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142 THE WORKERS COUNCIL (NOVEMBER 15, 1921 NOVEMBER 15, 1921)
THE WORKERS COUNCIL 143 The Big Drive for Unity Open War on the Coal Miners By LOUIS ENGDAHL T: THE Workers Council of the United States has been called into being for the purpose of aiding in the struggle to unite all classconscious working class groups into a truly revolutionary Socialist organization.
That is the first paragraph of the Tentative Statement of the Position and Purposes of the Workers Council, as published in the September issue of our magazine.
At this time we wish to announce that all indications point to great progress being made in this direction. We may soon have very important developments to announce.
Instead of a National Conference of the growing number of local organizations affiliated with THE WORKERS COUNCIL, it is hoped that our Conference will be merged in a bigger gathering to lay the foundation for a mighty open party.
Join The Workers Council Now!
Organizations that should join in such a gathering, in addition to THE WORKERS COUNCIL, are the American Labor Alliance, the Proletarian Party, the Bohemian Socialist Federation, the Jewish Socialist Federation, both withdrawn from the Socialist Party since the Detroit Convention; the Workers Educational Society (Arbeiter Bildungs Vereine. Finnish Socialist Federation, Bulgarian Federation, Scandinavian Socialist Federation, Hungarian Federation, and other groups, many strong organizations carrying aloft the banners of true Socialism, in the struggle to reach our final goal, a Communist Society.
Inspired by the promise of these developments, every worker now unaffiliated should find his place in this unifying effort. Join THE WORKERS COUNCIL without delay, by filling out the blank that appears on another page.
The initiation fee is 25 cents, the dues 50 cents per month.
Help establish a local group of THE WORKERS COUNCIL, in your neighborhood, in your town.
Making Big Forward Strides Great strides forward have been made in our organization work since the last issue of our magazine went to its readers.
Our comrade in prison, Eugene Debs, received and was permitted to read a copy of the Withdrawal Statement of the Committee for the Third International from the Socialist Party, also the statement of the position and purposes of THE WORKERS COUNCIL, Prison of ficials, however, would not allow him to make a statement regarding these documents.
Comrade Marguerite Prevey reports that THE WORK.
ERS COUNCIL at Akron, Ohio, is well organized and has inaugurated a big educational campaign.
Magazine Read Everywhere Our magazine is selling, well, all the way across the country, our dealer in Oakland, Cal. for instance reporting no unsold copies.
Secretary Engdahl had a good meeting at Paterson, where our magazine has been a welcome guest ever since it was established. list of names of prospective members of THE WORKERS COUNCIL comes in from Harrison, and surrounding towns.
Steven Bircher, one of the original members of the Committee for the Third International, is arranging for an organization meeting of THE WORKERS COUNCIL in Newark, second branch of THE KERS UNCIL has been organized in Brooklyn, Secretary Engdahl spoke at a Russian Famine Relief meeting in Washington, large number of local comrades, among theni several members of the local machinists, told him of their intention to organize a Workers Council group in the nation capitol.
The Solid South has been invaded with the organization of a Workers Council group at Richmond, Va.
Requests for literature of THE WORKERS COUNCIL comes from a negro organization in New Orleans, La.
The organization and membership drive of the WORKERS COUNCIL in Chicago is making good progress.
Launch Campaign for Jewish Daily Or of the encouraging demonstrations of the spirit of the new movement was the great mass meeting held by the Jewish Socialist Federation at the Lexington Opera House, New York, to launch the campaign for the raising of a fund to establish a Jewish daily paper.
This historic gathering contributed 4, 000 in cash and pledged 10, 000.
In addition to being a great financial success, the gathering was also a moral triumph, a terrific protest against the reactionary reformism of the existing Jewish Socialist daiiy, the Forward, and against the corrupting conservatism even in the so called radical unions and in the Socialist Party.
Ignore Conservative Leadership Although some conservative leaders of the Workmen Circle (Jewish workers fraternal organization) had urged standing by the Socialist Party when the Jewish Federation broke away, nevertheless, it was the orchestra of the Workmen Circles that opened the afternoon proceedings with a program of music.
Among those contributing were large numbers of the branches of the Workmen Circles. Although the various unions have as yet refrained from endorsing the new daily as organizations, nevertheless, strong groups in the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the International Ladies Garment Workers, the Furriers, Capmakers, Bakers, and other unions with a large Jewish membership, were present at the meeting and turned in big contributions.
At a similar meeting held in Philadelphia the Joint Board of the Cloakmakers Union contributed 500.
The speakers devoted most of their talks to showing the absolute need of a new daily in the Jewish language. Our Jewish Federation must be in the vanguard of a revolutionary, movement that will make no peace with capitalism, declared Moissaye Olgin, author of The Soul of the Russian Revolution, who presided at the meeting. There are many who still adhere to the old discarded notions of Socialism, despite the great revolutionary storm in Europe and the significant symptoms in the United States. Sympathize with Poor People The liberal sympathies of the Socialist Party for the poor people, instead of true, revolutionary leadership and direction, is its dominant tendency. It is a slave of bourgeois ideology.
Ludwig Lore, editor of the Volkszeitung, spoke of the struggles of the Volkszeitung, of the fights it has had with reactionary reformism in the Socialist movement. We want to build up a real, revolutionary movement, declared Salutsky, editor of the Naye Welt, the present weekly of the Jewish Federation. The revolutionary elements of the labor movement are with us.
The New York comrades joined heartily in the campaign of the Workers League, with Benjamin Gitlow, for mayor, and Harry Winitzky, for president of the board of aldermen. Both of these comrades are now serving prison terms.
The Manhattan Branch of Local New York, Workers Council, is growing rapidly. On with the good work, comrades. If you are already a member, then get some sympathizer to sign the application blank that appears on another page. Organize a group in your town.
NAPITALISM has declared open war on the coal It is very interesting to watch the present reactionary leadership of the workers in this new crisis.
are interested in this open shop drive against President John Lewis, who so recently betrayed their age long enemies, the mine workers.
the cause of the miners once more at their recent The whole strength of the money power capital international convention and, in his counter attack ism itself is being brought to bear in this struggle against the brilliant fight of Howatt and the Kansas for the wiping out, if possible, of the United Mine miners, now sends out his orders to the mine workWorkers of America, the strongest organization of ers, not even under the regime of Gompers, Lewis, labor in the land.
broken. He tells them now to resist any attempt to In launching this new phase of its labor crushing abolish the check off.
activities, the exploiters have shown peculiar cunning. Whatever the miners do, they will do it in spite of They have secured an injunction from one of their Lewis and his officialdom. They will win back that mose servile tools, Judge Anderson, of Indianapolis, sturdy, fighting morale that has characterized their Ind. which also happens to be the headquarters of the every struggle, against every obstacle that Lewis can mine workers international.
be expected to put in its way.
Gompers comes to the front with his usual whine.
Hit at Check off System He fears for the conservative leadership under such This injunction is launched against the little known attacks as is directed against the organized labor check off system that the miners union has forced movement by Judge Anderson injunction. He thus upon the mine owners and used as one of its most admits that a new leadership must be called into powerful weapons.
power to meet the new problems.
The workers in the mining industry are not much Capitalism Strengthens Dictatorship different than those in the steel industry, in the metal mining industry, or in any other of the large Capitalism is moving forward to strengthen its non union industries.
dictatorship It is not going be nice to the workThe miners union has been compelled to fight ers, not even under the regime of Gompers, Lewis, et al.
against the problems arising from differences of nationality and religion among the workers.
Labor must learn that its greatest trials are ahead.
It has done this successfully because it has been The sooner they accept this truth, and the quicker they able to say to every man entering the mines to work, prepare for new and more decisive struggles, the in the big mining states, You must belong to our sooner and the greater will be the victory.
union.
Let the workers, in the mines and on the railroads, Thru the check off the mine owner is forced on each join those in other industries. Let them unite with the pay day to check the union dues off the mine workers enlightened and aggressive workers of the land.
wages and turn the dues collected over to the miners Let them all get together to strengthen their economic union.
and political organizations. The victory is ahead. So Start War in Pittsburgh is the struggle.
In this way many a worker has no doubt been brought into the miners union where he might not Many a worker will thank you for giving him a have joined. But it has resulted in every member of copy or putting him in touch with our magazine.
the miners union finding out, at some time, why he is Help boost the subscription list by sending sub in the miners union.
to 80 East 11th St. New York City. per year.
There are those who have criticised the miners union for thus uniting with the bosses in the collection of dues.
Cut out and mail with check or money order That it is a right that has been forced upon the employers is now clearly apparent thru the attack directed against it.
SUBSCRIPTION BLANK Announcement is made that the Pittsburgh Coal Producers Association has been chosen to launch the The Workers Council, BAST 11th STREET, NEW YORK CITY national campaign made possible by Judge Anderson decision. The Pittsburgh District, home of Please enter my Subscription to The Workers the steel trust, has always been a hard battleground Council for One Year at 00 (Six Months 50 Cts. for the miners union. It will see the start of another You will find correct amount enclosed.
great epoch making struggle.
Name.
Must Win New Victories Address In this hour of trial we give voice to our solidarity with the men of he mines. They will and must rise City victorious out of this new conflict.