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14 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, August 9, 1919 Correspondence EAR Comrade Stoklitsky: An Open Letter in reply to Alexander Stok Personally do not care what attacks are It is rather curious that you and should litsky in The Communist. made against me, either by the politicians of find ourselves engaged for the moment the Right Wing or of the Left Wing. have in party controversy as opponents, after we have stood firmly shoulder to shoulder since eration membership gives us an excellent basis long been immune to sensitiveness on the point for carrying on a big work of revolutionary of personal attacks. realize, too, that it is November 7, 1918, the day when the com socialist education. Because the English sometimes necessary to discuss individuals as a means of getting at a question of policy, and into existence by your initiative. believe speaking membership, for the most part, is not regimented by agencies of centralized expresthose who participate in party work should be however, that our opposition is more apparent sion, and because out of many individual reprepared to accept condemnation of the most than real, and write this letter not to meet what might be regarded as a personal attack actions to the present party breakup there is extreme kind for their errors and anything bound to come much diversity of opinion as to done will be wrong in the eyes of some group against myself and associates, but with the just how to proceed, does not at all prove that or other. But your general condemnation of idea of helping to clear up the situation.
this membership is of poorer calibre than the the Left Wing is hardly excused by enthusiasm When came back to Chicago from the Federation membership.
for the Communist Party. You had better Left Wing National Conference found the By this do not mean to make an objection blend this passionate enthusiasm with a little few comrades with whom had a chance to speak astounded at the idea that anyone wantto your centralized Federation control, only judgment if you expect to make it possible call your attention to the fact that the memfor others to work with you without absolutely ed to start a new party out of the Left Wing bers of the party not accustomed to accept the accepting your judgment as infallible at every Conference itself. had to leave the city program of a central committee are apt to show moment on every point, before your Federation group acted upon the more wavering and hesitation without in any have been laboring here in New York for reports of the delegates, but have no doubt whatever that any group, fully advised of the than the Federation membership. think that sense being less revolutionary or aggressive one purpose: to bring all the Left Wing elements together, in spite of the split in the situation at New York, would agree with the we must all learn the lesson of centralized Conference, on the program of a Communist majority. You have transposed the question control and action, providing this centralizaParty on September At this moment it of Communist Party on September to the tion is itself made responsive to the mass will.
appears that this goal is attained, and the maquestion of Communist Party on June 21, and My objection is your misuse of the name jority and minority of the Conference will be give the impression, by your argument, that Centrist as a convenient term of abuse for rejoined by co operation of the National Counthe majority of the Conference was opposed anyone who disagreed with you in New York cil and the National Organization Committee to taking a stand for a Communist Party.
on a program which you yourself never heard Meanwhile the Revolutionary Age has carried You know as a matter of absolute fact that of until you arrived here for the Conference.
on a consistent propaganda for a Communist it was only by refusal of the Federation deleWhen you can bring yourself to attack comParty, and everything done by me as National gates to vote on the Michigan proposition for rades like Lloyd and Fraina in this silly, reckSecretary of the Left Wing has been focused September Convention that this was de less manner, you display a passion which is on the organization of the new party. Nor feated.
worthier of a better cause. You only make am at all loath to give the minority full credit This does not deny the fact that there were yourself ridiculous when you characterize your for their contribution to the work of promoting on June 21 a considerable portion of the So own trusted associates as unworthy simply bethe new party. The task is much too big for cialist Party membership ready for the idea of cause they differ with you as to generalship all of us together, and it will take much effort a new party, but it is equally true that this was with regard to a two months campaign and and a spirit bigger than the bandying of almost exclusively the groups of expelled and nothing else.
names to create in this country a real party suspended members. The Conference acted Did the time for a Communist Party arrive of revolutionary socialism.
primarily on the basis of those who are yet by a miracle? No, the time is here because Yours in Communist Comradeship, members of the Socialist Party in good stand of organization and propaganda work. know FERGUSON.
ing. In fact, the division within the Con no individual who has contributed more to ference shows clearly that it was the dele the organization work leading to a Communist gates who were still members of the party who Party than yourself. On the other hand, ComPetrograd in 1919 opposed the immediate formation of a new rades Lloyd and Fraina have done inestimable (Continued from page 11)
party. They wanted to conduct the Left Wing service as propagandists for revolutionary to fire on other Russians were given the choice, campaign within the party to a point of com socialism, and it is only upon the foundation either that every tenth man should be shot, or plete withdrawal of the revolutionary elements of this propaganda that we can now proceed that they should give up their ringleaders. The by September 1, realizing that in most of the with the. Communist Party. That is why ringleaders, twelve in number, were given up, States the Left Wing adherents were looking cannot take lightly your methods of reckless were made to dig their own graves, and shot.
to the regular party elections as the means of attacks against individuals, at a time of party The whole story may well be Archangel gosmaķing their final onsla against Modflux and excitement when you can demolish sip. If so, as a specimen of such gossip, it is erates of the Socialist Party.
individuals overnight by calling them names. not without significance. In another part of At New York neither you nor anyone else This shows demagogism as a substitute for the carriage an argument on the true nature saw any crucial point involved in waiting two principle, and it is unworthy of one who has of selfishess caused some heat because the months in order to help bring into the new done the valuable constructive work which disputants insisted on drawing their illustraparty the Socialist Party membership, of must be credited to you.
tions from each other conduct. Then there equally sound calibre with the suspended and was the diversion of a swearing match at a expelled groups, who were sure to look to wayside station between the conductor and the Emergency Convention as their means of some one who tried to get into this carriage expressing a stand for revolutionary socialism.
and should have got into another. Both were Now you classify all of the majority group Sunday, August 24th, 1919 fluent and imaginative swearers, and even the as Centrist and swamp, limplying that man from Archangel stopped talking to listen the Michiganites and Federationists are the at EASTERN BOULEVARD PARK formerly Hoffman Park to them. One, remember, prayed vehemently only aggressive elements in the movement Eastern Boulevard and Fort Schuyler Road, that the other hand might fly off, and the You already know my high regard for the WESTCHESTER, other, not to be outdone, reorted with a similar Federation membership. believe they are of Oriental Dances by Miss Katayama prayer with regard to the former head. In the same courage and intense devotion to the Vladimir Resnikoff, Russian Singer England the dispute, which became fierce inrevolutionary cause as their brothers and sisand many other attractions.
deed, would have ended in assault, but here it ters in Russia and Hungary. It is out of such RED PICNIC. GREAT TIME ended in nothing but the collection on the ardor and courage that revolution is born.
FOR RED CAUSE platform of a small crowd of experts in bad You know, however, that the work of SoPicnic starts at 10 language who applauded verbal hits with imcialist education among these comrades has. arranged by the LEFT WING SECTION SOCIALIST partiality and enthusiasm.
just begun. The idea of men like Comrade PARTY OF THE BRONX.
At last tried to sleep, but the atmosphere Hourwich and yourself blathering about these Tickets in advance 30c At the gate 35c. in the carriage, of smoke, babies, stale clothes, comrades as the only consistent Bolsheviks Directions. From 149th St. take West and the peculiar smell of the Russian peasis an extreme of absurdity and demagogism.
chester Av. car and change for Fort Schuyler, antry which no one who has known it can Yet have no doubt at all but that the Fedget off at the Park.
forget, made sleep impossible.
Left Wing Pic Nic