Leaders

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 2, 1 March 1913, Page 2

Leaders

The labour movement is cursed and hampered to-day by leaders. This constitutes a problem which must be faced and solved by the rank and file.

After years of agitation and education. many workers look with suspicion on anything in the nature of advice or help coming from any source connected with the Employing Class, but still continue to be gulled and misled by professional leaders who have sprung from their own ranks and excel the average member of the rank and tile in brassiness of face, strength of lung, and love of power or limelight, but not in intelligence. The history of the modern labour movement teems with instances of defeat and betrayal, due to blind trust on the part of one section, and to lack of moral stain 7 ina in another section who. though able to see the folly or danger of a given line of action, appear to be held silent as though by a spell, and allow officials to run things their own way.

An almost unlimited amount of ability and talent is latent in the Working Class, but it remains undeveloped through lack of self-re-liance and initiative in individuals, and because of the superstition that we “ must have leaders.” or, in other words, we must let someone else do our thinking.

This pernicious idea is fostered by politicians and labour leaders, and by labour editors and others who are continually praising, flattering, and boosting individuals; excusing their blunders, enlarging on any good points they may have, and encouraging, instead of discouraging. that stupid hero-wor-ship and reverence for persons which is so detestable to the genuine revolutionist.

A quarter of a century or so ago, when the Working Class was only emerging, so to speak, from semi-literacy, there may have been some excuse for supporting the theory that a labour official, or an executive, should be like i\ general, having the whole strategic position planned out in his brain and not taking the rank and file into his confidence; but it no longer holds good.

Education and experience are fitting the workers to take matters into their own hands, and there are many indications that they are doing so to no small extent in other countries. New Zealand, however, is somewhat behind in this.

Let a greater number of active, intelligent workers in the labour movement determine to do their own thinking; to strive to correct all tendencies to the above evils; to fight on all occasions for complete control by the rank and file and against sheep-like following of leaders; and let them instil and encourage similar ideas in each recruit to the fighting ranks, and in a very short time the whole movement will be so much cleaner and stronger.

Better that the membership of an organisation should conduct a fight themselves, and meet defeat, than let a clique of leaders do the same for them; they woulej at least gain experience and develop selfreliance, for is it not a truism that we learn by mistakes ?

Eternal vigilance is the price of a clean labour movement. Individuals posing as revolutionary heroes and then denying revolutionary tactics, possibly in order to bolster up their case for political action with a view to a Parliamentary billet for themselves, need careful watching. Budding tingods, if discouraged, would either drop out of the movement for its good, or develop into better men for its good. The squelching of would-be dictators, the reduction to a minimum of the salaries of officials, editors, etc., would do a world of good; any talk of “ better men. better pay” is twaddle when applied to a labour movement; earnest workers, who constitute the dynamic force behind a live movement will render service without hope of monetary reward.

Of course it is the rank and file who are to blame; they set up these deniigods and crucify them for going astray. Continued flattery, deference and dependence will spoil the best of men, and will lead

to the disgusting egotism q c p has had such evil results i^j le past. The degree of active rer . est, vigilance and self-reliancef a membership is usually reflect j u the capability of its executive No real revolutionary move n t of any size exists as yet in 3W Zealand; if one is to develop ijj 10 near future its success will to a great extent on the clear r Ur . nition, by the militants, of| )e grave danger of putting trusjj, leaders. especially leaders. Officers must not cliy. they must be directed; an execv e should be an executive, and not omore ; they should be made to ,y instructions or get out.

We repeat that only the wor. s themselves can remove the cun,f leadership. The future destiny the Working Class rests with e rank and file. In their hands a e is the power to achieve victory 5 emancipation. Hail, the “ rank and file!”