CominternCommunismCommunist PartyWorking Class

September 27, 1919 THE COMMUNIST Page Thirteen The Party Constitution Sec. I. Name and Purpose Adopted and Issued by the Convention of the be receipted for an initiation stamp furnished by See. The name of this organization shall be Communist Party the National Organization. The fifty cents shall THE COMMUNIST PARTY of America. Its purbe divided between the branch and City Central pose shall be the education and organization of the Central Executive Committee more than one Committee. Where there is no City Central Comthe working class for the establishment of the state may be included in a single District Orga mittee its share shall be paid to the State or nization; and provided also that District OrgaDietatorship of the Proletariat, the abolition of District Organization.
the capitalist system and the establishment of the nizations may be formed by the Central Executive Sec. Bach member shall pay forty cents per Committee along the lines of industrial rather Communist society.
month in dues, Stamps shall be sold to the than state divisions.
II. Emblem State or District Organization at fifteen cents; Sec. Branches of the Communist Party made State or District Organizations shall sell stamps See. The emblem of the party shall be a up of members who speak a foreign language, to the City Central Committees and branches in button with the figure of the earth in the centre when there are ten or more of such branches cases where there are no City Committees, at in white with gold lines and a red flag aeross the consisting of a total of not less than 750 members, twenty five cents; City Central Committees shall face bearing the inscription All Power To The may form a Language Federation. Provided, that sell stamps to branches at thirty cents.
Worker around the figure of the earth a red this rule shall not apply as to members of those Sec. Branches of Language Federations shall margin shall appear with the words The CommuFederations affiliating with the party at the time purchase their dues stamps through their Federanist Party of America and The Communist of its organization or within four months there tions. Translator Secretaries shall pay ten cent International on this margin in white letters.
after. No more than one Federation of the same per stamp to the National Organization and shall language may exist in the party.
remit to each State or District Organization ten 11. Membership Sec. All language branches shall join and centa for each stamp sold each month. Where a become part of the Federations of their language City Central Committee exists the State or District Every person who accepts the principles if such a Fedoration exists.
and tacties of the Communist Party and the ComOrganization shall remit five cents of this amount Sec. All subsidiary units slal be combined to the City Central Committee.
munist International and agrees to engage actiMembers of in the Communist Party. Branches of the cities, Language Federations Branches pay forty cents vely in the work of the party, shall be eligible to states, districts and federations shall be unite of per stamp, ten ceats going to the branch and membership. It is the aim of this organization to the Communist Party.
ten cents to the Federation.
have in its rank only those who participate Sec. Special assessment may be levied by the actively in its work.
Art. Administration National Organization, Federations or the Central Sec. Applicants for membership shall sign Sec. The supreme administrative body of Executive Committee. No member shall be conan application card reading as follows: the Communist Party shal be the convention of sidered in good standing unless he purchases The undersigned, after having read the party.
such special assessment stamps.
the constitution and program of the ComSec. Between the meetings of the convenSec. Husband and wife belonging to the munist Party, declares his adherence to tions the supreme body shall be the Central Exesame branch may purchase dual stamps, which the principles and tactics of the party cutive Committee elected by the convention. The shall be sold at the same price as the regular and the Communist International: agree3 Central Executive Committee shall consist of slamps. Special assessments must be paid by to submit to the discipline of the party fifteen members. The convention shall also elect both husband and wife as stated in its constitution and pledges five alternates who shall take their places as Ses. Members unable to pay dues on account himself to engage actively in its work. members of the Central Executive Committee in of unemployment, strikes, sieless or for similar Sec. Evory member must join a duly con case of vacancies in the order of their vote. reasons, shall upon application to their financial stituted branch of the party. There shall be no Sec. The Central Executive Committee shall secretary be furnished exempt stampts. Provided members at large.
elect from its members a sub committee of five that no State or District Organization or FederaSec. All application cards must be endorsed members, who together with the Executive Se. tion shall be allowed exempt stamps in a proporby two persons who have been members for not cretary and the Editor of the central organ of tion greater than per cent of its monthly purless than three months.
the party shall be known as the Executive Coun chase of regular stamps.
Sec. Applications for membership shall not cil. The members of the Executive Council shall See. Members who are three months in be finally acted upon until two months after live in the city in which the National Headquar arrears in payment of their dues shall cease to be presentation to the branch, and in the meantime ters are located or in adjacent cities. This Execu members of the party in good standing. Members applicant shall pay initiation fee and dues and tive Counsil shall carry on the work of the party who are six months in arrears shall be stricken shall attend meetings and classes. He shall have under the supervision of the Central Executive from the rolls. No member shall pay dues in ada voice and no vote. Provided that this rule shall Committee.
vance for a period of more than three months.
not apply to the charter members of new bran Sec. The Convention shall elect an Eecutive ches nor to the members who make application Secretary and the Editor of the central organ of VII. Discipline to newly organized branches during the first the party. All other officials shal be appointed by month.
the Central Executive Committee.
Sec. All decisions of the governing bodies of Sec. No person who is a member or supSec. The Executive Secretary and Editor the party shall be binding upon the membership porter of any other political organization shall shall conduct their work under the direction of and subordinate units of the organizations.
be admitted to membership.
the Central Executive Committee.
Sec. Any member or organization violating Sec.
Sec. No person who has an entire livelihood The supreme administrative power of the decisions of the party shall be subject to exfrom rent, interest or profit shall be eligible to the State, District, Federation or City unite shall pulsion by the organization which has juriadiction.
membership in the Communist Party.
be vested in the conventions of these respective Charges against members shall be made before units. Conventions of the State or District Orga branches, subject to appeal by either side to the Sec. No person shall be accepted as nization shall be held in May or June each year. City Central Committee or State or District Ormember who enters into the service of the natioSec. Between conventions of the District, ganization where there is no City Central Commitnal state or local governmental bodies otherwise State and Federations the Central Executivo tee. Charges against the branches shall be made than through the Civil Service, or by legal comCommittee of these organizations shall be the before the City Central Committe, or where there pulsion.
supreme bodies.
is no City Central Committee before the State or Provided, that the civil employment by the Sec. The Central Executive Committee of District Organization. Decisions of the City Cengovernment is of a non political character.
these organizations shall in each case be elected tral Committee in the case of branches shall be Sec. No members of The Communist Party by the conventions, which shall also determine subject to revision by the State or District Orshall contribute articles or editorials of a politi.
the number of members.
ganization. Charges against State or District Or.
cal or economic character to publications other Sec. The City Central Committees shall conganizations shall be made before the Central Exthan those of the Communist Party or of par sist of delegates elected by the branches upon the ecutive Committe. When a City Central Committee ties affiliated with the Communist International. basis of proportional representation. They shall expels a Federation branch, the branch shall have (This clause shall not be considered as prohibi meet at least once each month. The City Central the right to present its case to the Central Exting the contribution of articles written from an Committees shall elect their Executive Committees ecutive Committee of the Federation. If the Ceneconomic or scientific standpoint to scientific or and Executive Officers.
tral Executive Committee of the Federation decides professional journals. Permission to answer an to that effect it may bring an appeal for reinSec. 10. Each Federation shall elect a Transattack upon the Communist Party in the bourstatement before the Central Executive Commitlator Secretary who shall have an office in the tee of the party which shall make final disposition geoise press may be granted by the Central ExeNalional Headquarters and whose salary shall of the matter.
cutive Committee.
be paid by the National Organization. TranslatorSecretaries are the representatives of their orga Sec. Members and branches of the Federation IV. Units of Organization nizations in the National Headquarters, and shall shall be subject to the discipline of the Federation.
Scc.
serve as medimums of communications. They shall Branches expelled by the Federation shall have The basic organization of the Communist Party shall be branches of not less than submit monthly to the Executixe Secretary and the right to appeal to the City Central Committee, the State and District Organizations a statement or, when there is no City Central Committee, to seven members. Applicants for a charter shall showing all the dues stamps sold during the pre the State or District Organization. If the City fill out the form provided by the National Organization)
vious month. Translator Secretaries shall not be Central Committee or the State or District Or.
eligible to membership in the Central Executive ganization does not uphold the expulsion the Sec. Two or more branches located in the Committee Council but shall meet with the Com mattor shall be referred to the Central Executive same city shall form a City Centrall Committee.
mittee and the Executive Council and have a voice Committee upon decumentary evidence and it City Central Committees may include branches but not vote.
the decision of the City Centrei Committee or in adjacent territory, subject to supervision of State or District Organization is upheld. the thee central management of the party.
VI. Dues branch shall be reinstated as a branch of the Sec. City Central Committees and all other Federation, Sec. Each applicant for membership shall branches in the same state shall form State OrSec. Each unit of the party organization pay an initiation fee of fifty cents which shall ganizations. Provided, that under the control of a