Abe Cahan Stirs Garment Workers Conference in Plea Against Communists

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

A strong plea for all the factions to unite and re-elect Morris Sigman, president of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, was sounded by Abraham Cahan, editor of the “Jewish Daily Forward” at the convention in session here. The dramatic appeal caused enthusiasm among delegates favoring the present leadership in the International.

Described as the “father of the Jewish labor movement” by Morris Sigman, who declared it was Cahan who stood behind him in his struggles, the speaker declared in his address that it would be a severe blow to the cause of trade unionism and particularly to the battle that is being waged against the Communists to “drop the pilot after he has steered the ship almost to safety.”

Cahan criticised those who propose the referendum on the election as a means to defeat the re-election of the present leadership of the International. “I stand here as a real friend of every faction in the hall, there are absolutely no factions in my heart,” he declared.

“I am looking for an adjustment where nobody shall be vanquished and after studying the situation I am convinced that there is a way out of the muddle.” Mr. Cahan continued. “I would be a most wretched man indeed if I saw my point of view triumph at the expense of engendering a feeling of resentment and defeat. I hope that the rank and file of the delegates won’t leave this convention before you reestablish peace and real strength in your organization.

“This world is a world of compromise. You must be ready to bow your head to necessity and compromise in the interest of the great cause that you all represent. Nobody has the right to say ‘Here comes the editor of a paper who is butting into our affairs. All these forty-two years and particularly during the last two years I have been actively connected with your union. There was not a day but that Sigman would come down to my office to consult me. Both sides consulted me. Brother Breslaw come to see me several times and so did Dubinsky.

“We were together day and night in our fight against that terrible monster. ‘Communism.’ The work of forty-five years was at stake. You know their methods — smash, break, pulverize destroy anybody and everything. But in destroying everything they destroyed themselves.”

Mr. Cahan referred to D. Dubinsky, vice-president of the International, as a “civilized enemy.” He suggested Shiplakof and Zaritzky, leaders of trade unionism, as arbitrators who could restore order and peace within the union. Appealing to the delegates to uphold Sigman, Mr. Cahan said “You will commit one of the greatest crimes in history if you let yourself be deluded and fooled by the objections of those who want Sigman out. This is one of those cases where the referendum is a bluff and a fake and I hope it will go down in dust.” Mr. Cahan said that Dubinsky and Breslau will not ruin the union, referring to reports current that the New York organizations would sabotage the International and defy its leaders if their program is defeated.

About seventy additional resolutions were introduced yesterday making more than 119 that will have to be acted upon in closing days of the convention.