their hides by PARTY OF LABOR?
The following document arrived down like a millstone on the actual pro vigorous policy of wage cutting and de At the very moment when the Reich talists, the program of breaches In Wage In your deliberations at the convention from Russia in a foreign language, duction achieved. But since the frregu stroying every semblance of unity of the stag put the imprint of the most trem scales, the program of armaments. The and in your future course, you will likely into which it had been translated for larities are heaping up and reaching an miners.
endous vote of lack of confidence upon the struggle against the dirty swine at meet the sleek office seeking careerist. conspirative reasons. The first page ever higher level, the sinking of the genPapen government, the social democratic home proclaimed by von Schleicher naYou know how to deal with him. You was missing. Editorial revision was For Class Struggle Program eral figures of growth becomes the Inpresident, Hindenburg dissolved the turaly stands in the foreground.
will meet the kind of labor politician provided for by the Editorial Board evitable result.
To meet this general capitalist attack, Relchstag. The Communists skiliflly in. It would be ridiculous to underrate who tells you to cater to the capitalist of the Bulletin of the Russian OpposiCause For Deeline the Progressive Miners union must free troduced this decision. The tactic of the Papen Schleicher, behind whom stands party in power in order to gain favors; tion.
The most important cause of the de itself from the Illusions of capitalist dem only government party, the German Na the will of German finance capital to reor to support the democrats, in order cline in the productivity of labor, of the ocracy and unite on a program of class tionals, contributed to them enormously main independent; it would however be to realize its opportunities. It is an There is a great and constantly widen increase in the costs of production and struggle. Since the present struggle be The bridges are burned. We are under disastrous to develop a perspective out election year, and some of you will pering gap between the facts of the econ. the deteriorization of quality at the same san, the members of the Progressive the dictatorship says the Deutsche of the appearances of the present events.
haps think your path should be toward omic life of the Soviet Union and their time as there is an accumulation of sec Miners union that went on the march to Allegemeine Zeitung, which ought to It should not be forgotten for a momnt a labor party, while others may lend and reflection in the press or even in the ot onds Iles in the poor, insufficient and ir West Frankfort and Taylorville should know. The Weimar democracy is at an that Papen main strength is the inear to the plea for support from the fcial reports. The truth about the real regular maintenance of the workers and henceforth be under no illusion as to the end. On this score even Papen leaves decisive relationship of forces between Socialist party. But it is well to remem. situation in the varlous enterprises does the nervous instability resulting from nature of the State which everywhere no room for doubt in his reulio broadcast. the proletariat and Fascism, which may ber that the parties in power, whether not penetrate into the outside world. this.
revealed itself as an instrument of the Elections are indeed to take place. But shift one way or another at any time.
Republican or Democrat, have always The attacks on innumerable supervisors There is not now, naturally, any more Peabody Coal Co. and the other coal how and when on that there is nothing Let Papen feel towards the parliament been the bosses tools wilung to call out serves only one purpose to And the talk of the fulfillment of the Five Year operators. The power in the new union concrete to be heard. Neither the old like a Bismarck, yes, as police and the military forces of the guilty ones. Production everywhere is Plan in four years (actually in years must always rest with the rank and fle. defenders of the grall of democracy, the whose paths proceed through dissolved side of the operators. Remember that below the level of the plan.
and months Ed. Shortcomings and No Individual must be made supreme in social edmocratie party, nor the Nazis, parlaments. In reality, he is lacking in the Socialist party has not only failed to The slowing up of the tempo has its breakdowns occur in various spheres and the Progressive Miners Union, individ who seek to come to power under the everything for this role: the progressive support your struggle, but some of their deep causes in the increase of dispro have been occuring with insuperable als may become weak sisters and fall cloak of democracy were able to prevent aim, the outlook for a conjuncture, and yearand file. over again, Richard Glover, Jack Reed and Adolphe industry, no matter how great the lack of something, sometimes of only an will never go back on itselt. Erorts strength of courage to offer real resist. mass movement. In the latter les the Germer are right in the midst of the efforts made, restricts itself to its mint insignificant single part holds up the should be made at the convention to bring ance to this decision. The peace of the distinction from the Nazis, a distinction Lewis camp working hand in glove with mum element. Great construction enter work in an entire enterprise. Dozens of about the unity of all the existing inde tomb provalls.
which must eternally remain a book with these traitors. The path of the miners prises are often held up out of secondary tractors, for instance, arrive without pendent unions, such as: West Virginia Already in the preceding days, the seven seals to those who call Papen, 18 not through the labor party but causes, or cannot be set going after their radiators. Statistically, every tractor is Mine Workers Union. National Miners Papen government showed similar signs Bruening, Wels and Hitler Fascists in one through the revolutionary party, that is completion because of one obstacle and 95 or 99 percent completed. Practically, Union, Amalgamated Minera of Nova of strength. the parade of the Steel breath. That is what will compel the the Communist party. Its mistaken pol. shortcoming or another. factory that it is not at all completed. The lack of Scotia, etc. into one lighting miners Helmets, the arministration reforms, etc. bourgeoisle in the not very distant tuidee today we must correct. And it is has not been completed or does not work radiators, in turn, also to not simply ac union.
It proclaims that in short time It would ture to employ Papen together with Hitbecause of these mistake that the Left at full capacity sometimes at only 20 cldental: another factory has not deliv The Progressive Miners Union must continue unswervingly with its program: ler. That is why, for example, the semiOppoultion assumes the duty of pointing to 30 per cent of its capacity sinks the ered the necessary metal. And this, in make the experiences of the past, funda the program of constitution changing, the official Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung does the revolutionary road.
general coefficient of growth Weighs (Continued on page 4)
mental object lessons for the future. The program of millions in glite to the capt(Continued on page 4!
is the radical road, the road of the to the miners has been a Judas kleine talists finger. It is a state with its al patter of the obstables that are against was capitalized by the Fishwlek waiket Taylorville right away. In this respect, Crisis in Soviet Economy New Step TowardFascism