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8 SOCIALIST APPEAL August 21, 1937 Erber Hits Plan to Steal YPSL Convention An Appeal to Revolutionary Socialists two Party.
Have Calls on Circles their right to legislate on quesTo Guarantee methods they have stooped to: Their methods of representation Honest Meet bas given New York City, with only twice the membership of For weeks before the Chicago By Glen Trimble York an estimate of 80 per cent California or Chicago, three convention there was a furious of the active party membership times as many delegates, while campaign for the expulsion of rejected, the Milwaukee meeting is conservative. In New York New York City Philadelphia, with less than half the former members of the work of the National Action Committee more than half the book memAugust 15, 1937. the membership of California or ers Party from the Socialist sold out the Chicago decision on bership and far more of the acChicago, has been given Paul Porter called trade unions by turning its ad tive membership is opposed to To all Circle Secretaries; thirds the number of delegates. for expulsion in a pamphlet is ministration over to the anti expulsion and will unite us in the They have had members vote in sued by the Wisconsin Socialist discipline, anti Socialist League fight that the party wreckers (To be read at next Circle Columbus and transferred them Party, paid for by a block sale Wisconsin SEC. Now at New have forced. Providing that the meeting. to vote again in Cleveland. They to the Communist Party and cir York the process is culminated NEC maintains its closet arrogDear Comrades: have nullified the election of a culated to every local with the by a vicious and unprecedent at ance in the open arena of the This letter is an appeal to the left wing delegate in Ithica be help of National Office lists. The tempt to gag the left wing ma party, it can, by violating every cause a centrist member was ab Connecticut Committee of Cor jority of the convention and the clause of the constitution and membership to take immediate sent. They have sold dues stamps respondence and an equally party.
every tradition of the party, ensteps to secure the election of a on credit so that circles like Bal phoney letter which borrowed The courage which dozed out force its illegal act and expel us.
fair and representative convention timore will meet with three he signatures of Michigan trade of the expulsionists at Chicago and thereby defeat the conspir members After the smoke has cleared present to elect two unionists demanded that the Con flourished in the secret sessions there will remain in the Socialist steal the convention from the delegates. They give Chicago vention drive out revolutionary in New York. Aaron Levenstein, Party Wisconsin (already dickAltman de ering with the Social Democratic majority and split the League. May showed 193. They engaged Altman, ex militant executive se manded that all Trotskyites be Federation. Lewis of MassThe centrist leaders began in practices of the type exposed cretary of local New York, joined expelled. He didn bother to give achussetts (surrounded by Staltheir mad attempts to secure a in the notorious Barshop letter. the expulsion chorus led and di reasons; it was up to the NEC inist stooges, pie cards on the majority at the convention some Since these practices have de rected by the and the Daily to find the formula to frame Lewis bank roli, and befuddled six months ago by systematically stroyed all possibility holding Worker. The united front of a plausible excuse. Norman Tho liberals. Altman (whose proplacing factional organizers in a convention that really repre counter revolutionary reformism mas, having apparently abandɔn gram is transparently the Daily the field under the guise of Lea sents the membership, it is newas working smoothly. ed all faith in all inclusiveness. Worker Thomas (provided his gue organizers.
Three months cessary that the circles take But the stooges reckoned with party democracy and Socialism decision to wreck the party does ago, with bureaucratic disregard matters into their own hands to out the rank and file of the So itself in his desperate effort to not involve personal retirement for the wishes of the member enable the League to meet in a cialist Party. Declarations of make the SP safe for pacifism to wait for the Farmer Labor ship, they deliberately changed representative convention and solidarity between pre and post and his own exclusive leadership, Party)
Zam and, perhapes, the location of the convention prevent the centrist leadership ertry revolutionary socialists, a lined up solidly with Altman and (whose reward for providing a from Akron to Philadelphia in of the youth from carrying powerful counter attack on the Wisconsin. He differed only on left front to this outfit will be order to increase the difficulties through the orders of the Clarity. People Front, party liquidation a minor point of tactics argu, toleration, so long as he contiof the western left wing section ite group in the Party to split program of the Right, above all, ing for expulsion of selected nues to do as he told. in sending delegations while eas. the rather than per an overwhelming flood of leftTrotskyite leaders in the (vain) Many of us have given years ing the task for their two eastern mit the left wing to gain control. wing delegates gathering in Chi hope of splitting ofi and retain of our lives to the job of winning strongholds, New York City and There is only one fair method for ago scared the expulsion into its ing a tamed rank ond file. the Socialist Party to a revolutPhiladelphia. As the convention the election of delegates remain asty retreat.
ionary position in words and actapproaches and it becomes ap ing to the circles. This is to: Charity Capitulation ion. Despite setbacks we have parent to them that even these The Red Herring shoddy maneuvers leave them its records and the books of the your circle examine The Clarity majority of the come a long way since 1931 do Not a single delegate at Chica NEC lived up to the Clarity re not believe that we are going to of the far from having a majority, they members to determine the num go dared to raise the expulsion cord. Just as they allowed Wis let the petty autocrats now embark upon frenzied ber in good standing. issue. In the corridors, despite consin to dictate the NEC, and NEC stop us now. What is decampaign of gerrymandering, dues stamp record juggling, il2. Elect delegates to the con their written record, the right Thomas new threadbare threat manded is a solid front of ALL vention on the basis of the ratio wingers indignantly denied that to refuse the leadership unless revolutionary Socialists, regardlegal transfers, and other corrupt decided upon by the national office thing. The Appeal Group was Chicago, so at New York they affiliation SP or WP, Appeal or they had ever intended such a to dictate their resolutions at less of previous party or group practices.
despite the obvious injustice of Brazen Fraud their system (1 for 5, for 8, charged both by the right and surrendered to the combined Clarity and an offensive against for 23, and an additional delegate muddled and mis led Clarity right threat and unanimously the wreckers that will drive them receive reports virtually daily for with creating every fifteen members false issue, endorsed the expulsion formu so far into their holes that they from Cleveland, Philadelphia, Balo major fraction thereof. dragging a red herring into the la which Altaman demanded. won be able to dig out until timore, Chicago, Ithaca, and convention. Supply your delegates with This formula is so flagrantly six months after the revolution.
other places, telling of the brazen indubitable proof of the mem Did the Appeal group exag in violation of every democratic Unite against Gag Law!
attempts on the part of the bership of your circle, either by gerate the danger of expulsion tradition of the Socailist Party The NEC resolution is a call national office or the local centrist means of the treasurers records The answer is now on the record. that even the fall darednot to leaders to fraudulently defeat the or the membership cards.
June 19th the National Executive print it. The NEC, itself bank to arms. Every weapon in our left wing nominees. When all of Only this procedure can save Committe was hastily called to rupt of leadership and having no arsenal must be used to crush these reports will have been col the League from the disrepute hind closed doors the gram of the membership, wants to drive from the field all who gether in New York. Here be answer to the revolutionary pro the offensive against the left and lected with irrefutable evidence to verify them, they will constitue into which the revolting methods veritable. black book of the cri of the centrist leaders are plung launched the campaign which the a moratorium on Socialism in the persist in an anti Socialist position. For this we must use mes of the centrist leaders against ing it. Let the membership teach genuine representatives of the Socialist Party.
every legal channel (the enclosthe revolutionary majority of the the cynical politicians in control Party membership stopped dead Left Wing has Majority at Chicago.
of the apparatus that the capture ed referendum proposal should be League as well as against those Just three months have passed.
of the centrist minority who are of the majority of the dues The consequence of the enforc endorsed by every possible local. opposed to the introduction of stamps leaves one far from cap The Party is not less but more ement of this decree should be we must revive the Socialist Apchicanery and fakery into the turing the majority of a national thoroughly convinced that the clear. Either we agree to be gag pression through the call and convention of the Young People revolutionary Marxist road is the ged or the NEC will try to ex Monthly has proved worthless. Socialist League.
only one for the Socialist Party. pel the party in the name of the we must break down the artifiThe practices engaged in by But the NEC, handpicked by arty. This is not an exaggeration. cial split in the left wing forces those in control of the League With Socialist greetings, Wisconsin, has reacted to this From the Mississippi to the Pa devised and maintained by some machinery have created situatshift to the left by a retreat to cific, everything worth mention Clarity leaders and force these ion where it is no longer posErnest Erber the right. The Philadelphia reso is from the jaundiced viewpoint same leaders sible to adhere to the legal forms to come off the lution on Spain embraces the Pe of the new old guard Trot ky fence and choose, once and for National Chairman, Young of the NEC when this crooked ople Front of class collaboration ite. Throughout the Middle West legality of the centrist leaders People Socialist League.
is designed to defeat the left which the convention decisively and east outside the city of New all, between Wisconsin and revolutionary Socialism.
wing corrupt methods. The Only Clarity votes can drive controlling bodies have abdicated us out of the Socialist Party and we have no intention of bailing out. The decision is up to the SOCIALIST APPEAL As we go to press, the grati cialist Call did not carry a single bers approached him on behalf. Clarity NEC. The NEC must be fying news arrives that comrade line in defense of a member of of Milton. Equally dastardly was told in unmistakeable tems that Published Every Week As The Harry Milton (Wolf Kupinsky. its own party, who actually the act of the Altmanite, Clen we will not be gagged, that we Organ of the Socialist Party who has been in the Stalinist fought the fascists at the front. denin, who, in the name of the will fight to the last ditch against of New York, Left Wing People Front prison in Barce To the very last day of his im Workers Defense League apo. every attack on any revolutionary Branches lona for almost two omnths for prisonment without a single for gized to the Spanish Government Socialist, against the wrecking of Published at Room 1609, his revolutionary beliefs, has mal charge against him, even for the unauthorized action of the Socialist Party, and for been set free. telegram to his after he, with others, was com the Chicago branch of the Work leadership and party seriously 100 Fifth Avenue, New York. friends here from Secretary of pelled to start a hunger strike ers Defense League in offering and honestly dedicated to the TELEPHONE: State Cordell Hull announces that which left him emaciated, re its legal services in behalf of overthrow of capitalism and the Algonquin 4950 comrade Milton has been released ducing him from 180 pounds to comrades Oehler and Milton on victory of Socialism.
and is now at the American Con 115, the Call did not print a line the ground that the WDL does San Francisco, July 8, 1937.
Vol.
sulate in Barcelona awaiting the about him, although an article on not intervene in intra working departure of the first ship that the subject was sent in weeks class disputes. Were these the Saturday, August 21, 1937 can bring him back to his home ago.
Washington Protests actions of a revolutionary party Subscriptions: 00 per year; in New York.
Not only the Call, but Altman and press, or the work of miser Mass Expulsions 00 for months. Bundle Because he was known as a and Co. especially left Harry able capitulators to the Stalinist WASHINGTON, DC. The orders: cents per cop. Single supporter of the left wing in the Milton in the lurch. Altman went butchers. Washington, branch of the copies: cents.
SP, his case was sabotaged from so far as to call him a deserter Arrangements are now being Socialist Party adopted motion Address all communications beginning to end. When Daily because he chose to fight with made by the New York comrades at its last meeting to send a and make out all checks and Worker of June 30 charged om ILP contingent rather than to for an appropriate, hearty wal telegram Norman Thomas money orders to the Socialist rade Milton and Hugo Oehler commit suicide in the Stalinized come to Harry Milton upon his protesting against the idea of Appeal.
with being fascist spies and call International Brigade. This Alt arrival here, which is expected mass expulsion of left wingens ed for their execution, the So man did when some Party mem shortly.
from the Party. or Harry Milton Freed in Spain; Returning Here