Rieve Urges Labor to Support Socialism
Rieve Urges Labor to Support Socialism Ubor Union Head Says "Non^artunn" Policy b Proven rj#Wi Workers Must Build Their Own Party. DATERSON.-^Tbe Organized Labor Movement will not be able to...
...The situation was "explained" by Ryan who said, "We've got to get favors in this city...
...Shouts of "Sit down" and "Throw him out" interrupted the speaker, and President Ryan Jumped up with the statement, "I demand the right to defend John Curry 1" Woskow continued undisturbed, however, describing the plight of the New York workers—"Evicted, without homes, so destitute thst they haven't the wherewithal to buy a meal...
...DATERSON.-^Tbe Organized Labor Movement will not be able to survive, as an effective agency for working class betterment unless it scraps its present policy of drift in political matters, said Emil Rieve, president of the American Federation of FullFashioned Hosiery Workers at a Socialist campaign meeting at Oakley Hall...
...G. Glambalvo of the Sicilian League and others will speak in Italian...
...Philadelphia C L U. For the Socialist Ticket Additional support for the Socialist party is reported by the Labor Committee for Thomas and Maurer...
...The endorsement came after a hard fight waged in behalf of Morris Hillquit by Herman Woskow of the Pressmen's Union, Jacob Mirsky of the Bricklayers' Union and Abraham Lefkowitz of the Teachers' Union...
...inconclusive, and above all doesn't work...
...Hillquit Winning Labor Support WITH the endorsement of the " condidncy of Morris Hillquit, Socialist Party candidate, by trade unions numbering 800,000 members, the campaign for the mayoralty ia assuming first-rate importance even in the face of the Presidential and Gubernatorial election...
...Charles Fame, Luigi Antonini, vice-president of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, Dr...
...If you cannot support a member of this council, an active member of the Ubor movement against one who has no connection whatsoever with organised Ubor, then I brand the report of the so-called Non-Partisan Committee as a sham and a fraud...
...During Jimmy's roost in the City Hall," he said, "the pickings of the Tammany yegg-men have been richer than at any time since the reign of the forty thieves...
...the Socialist Party's position on municipal matters...
...Vacirca on Fascism Vincenzo Vacirca, biographer of Mussolini and Socialist member of the Italian Parliament in exile for his activities against Fascism, will apeak en "The Worker in Italy Today* at the Rand School, T last 15th Street, Friday, November 4th, at 8:80 P. M. Admission tan cants...
...President Ryan then rose to say that anybody who wished could vote against the resolution...
...I am myself a candidate for office on the 'Socialist ticket, and you are endorsing my opponent...
...Hillquit's speeches oa city affairs, and hU grasp of municipal problems have been a revelation to those who have not been acquainted witl...
...of course, they're not favors but our rights...
...The meeting is under the auspices of the Eugene V. Debs Club of the Rand School Fellowship...
...This*whole system is faulty...
...no one can speak for the millionaire and the hobo at the same time...
...O'Brien may claim to do it, but he cannot represent the landlord and the tenant at the same time...
...Nicotri will also be chairman at the Sunday mass meeting...
...The economic organization of the workers is a primary and elementary social need...
...But unless we fight through our trade unions on the political as well as the economic front, we will slip back one step for every step we make forward...
...The Vote Ryan hsd hardly concluded when Delegate Jacob Mirsky of the Bricklayers' Union was on his feet asking for the floor...
...Woskow celled to the attention of the Council the fact that they were supper ting the candidacy of a man who had never rendered any aervice to labor as against that of a man who waa an active unionist...
...Newark and Chicago locals of the International Ladies' Garment Workers have pledged their support...
...And there is no power on earth except that of labor which can be mobilised to bring about thoae social changes which will insure to all economic security and a constantly improving standard of living...
...former Judge Jacob Panken will address the gathering' in English...
...Not even Congressman La Guardia, who had been whole-heartedly endorsed by President William Green of the A. F. of L., was approved...
...The Socialist Party and the Socialist candidate, Morris Hillquit, are definitely on the side of the working class...
...No PolWcsr At this point he waa interrupted by the chairman who ordered him hot to make a political speech...
...The audience was largely composed of trade unionists...
...Most emphatically, we cannot succeed in bringing about real betterment for the working Pianos by merely casting oar ballots on election day and letting it go at fhat...
...The Montana Federation of Labor has endorsed the Socialist candidate for governor of that state, Panken to Speak at Sicilian Protest Meeting About one hundred Sicilian fraternal societies, crabs and trade anions will hold a protest meeting at Cooper Union, 8th St...
...We have to fight with our ballots and on the industrial front as well...
...My fellow-delegates from the Bricklayers' Union can testify to the fight I have carried on against the Communists in our union...
...At the opening of the meeting, during the reading of the Executive Committee's minutes, President Joseph P. Ryan was charged from the floor with having visited Tammany'a headquarters and committing the Central Body to the O'Brien candidacy without consulting the delegates, Ryan, reporting for the Joint Non Partisan Committee, read the resolution endorsing the Tammany candidate...
...That is tricky politics...
...Independent political action by1 organised labor is the only hope of unifying the laboring masses of America in support of a program of social reconstruction which will save those who toil from unrelieved poverty and loss of civil rights," President Rieve declared...
...In addition, the conference called upon all delegates to urge "all the Ubor organisations which they represent to endorse and give their full support to the Socialist Party and to all its candidates In this campaign...
...Any man who today still believes that so-called 'pure and simple' trade unionism can get us anywhere must indeed be a little aimple himself...
...for real estate speculators...
...Mirsky still demanded the floor and finally succeeded in saying: "Nothing has been said by O'Brien about eliminating the slums, u question in which my union Is interested...
...It is becoming Increasingly plain to the people of the city that the only Mayoral candidacy that has any significance at all is that of Morris Hillquit Surrogate O'Brien, arrogantly certain that the brutal strength of Tammany Hall will be able to put him over, contents himself with fstuous speeches telling Italians, Irish and other racial groups that he U their "friend,- while Lewis H. Pounds U pathetically trying to disassociate himself from hU party by insisting thst he is an "independent" man and a "fusion" candidate...
...We must adopt a clearcut policy of supporting only our own political party and ear ewa candidate, Wot until we fight for what we want and cease begging for favors, will we gain the recognition and the concessions to which we are entitled...
...I resent that charge," answered Mirsky...
...been arranged by the "Pro Sicily Committee," of which Prof...
...Shouts of "Point of order," "Sit down...
...They want to take the machines and make them the property of the workers so that we can get rid of unemployment, destitution snd starvation...
...The chairman refused to recognise him and called for the Ayes on the resolution...
...Hillquit Is hammering away day after day discussing the budget, the government of the city, the city as a homo of millions of workers and the city government aa an agency to aid the masses toward a decent life...
...Immediatley President Ryan shouted, "We know the orders that came from Moscow...
...The most progressive unions of the city, in uniting for the support of Hillquit, declared that the Socialist Party offers "the only courageous, honest and sincere solution to the chronic problems of unemployment and of municipal government in the interest of the laboring masses of the community...
...It is merely a confession of our weakness and an admission of the division in our ranks...
...In reply to the eloquent plea, President Ryan made a statement that evoked laughter even from the newspaper men at the press tables...
...And I am therefore dead against him...
...I suppose it would be no barm," Woskow replied, "If I only voted against the resolution, but I have the audacity to speak against Itl In behalf of the hundreds of men sitting to the eut-of-work rooms of i ''Non-Partisan" Ubor Policy in Action Shown to Be Nothing But Tammany Endorsing Machine —Stirring Battle for Hillquit my union, without a chance to work and live, I demand the endorsement of the only man who represents the true interests of the working class, Morris Hillquit...
...Wo call upon the membership of the Trade Unions whom we represent, as well as upon all other members of organised labor In Greater New York and upon all other freedom-loving and upright thinking citizens, to rally to the support of the mayoralty candidacy of Morris Hillquit and to elect him by a record vote...
...Our non-partisan policy means that aome of us pull one way and some another...
...If Lehman Is defeated," he said, "blame it on Louis Waldman whom the United Hebrew Trades endorsed...
...Lefkowitz Speaks Delegate Abraham Lefkowitz of the Teachers' Union came to the defense of the Socialist supporters with a plea for fairness, concluding with the statement, "I want I t be recorded as voting No on the resolution which has been passed before we had a chance to debate it...
...G. Volenti, editor of "La Stamps Libera," Italian daily newspaper, former Assemblyman Francis X. Giaccone, Dr...
...A candidate can vote tor aome minor labor bill and be called a friend of labor...
...Controversy raged again when the Bronx endorsements were made...
...I am more Interested," he says, "in the 1,150,000 unemployed in New York than ia a sterile notion t 'economy' to lower tax rates Socialist City Campaign Sweeps the City—Hillquit Is the Only Candidacy That Haa Any Meaning...
...I would like to see any man say that Morris HHIquit's* record exceeds that of Jimmy Walker In the legislature before he ever saw the City H4Hf' He proceeded to attack the United Hebrew Trades for endorsing the Socialist ticket from top to bottom...
...we must never for an Instant relax our efforts to build stronger trade unions...
...A point of order was called but not recognized...
...At this juncture, delegates in various parts of the hall rose with the request to be recorded against the endorsement of O'Brien, but the Chairman called for the next order of business...
...There is ne earthly way in which we can extract wages and working conditions from a system which ia bankrupt...
...The resolution referring to the Hillquit' candidacy and platform, unanimously adopted by the conference, follows: WHEREAS, Morris Hillquit, the candidate of the Socialist Party for Mayor of New Turk City, has been the advocate and champion of the trade union movement all hU life, devoting all his great gifts to the advancement of the workers and taking part in all' their struggles for unproved standards of life and Ubor, and WHEREAS, In this municipal campaign, surrounded as we are by a staggering economic depression slid industrial crisis, the platform upon which Morris Hillquit is running offers the only courageous, honest and sincere solution to the chronic problems of unemployment and of municipal government In the Interests of the laboring masses of this great community, and be it therefore RESOLVED, that we call upon the membership of the trade unions whom we represent, as well as upon all other members of organised labor la greater Maw (Continued on Neat Page...
...Fundamental social changes are required in our economic system...
...The protest meeting haa...
...The various county Non-Partisan Committees then reported...
...As the hour waa late the mask of nonpartisanship was dropped and the report was completed with the statement, "We favor the straight Democratic ticket...
...Woskow continued: "Morris Hillquit has been on the side of organized labor all his life...
...A switch from Republican to Democratic control will mean no fundamental economic improvement, A third party which will gradually force by legislative action widespread measures of social control in finance and industry and which will defeat all moves to establish a fascist dictatorship in America is the most urgent need of all those who toil either by hand or by brain...
...My platform which I have presented to the workers of my district, calls for unemployment insurance, legislation making it unlawful to evict destitute workers from their homes, the six-hour day and the five-day week...
...Still we've got to get them with a little salve...
...On some of the most important issues of the day organized labor has taken no definite stand...
...Whst I am here to say is that our union was recently made the victim of an injunction Issued by Tammany Judge McGeehan, and we are opposed to him arid his fellows because of the Injuries they do to the labor movement...
...Gaspare Nicotri ia chairman...
...and 4th Ave, against what they consider an insult to the Sicilian people as a whole, which they claim was uttered against them by the Italian Envoy to Tokio, Giovanni Majoni...
...Without asking for discussion, Vice-President Munholland as chairman attempted to call the question, but Woskow took the floor in an attack on ,the Tammany record...
...Our system of finding out who are our 'friends' and who are oar 'enemies' is to say the least of its faulty...
...that same man will then vote against higher taxes on larger incomes for instance and not find himself criticized by Ubor...
...No negative vole was taken...
...Members of Congress or 'ocal legislature can be dead wrong on these issues and still claim a labor vote...
...Many Central Trade Delegates Protest O'Brien's Endorsement THE Central Trades and I.abor Council of New York at ils last meeting endorsed Jolin P. O'Hrien, Tammany candidate for Mayor...
...The present so-called non-partisan policy of organised labor ia actually no policy at all...
...In these times we must realize that a political party cannot represent all the people...
...it means that instead of having a real principle and policy we simply bet on the candidate that looks liku a winner...
...The Philadelphia Central Labor Union has endorsed the national ticket, as has the Central Labor Union of Huntington, W. Va...
Vol. 14 • October 1932 • No. 18
