10 SOCIALIST APPEAL August 28, 1937 Left Wing Will Not Allow Itself to BeDeclaration by Albert Goldman for the Left Wing at the Chicago and be whatsoever Comrades: ous and systematic campaign Just as his attitude on every The stay at home Socialists are It would be idle to deny that we are approaching a throughout the party against it crucial question is never very here ready to vote against the very serious crisis in the life of our party, a crisis from and the campaign met with great clear. His visit to Spain where left.
the guest of leading which the party might emerge a complete wreck. short success. The success of that he was while ago the old Guard, composed of the most intran section of the right wing led by Government led him to come out campaign infuriated the Stalinist figures of the Popular Front Bankruptcy of National Office sigent reformist elements, left the party but that only Altman and scared the centrists. more openly in favor of that govstrengthened the party. We are confronted at present ernment and to become far with a different situation, What campaign did the NasiSpanish Events Intrude more critical of the revolution. tional Office start since the contuation which can be character because we revolutionary Socialists Events were unkind to the who were in opposition to pulsion drive of the left wing a majority of the party to our resolution was hardly dry when titude to the workers of Barce: the great questions of the day on isted as the beginning of an exists depend on our ideas to win centrists. The ink on the Spanish the Loyalist government. His at vention? Did it attempt to mobilize the party membership on section of the party. While the side. Every other group depends the Barcelona workers were comexodus of the Old Guard left the upon the political backwardnesspelled to take up arms against bear arms showed clearly that Spain, on the events in Russia, volutionary direction, the expul. true of the centrist Clarity government of the discoverer Ehemt self in the ranks of those who activity that one is conscious of perde es directivelop their expues of the party ranks, that is also the attempt of the popular front in a crisis he would place him antithe strikes. The only sion of the revolutionary lett can group, whereas the revolutionary The revolutionary left, although are against the revolution, serve the interests only of the Marxists can expect no victories in political disagreement with No sooner did Thomas return the members. Now that in itself Office is drive to re register Stalinists and the Farmer Labor without educating the party both the anarchists the from Europe than it became clear is not harmful but one can hardites.
membership in their ideas. For supported them that his influence would dispassionate consideration of all the factors involved in the is indispensable but we were revolutionary. paper to spread our ideas conditionally against the counter campaign for the expulsion of the ire registration was decided upon thrown in favor of Altman ly escape the conclusion that the present party situation, a wil. Willing to be deprived of it in Popular Front. The right wing left presume he felt there was not know what else to do and lingness to face reality and the hope that we could do our defended the Popular Front; the holehearton defenders be the hoped that by some miracle the fearless determination to compel educational work by word of centrists regretted the action of Spanish assassin note the revolu re registration would catapult the right wing of the party and mouth.
both the government and the its allies, the centrists of the And now the NEC wants to take workers of Barcelona.
tionary workers and the bitter the party into activity. must also note the small shopkeeper Clarity wing, to rescind the de our right of educating the party enemies of these assassins.
cisions that threaten to bring members by word of mouth away We of the left wing had no factor of great importance method of raising funds by bitterness and chaos into the from us. And that without any hesitation to give in the events that led to the NEC charging ten cents for every rogour support to the Barcelona gag resolution is the attitude of life of the party, might induce decision of a convention.
istration.
the NEC to retreat from its unworkers. Long before the Call Wisconsin. There the party is to The centrist leadership was all tenable position and thus save New NEC Unable to published articles on these events the right of social democracy. It too anxious to place the blame the party from the convulsions which showed that the aggressors was only an accident that caused leadership upon the shoulders of that are almost inevitable if the Weather Storm NEC persists in its reactionary The centrists or Clarityites ob ized the events correctly. Not Guard. With its comparatively much time to inner party discusFront Government we character: instead of leaving with the old the left wingers whom the course.
What led the NEC to pass this That fact left the impression mation on the subject but because members Wisconsin could always tained a majority on the NEC. because we had any more infor large number of dues paying sion.
gag resolution; what were the that the party could go ahead on we had been following events in demand a price for remaining in which led the NEC, in desperaLet me recapitulate the factors factors that caused the NEC to take a step which is unautho leadership of a group that had Marxist viewpoint.
a fairly even keel, under the Spain from revolutionary the party. The centrists were tion perhaps, to look for a solurized by the party constitution control of the party machinery, at all times willing to pay that tion in muzzling the left wing.
or the decisions of the last or No one of course expected that ists started a campaign and Again the revolutionary Social. price. The profound differences in any other convention, which is in the party ship would sail along again we were succesful. It goes violation of all traditions of party without encountering any storms; without saying that a revolutionThe Hypocrisy of principle between the right wing of the party, composed of the democracy? shall not go back they were inevitable both from Krueger further than the Chicago con the right and the left but since quiet when revolutionary work ary Socialist could never keep Altmanites, Wisconsin and the social worker vention in order to enumerate the centrists had a safe majority ers are being murdered by Stalin ger in his speech here make a revolutionary left, on the other You have heard comrade Krue Thomas, on the one hand, and the type following the factors leading to the well. they could easily weather the ist and right wing Socialist firm statement with reference to The serious turn of tevents in night fatal resolution, on the storms. So at least it appeared butchers. We would be betraying his attitude to Wisconsin, to Alt nigh fatal resolution, on the on the surface.
the cause of revolutionary Social. man and to the revolutionary left. of the left on the Spanish issue.
Spain, the successful campaign Convention Did not closer analysis of the cen ism by our silence.
Krueger is impartial and intends trist majority in control of the The bitter hostility of Altman Settle Problems NEC could easily reveal the Around the question of the to keep all groups under control.
Spanish issue. The return of Krueger, It was clear to any intelligent cracks and fissures in that ma Spanish, events the struggle be What hypocrisy there is in that against the left especially on the came bitter, especially in New statement!
this observer familiar with the po jority. The more competent ob York. It is natural that in those meeting, can talk big to Wiscon liance with Altman The threat Thomas from Spain and his allitical currents existing in the servers predicted that these who sections of the party where Sta sin and Altman but his real at of Wisconsin to leave the party.
party that the Chicago conven were nominally in control of the linist ideas are strongest the titude tion held in the latter part of NEC would be unable, in any fight against the revolutionary and belly crawling. It is only The demoralization of the most bitter. do not claim towards the left that he is really ing the convention, under the ing harmony into the party. The tight and furnish firm and con. that Altman belongs to the Sta capable of turning hard and leadership of the centrists.
sap dividing the revolutionary fident leadership. The Clarityite linist organization. do claim ruthless first. That is characterisIt is an indication of the type majority was too heterogeneus, that in practice his political line tic of all centrists: a threatening of leadership we have in the reformists was not bridged be too weak and vacillating, lacking is a Stalinist one. His friendliness voice and a soft hand to the right, party that it sought solution cause it could not be bridged. in experience and ability, and to the is notorious as well blows in the face for the left.
all without Between the Wisconsin type of above firm as the fact that the never When Wisconsin showed disfor the difficulties confronting it in a gag resolution. If an intelmunicipal socialists and the Sta Marxian foundation, to chart an attacks him in its press. While satisfaction with the policy of ligent leadership finds. substanlinist type of reformism and the independent course. constant in his political line he is Stalinist, the party on the F. of tial proportion of the membersocial service brand of socialism shifting from left to right and in the inner party regime he has struggle an agreement was ship in opposition to its policies all of them representing the from right to left, straddling shown himself to be on the same reached that Wisconsin can in it attempts either to convince right wing on the one hand and of fundamental issues was to be plane As the Old Guard. The terpret that policy to suit its the membership through arguon expected from a group whose same maneuvers and the same own convenience And undoubt ment or to isolate the minority the other hand, there could be main stock in trade was an ability tricks characterize his attacks as edly Wisconsin threats to leave by consolidating the majority or a supposed ability to maneuver characterized those of the old the party, unless the left was around correct policies no ideological peace. While at the convention the struggle beand horse trade.
Guard. In his determination not curbed, had a great deal to do who cannot cope with the arguPeople tween the combined right wing to permit the left wing any op with the adoption of the NEC and the revolutionists did not Our Forecasts Justified portunity to present its views) gag resolution. To appease Wis ments of minority have recome to a head it was clear that and in his petty tactics to achieve consin and to assure its remain ures even before any discussion the convention did not resolve The period immediately follow the expulsion of the left wing he ing in the party the centrists and especially when they see the that struggle. Both sides left the ing the convention proved both is not a whit inferior to the old were willing to muzzle the left. minority gaining ground. The convention with the feeling that of our major premises. One, that Guard.
the Aght was to continue. the ideological struggle between Before the Chicago convention wing the centrists choose Wis tempt to argue with the left wing To expel the so called Trotsky left and right was boud to con Altman undoubtedly favored the consin.
minority (actually the left wing tats was the aim of the right tinue and, two, that the centrist expulsion of the revolutionary The demoralization of the party represents a majority of the mewing. Since that objective was majority on the NEC would be wing of the party but he dared under centrist leadership contri tive membership. spurred on by not attained it can be said that helpless in any serious situation. not raise the question openly. buted a great deal to the decision the right, the centrists found the right wing suffered a defeat. No resolution on Spain was But after the left began its of the centrists to muzzle the left their solution in the gag resoluNevertheless the right wing won passed at the convention; the campaign on the Spanish resolu wing. They who talk so much tion. The force that joined the major success and the left re arrangements were so bad that tion Altman and his followers no about activity and accuse the left antrists with the right wing ceived a stunning blow through the most important problem be longer concealed their intentions. of consisting of mere theorizers was fear of the left.
the suppression of the organ of fore the convention was left un An insistent clamor came from have not shown the least capacity the Appeal group. It is true that settled. The NEC took it upon them for the expulsion of the mobilize party for any The Heart of the the delegates representing the itself to formulate a resolution Trotskyists.
activity. It is really ridiculous to Gag Law Appeal group consented to the on Spain. It was a typically cenhear Krueger accuse us of inacsuppression of the Appeal but that trist resolution on the one hand Norman Thomas tivity. As against Krueger him The heart of the NEC resoluconsent came only as a result and on the other hand. It charself the most inactive comrade tion is contained in the following of the fact that they were in a acterized the Caballero govern Attitude of the left is tremendously active. sentences: All campaigns in the small minority and they did not ment as a provisional revolutionBut leave Krueger out. Take all party against party decisions, want to create any bitterness ary regime, uttered pious hopes Nothing helped the Altmanites those present at this meeting. policies or institutions must be which would stand in the way of about the necessity for going in their campaign for the expul thought knew the party com halted immediately. While the the peaceful penetration of their forward to socialism and in ef sion of the left wingers as much rades fairly well But it is sur present reorganization is going ideas amongst the ranks of the fect gave political support to as the attitude of Norman Thomas prising to see so many whom on, members are requested to party.
the Popular Front regime. upon his return from Europe. do not recognize. The dead wood suspend organized attempts to To us the suppression of the The left wing was outraged at Thomas attitude on the question of the Clarityites far outnumber apply pressure for changes of Appeal was tremendous blow the resolution. It began a strenu of Spain was never very clear. the deadwood of the Appealites. policy and for the initiation of at any