September 27, 1919 THE COMMUNIST Page Three T on Tactical Problems Ohio Locals should continue their mun The Socialist Party icipal campaigns under the name of SociN the revolutionary reconstruction of the alist Party. The adoption of the new name HE struggle about which party shall American Socialist movement, the utmost can date from time immediately following secure the confidence of the prolethe November elections.
in understanding of fundamentals is nectariat is now between the Communist This characteristic Menshevik position exessary. The Left Wing in the Socialist Party and the Socialist Party, with the LoreParty, while Communist in its impulse, in poses a number of facts: Wagenknecht Katterfeld Party inevitably cluded many non Communist elements which The Communist Labor Party, instead bound to be crushed between the two. This did not accept the fundamental principles of of uncompromisingly severing all relations struggle is not to shirked; it will be waged the Left Wing.
with the Socialist Party, is still to use the relentlessly and bitterly, since this struggle This admixture of elements was produced name. That means promoting confusion in must necessarily determine the future of the the minds of the workers. The name Social American revolutionary movement.
by the fact of the struggle assuming temporarily the character of a struggle for conist must be dropped immediately.
The Socialist Party is now something detrol of the Socialist Party administration. These municipal campaigns are waged finite. Purged of its revolutionary and proThis attracted comrades disgusted with the on the old Socialist Party basis, with nominletarian elements, it is now completely a crooks in the Party, comrades who had ations for all offices.
party of the middle class and of the refor years been waging a fight for adminis3. Participation in the municipal camactionary craft unions. The task of Gerner tration control; and, moreover, there were paigns under the name Socialist Party in Co. has been accomplished. to retain comrades who affiliated with the Left Wing dicates a desire to retain the votes that have control of the official Socialist Party, howsimply because they were inflamed against been cast for the old Party thereby making ever small numerically, as a party of petty the gangster tactics used by Germer Co.
votes an important issue.
bourgeois Socialism, of Laborism.
In the revolt against the old Party, these Communist Party locals will not particiThere are some who will lament the wreck elements played their part, and perhaps a pate in the campaign. This may appear not unimportant part; but their contribuof the old Party. But this wreck was historstrange to the delegates of the Communist ically necessary in order to realize a real tion to the Communist reconstruction of the Labor Party Convention, who did not make revolutionary party. And, in the larger movement is slight, assuming the negative clear the distinction between campaigns and character of allowing the Communist Party elections. But there are moments during exists as a party of moderate Socialism and sense, the old party is not wrecked: it still to develop the fundamental implications of the process of the class struggle when to Communism by a criticism of their errors.
petty bourgeois reformism.
participate in the political campaign but to large portion, if not most, of the deleboycott the elections will most clearly emHistorically, the Socialist Party started gates assembled at the Communist Labor phasize our class character and promote our as a party of middle class progressivism and Party convention consisted of these nontrades unionists. It split the old Socialist Communist elements, and of elements not revolutionary purposes. Then the slogan becomes: Boycott the elections!
Labor Party in order to defend the yet clear Communist fundamentals.
Most of these delegates bolted the Socialist This year there are two reasons why a of against the onslaughts of revolutionary Communist Party should boycott the elecunionism. It has officially opposed every Party convention, not because they had a definite mandate to organize a Communist tions.
revolutionary movement of the American Party, but because they were disgusted with First, the fact of its being impossible to workers, particularly the industrial union movement and the Its program the tacties of Cermer Co. Surely, this make nominations for the Communist Party.
has always been a program of progressivism, is not organizing a new Party on the basis We could go into the elections only by using of reforms, of State Capitalism. Now, havof fundamental principle!
the name Socialist Party. This we must ing purged itself of the proletarian and revThis fact is proven by the declarations of munist Party will participate in the camavoid as we would the plague. The Comolutionary elements, the Socialist Party will develop consistently as a party of Laborism, These declarations show the utmost confu: paign, without candidates, carrying the uniting in one way or another with the Labor sion concerning fundamental principles and clear propagandist call of Communism, Party.
tacties.
Second, even without this situation, it The potential Scheidemann Noske charThis confusion is most apparent in the would prove beneficial to boycott the elecacter of the official Socialist Party was inCommunist Labor Party attitude toward tions this year. In the United States, at parliamentary action and participation in this moment, the most vital revolutionary dicated in its use of the police at the Convention against the Left Wing delegateselections. It uses terms concerning agita tendency is that of the workers initiating the Chief of Police takes orders from me, tion and propaganda but it nowhere demass strikes. The most important task of fines the limits of its participation in eleca Communist Party is to develop the tactics declared Seymour Stedman.
tions. In fact, the Party attitude apparof the general political strike. The Com What did the Socialist Party convention ently is that it shall participate in all elec munist Party, accordingly, will enter the accomplish? It elected a new National Extions for all public offices.
campaign this year with the message: ecutive Committee, the members of which To participate in all elections for all offiWorkers, expect nothing from the capitalist are fully in accord with the old policy. It ces of the capitalist state is to rob Communstate! Your only hope is to use your mass did not adopt any new platform or decist parliamentary action of its class and repower, to broaden and deepen your strikes laration of principles, adhering impliedly to volutionary significance.
until they become general political strikes, the old. It adopted a manifesto of flanA Communist Party must have nothing to do with electo impose mass proletarian pressure upon boya language, which carefully avoids tions for judges and sheriffs, and for the the state. At the moment when it is neces any aention of the fundamental tactical executives of the capitalist state generally. sary to strengthen this mass action tendencv. pir jems that are transforming the Socialist To elect executives is to assume responsibof the proletariat, as at this moment, it be movement. It decided to let a referendum ility for the capitalist state, and to prepare comes necessary to boycott the elections, as vote determine whether the Party should for a repetition of all the evils of the old Sothe Bolsheviki boycotted the elections for affiliate with the Communist International cialist parliamentarism.
the second Duma in 1906. As events devel. as if the International would accept a The Communist Party, on the contrary, op, it will be necessary from time to time for Party dominated by Hillquit, Germer, Beradopted a realistic and revolutionary polthe Communist Party to boycott the elecger Co!
icy. Its program states that nominations tions while participating in the campaign. That is all. But it is enough. shall be limited to legislative bodies, such That depends upon the peculiarity of each The membership of the Socialist Party is as municipal councils, state legislatures and historic moment. That is the Communist now overwhelmingly petty bourgeois and national congress. This is the Communist conception of parliamentarism that is re craft wuionist in character. The few proleposition. In the legislative chambers volutionary political action.
tarian elements which remain in that party, meet the legislative representatives of the The National Executive Committee of the because of lack of understanding, are bound capitalist class, and fight them on the polCommunist Labor Party (one of the memb to break away as the Socialist Party logicitical issues of the class struggle. We do ers of which, Bilan, has been repudiated ally develops iis program of Laborism not assume responsibility for the capitalist overwhelmingly by his own branch in Cleve for in that program alone can the old Party state; in fact, our attitude makes it clear land, says there is no difference in principle find a reason for existence.
that our purpose is to destroy the bourgeois between the Communist Party and the ComThe revolution in the Socialist Party is parliamentary state through the mass action munist Labor Party. On this problem of now complete: the revolution that logically of the revolutionary proletariat. To parti parliamentarism and elections there is a difculminated in the formation of the Comcipate in elections for all offices is to ference. Others will develop. The Communist Party. The American movement now strengthen the dangerous idea that we can munist elements who may be temporarily becomes equal to the movement of other gradually transform the capitalist state into attracted by the Communist Labor rty nations, with the same divisions and the an organ of the proletariat, gradually grow will realize that their representatives are same forces into Socialism either non Communists or men who do not The continued existence of the Socialist This confusion of the Communist Labor understand Communist fundamentals.
Party will perform a useful historie mission; Party is made still worse by its Executive Unity yes! But unity on fundamental it will attraet unclear elements, and provide Secretary, Wagenkneeht. In the Ohio Communist principles and tactics unity in the Communist Party with the opportunity Socialist of September 17 (Wagenknecht the consistent, uncompromising Communist of developing its own revolutionary posipaper) this notice appears: Party tion.
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