A8 1919.
THE COMMUNIST Pare Tw.
The Conquest of Power By Alexander Stolditsky labor and of capitalism.
The Communist Party of America Within the organization the widest comes into existence under entirely new and must not hinder the work of the possible range of criticism must be adconditions in this country; new condiCommunist Party. The immediate pro mitted. No official must ever be consider.
tions produced by the tightening of class blem of the party is to overcome all the ed immune from criticism and discipline, lines and the intensification of the class barriers of repression and carry our mes but when we are outside the meetings struggle, with the ruling class taking sage to the masses of the working class.
and facing the enemy every person must ever more drastic steps in the suppresbe controlled in his actions by a strict sion of class movements opposed to its We must get our message before them in regime. The time has forever passed order to convince them of the correct discipline. No matter what the personal ness of our principles and tactics. This is opinions of an individual may be or how for the revolutionary movement to be very responsible duty imposed upon us; persistently he may express his opinions able to continue its quiet, uninterrupted a duty we must not shirk at any hazard. regarding principles or tactics he must organization and educational propaganThose who feel themselves weak or lack submit to the will of the Communist da. The conquest of markets and the ing in courage are not wanted for this membership when facing the enemy in enormous extension of the American imtremendous task. Only a class that the struggle, or he must quit the organiperjalists sphere of influence has resultzation.
ed in an enormous accumulation of capi marches along its road without hesitaWe are aware that many of the old tal in the hands of the capitalists of this tion, that does not become dejected and does not despair on the most difficult and guard of the movement, who are temcountry and in order to protect this treasure they will resort to any means for dangerous crossings, can lead the toiling and exploited masses.
We do not peramentally individualistic, will hurī the charge of fanaticism against us. But the purpose of crushing opposition. The need hysterical outbursts. We need the was the discipline in the ranks of the imperialistic hydra of this nation, clothed regular march of the iron battalions of in military paraphenalia from head to Bolsheviki on the question of Brest Lithe proletariat. Lenin, Soviets at tovsk fanaticism? In the delegate caucus foot is ready to crush every semblance of Work. Every revolutionist who has at opposition to its brutal dictatorship, in meeting where the problems arising out heart the best interests of the movement order to carry on unhampered its murderof the conflict with Germany were being will admit the necesity for courageous ous annexation policies.
discussed by delegates of the Bolshevik The Communist Party of America action. It is the Communist Party of party, preliminary to placing it before America that must marshal the forces in comes into existence at a period of crisis the Soviet convention the vote stood eight this country into that regular march of brought about by the imperialistic war; hundred for the treaty to about three a crisis which produces an ever increas the iron battalions of the proletariat.
hundred against, but when the Bolshe.
We must rid ourselves of all petit bouring unrest in the ranks of the workers.
viki party went into the convention of lland in hand with the crisis in the Amer geois elements and hesitating slaves with Soviets they voted a solid eleven hundred ican Socialist movement, just as the same bourgeois psychologies. We must elimifor the treaty. If this condition had arisen nate those who worship the fetish of conditions in Europe brought to a crisis, in the old socialist party the vote in the and organize the resulting in new tactics and policies, the pseudo democracy convention would have been divided, beworkers for the conquest of power.
socialist movements of Europe. We are cause Menshevik organizations do not today entering a period of tremendous Our Communist Party must have a re have party discipline. As stated in the social upheaval in this country. Strike sponsible head that is able to call the opening paragraph of this article we Waves convulse the country from coast to masses of the proletariat into action. must adopt new tactics to new conditions.
coast. The slogan of general strike be That head must be the Central Executive The tactics of the Communists in Amercomes the slogan of the masses of orga Committee; not a committee composed ica must be built on the same principles nized workers. It is only a step from the of well advertised names, bu of men and of democratic centralization and party slogan of an industrial general strike, to women who have studied the problems discipline as in Europe.
that of a general political strike; the ac of the workers and who have sufficient There is no use shedding tears over tivity of the state in suppression irresist historical foresight to enable them to re the broken idol of bourgeois democracy.
ibly forces an understanding of the his cognize a revolutionary crisis; in addi It is a delusion in the ranks of the protorical necessity of the political strike; tion they must have sufficient courage to letariat equally as much as it is in the against capitalism, against war and act honestly in such a crisis. To select hands of a ruling class.
against imperialism. This heralds the this committee we should not resort to Rally to the call of the Third Interclimax of the class struggle in this coun the pseudo democracy of a party referen nationale and do your duty as revolutry. The imperialists and their henchmen dum. This form of democracy sounds tionists!
are using the old tried methods to crush very well when mouthed by politicians, this movement; prisons become the but as a matter of fact is only a cumberhomes of thousands upon thousands of Putting aside for the moment all this some machine where names and not abiextravagant language about revolution, politcal offenders; papers are suppres lity is selected. Under the old system the aims of the communists may be resed, others held for months in the mails many comrades have voted for people duced to this elemental proposition: before delivery; people active in the with whom they have never come in conmovement who happen to have been born tact, persons who are known only by take part in the general necessary labor That each member of society shall in other countries are deported; even name and who may have none of the and in return shall receive the full rerace hatred is brought to the fore by the qualifications necessary to lead a revoluruling class; every method of publicity tionary movement. The old national exward of his effort, having an equal voice is used to inflame the workers against the ecutive committee of the socialist party in the management of the community of revolutionary movement.
which he forms a part.
Spies and is a horrible example of this sort of deprovocateurs in the employ of imperial mocracy. Our central committees should ism everywhere permeate and endeavor be elected at party conventions and only It seems strange indeed that this should to vitiate the workers movement.
there. Every delegate elected to the connot find favor with intelligent men. ObEven these drastic measures cannot vention is there because the group which viously, there is an abundance of worldly prevent the workers fulfilling the mission clects him has confidence in his ability goods; there is plenty for all and na to which history has called them. The ruling class in Europe is failing to stem to intelligently select the most efficient ture vast resources have as yet only the rising tide and they will fail to stem material for the central executive. The been tapped.
it here. But the fact that history is same system inust be applied to state and working for the freedom of the workers These committees must be empowered to jungle still prevails and men tear and district or federation central committees.
Yet men cannot see it. The law of tho does not justify the Communists minimizing the necessity for revolutionary action. problems of propaganda and organiza peacefully.
at all times keep in touch with all the claw for that which they might have The enemy is strong and pitiless. The tion, in addition to carefully gunging the broad masses of the proletariat ure un strength of the enemy. The old form of conscious and poorly organized for the the central committees functioning mereRevolution counter revolution strifo purpose of coping with the highly ef ly as executives has become obsolete und struggle the clash of arms tho ficient capitalist machine of suppression, incapable of responding to the changes screams and groans of the woundedThis period of darkest renction cannot and for what? Only that the race may that are tnking place in the world of share fully in the fruits of the earth.