coger, Page Six THE COMMUNIST The Plea for Communist Unity was HE Communist Labor Party contin development from a program merely in issued the call for the Communist Convenues its meaningless pleading for criticism of the Socialist Party to a pro tion, it was only the National Left Wing Communist unity by uniting the gram of the broader scope of the actual Council which undertook an actual comworking class movement in its revolu bat against this Minority in respect to two Communist parties on a basis of equality (whatever this may mean. It tionary tendencies. Not by vague phrases these charges, without making that com.
has already been made clear that the very upon which everything can be appended, bat one against the Communist Party. It but in precise, cogent propositions.
creation of the Communist Labor Party made the fight against secularism within calculated act against Cornmunist The leaders of the Communist Labor ad the Communist Party Convention, that is, unity; that the bolting delegates from the venture were all fully informed of the the National Left Wing Council and over Socialist Convention were quickly whipped Left Wing reunion. Some of them came 30 delegates who joined themselves into shape of a party so as to be in a to Chicago for no purpose other than to with the Council members. This group bargaining position with either the So fight against the complete reunion of Left fought against Federation extremisrn and cialist Party or the Communist Party.
Wing forces, realizing that they were against Michigan scholasticism and Always the reservation is made that bound to be automatically ousted in this fought to a successful finish, while the about two dozen delegates were caught in amalgamation of forces. There was Gitothers ran away from the fight, calling low, one of the minority of two on hte Nathe flux the breakup of the Socialist their foolish little side show an opposition Convention, with no least intention to set tional Left Wing Council, in opposition to themselves in opposition to the Communist the Joint Call.
Also John Reed, an associ camp! The Federation majority in the Party, in this miserably designed coup date editor on The Revolutionary Age, in ciple, and the clear cut work of this conetat to out Communist the Communists.
close touch with the situation. Both these vention was made possible because of the It is not a question of individuals, nor of individuals were obsessed with a passion effective criticism by the organized minorate hostility against any move to deal pa ity. It was the opposition of the National one group as against another group. It is a question of representation of membertiently and in the light of the general Council group to the Federation extremship and principles. When 70 odd dele movement with the problem of the federaists which won them respect; while the gates, with no relation to one another extions (or rather, with the Russian Federa Michigan truckling to the same group won cept that for as many as 70 reasons they tion. Both were persona non grata to the them nothing but contempt. There is no did not like the Socialist Party Conven federation leaders, and it appeared that Russian Federation dominance in the these leaders would play an important Communist Party. There is a clear case tion, proceed to start a new party at the part in the organization of the Commun of control in the spirit of the general movemoment when practically all of the Left Wing is unitedly engaged in starting the ist Party, therefore Gitlow and Reed ment, without tinge of secularism or clicCommunist Party, this manouevre can turned against the Communist Party. The uism.
only be described as dastardly and traitor same of Wagenknecht, Katterfeld, Lore, The 10, 000 members unrepresented in ous on the part of those conscious of the Lindgren and others.
situation.
either of the two real conventions at Chic Whatever was justly chargeable against cago, most of these members from the The Communist Labor Party represents the Minority Left Wing group which first Western States, will settle the question of just exactly this: the trick of about a unity without need for diplomatic negotiadozen reckless individuals who were in a tions. They will not abide by the illusion strategic position to mislead about thirty To the Workers of of a Communist Labor Party, which is delegates who were kept away from the bound to disappear as quickly as it came Communist Party Convention by deliberto life. These members will join the Comate delay and misinformation. The other the World munist Party, or remain with the Socialthirty in this Communist Labor Party ist Party. few locals, hearing a garbled (Continued From Page 4)
gathering were drifters of one kind and version of what happened at Chicago, may another, men and women incapable of de join for a short time the third party. But cision, and at the moment representing no The time for indecision has passed. the party will have no more cohesion than membership and no set of principles. The Now it is clear to each one of us that it its Convention, which fell apart within dozen conscious misleaders were notorious cannot be worse, that the government of Centrists; a few were guided by personal social traitors has brought you to the edge three or four days, after a few preliminary venom.
of the precipice.
There is said to be no difference be Workers of Germany and Austria! unity pleaders profess to speak, more Of over 70 delegates for whom the tween the two Communist parties. The Know that proletarians of other countries Communist Labor Party has no vestige of will never believe in the German Socialthan half were at all times more interested in a dicker with the old Socialist Party principle, Communist or any other kind. Democracy, that Social Democracy which Its Convention simply made a poor copy did not utter one word of protest at the than in joining themselves with the Communist Party. That was the significance of the program work done at the Left moment when the government of Wilhelm Wing Conference at New York. The few Hohenzollern forced upon Soviet Russia of the 37 to 31 vote against consideration changes in text show in every instance a the Brest Litovsk peace.
of joining with the Communist Convention looser understanding of what is involved.
as the first order of business for the boltWorkers of Germany and Austria! ing delegates. There was the further inThe entire Program Committee of the Left Wing Conference sat in the CommunKnow that if the Brest Litovsk peace tent not to open any negotiations until it ist Party Convention, Fraina, Ruthenberg, forced upon Russia in 1918 collapsed so could be made a gang proposition instead Stoklitsky, Batt, Ferguson.
soon, it is because the Russian workers of a delegate proposition, regardless of the and peasants overthrew the government of palpable fact that most of the bolting deleThe only new feature in the Communist Labor program is the clause against the bourgeoisie and social traitors and took gates were absolutely without mandate or membership to bring them into the Com autonomous federations. What is meant the power into their own hands. Only due munist Convention.
by autonomous. This is a free for all to this were they able comparatively phrase, and can only have definite mean quickly to break the Brest Litovsk noose. The Communist Party is started in repu.
ing as defined in a party constitution. We are confident that any careful student will World proletarian revolution this is the diation of the old Socialist ideal of numbers regardless of understanding or acrealize that the Communist Party met the only saviour for the oppressed workers of tivity. The Communist Party wants only federation question with an understandthe world!
Communist unity. The Communist Labor ing at once realistic and yet absolutely Dictatorship of the proletariat and the Party is no organization with which the uncompromising on the principle of party organizations of Soviet Power this is the Communist Party could ever have any centralization. The Communist Labor dealings.
only escape for the proletariat of the whole which failed to obtain representation at The Communist membership Party, on the other hand, has issued a flourish to the effect that it desires to be world from the Versailles methods.
the first Communist Convention, because a revolutionary proletarian party without the proletariat. Because it is a fact While Capitalism exists there can be no of the short time intervening between the that nearly 60 per cent of our wagereal peace. Permanent peace will be pos publication of the Joint Call and the workers are of foreign birth, and can sible only on the ruins of the bourgeois Emergency Socialist Convention, is rapidonly be brought into the Communist state.
movement in this country through the dely aligning itself with the Communist vice of language federations. But the Long live the uprising of the workers Party, in spite of the coup etat of the Communist Labor Party stands for an against oppression! Down with the Ver Centrists.
American movement an American Communism!
sailles peace, down with the new BrestAnd this party protests Litovsk! Down with the government of makes the least difference. And for this It is only the membership unity which its thorough internationalism!
In the work of the Communist Convensocial traitors!
unity the Communist Party is striving tion, by contrast, will be found not merely Long live Soviet Power throughout the every day. Nothing more complicated is a copy of former programs, but the incisentire world. The Executive Committee needed for this consummation than appliive development of a Communist program of the Communist International, Zino cations for charters and for membership in relation to actual party functioning; the viev, Chairman.
in the Communist Party.