the THE COMMUNI 1 United States, but they had been but he succeeds to avoid such Communist Party, and even more than that They had witnessed the tablets (1) almost had because the article represents the most complete 1k attack for the time being only by means they seen the writing of the new scripturesof a shrewdly devised manoeuvre by means of sample of theoretical and philosophical back they had been in Russia. And who dored to ground (if it is permitted to call it theory and making a distinction, or even a contradiction say them nay. philosophy. of the position (or, more correctly. but which it is unnecessary to add, does not act Whatever will be the reply to the questionactually exist) between Communism and BLUFF lack of position) of the centrist elements in BOLSHEVISM, as he brands it. This gives him the Party those unsettled, always wavering, in when was the author truthful to himself and to decisive elements, who, in September of last his readers, when was he expressing his real opportunity in fact to slander Communist tacties in general, as such (which is equivalent year. due to the trend of circumstances but by ieclings and impessions of the Convention in to Communism. at the same tine preserving no means through their own volition. found September 1919 or in April 1920 the above a decent and an entirely innocent semblance themselves in the Communist Party. These cen comparison of quotations enables 11 to draw of attacking only the BLUFF BOLSHEVISM trist elements who, since that time have grieved quite a deiinite conclusion as to the sincerity of the Communist Party in general and the because they could not find in it a comfortable and truthfulness oi thic author.
Russian Communist Federation in particular. place for themselves, longed for the old irecdom where principle and discipline were not Not having been determined enough to carry The reader will, of course, agree, that this out his initial impulse to leave the First Comnecessary qualifications, untill finally, as a result manoeuvre is by no means a new one, but on munist Convention in America. it had leit such of the Korniloff coup etat accomplished by the contrary, a very familiar and exasperatingly a bad taste with our author, that he very their lcaders, ruled themscives (in fact) out wearisome manoeuvre of all social opportunists wisely resolved never to enter cither the Comof the Party.
who praise Socialism but curse Bolshevism and munist or Leit Wing conventions. Whether The author of this article is a typical representthe Dictatorship of the Proletariat who praise or not this time he will carry out his decision, Marx to the skies but condemn Marxian tactics ative of these centrist elements and all the remains to be scen in the future. who enthuse over the Soviet system in Russia, unpleasantries experienced by then, while in Mark you in informing us of this resolubut are terrified by the thought of its possibility the Party.
tion, the author docs not speak of particular in the United States. We are injust however, To begin with the first convention of the convention which he will not enter in the in crediting the use of this manoeuvre only to Party. The author naively contesses that his, iuture; he speaks of the Communist or the and adherents iuitial inpulse was to leave social opportunists ior it is equally common anl Leit Wing conventions. Apparently, those tepeculiar to all opportunists in general 10 bour. that convention. Even by this tine lie cannot testable qualities of the first Communist Congeois opportunists in the same measure as to understand why he did not then follow that vention, which leit such a bad taste with Social opportunists. As an illustration, it will impulse. the only rcason which he can possibly him, and which bar him from attending future be sufficient to refer to the alled imperialists, who advance in explanation of this certainly unfortunconventions, he considers as insepérable, permawhile prosecuting in every possible manner the ate both for himself and the Party lack of nent and organic defects of all Communist conSocialist Internationalists of their own country determination, is that same terrible BIG BLUFF ventions in other words of Communism itself.
during the war, could not rejoice sufficiently OF BOLSHEVISM again, which, for a while, over the stand of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa completely hypnotized him and stripped him of Luxemburg in Germany. Of course, their re any capability for seli determination. We Having remained in the Communist Party joicing rapidly disappeared as soon as the war quote: against his own determination, against his initial was over. But that is another matter. Just why some of us did not carry out our impulse. it was only natural that our author should feel miserable, dissatisfied, a stranger In order to prove that we are not committing initial impulses to leave this convention is a an error by crediting our distinguished author perplexity yhich can only be explained to day, in its ranks, hypnotized, as he had once put it, by an all prevailing sense of realism and imby the big bluff of Bolshevism.
with the above described though far from creditpossibility of compromise as the solution of able manoeuvre, we will cite a very characteristic The very convention, for which our author any item; it was only natural that a doubt question from his article. Aiter devoting a whole did not spare the most brilliant and alluring as to the worthwhileness of the Party. paragraph to vituperative and abusive attacks colors in the first issue of the Communist, Septemshould arise to haunt him.
upon the Communist Party and Bolshevism, the ber 27th, 1919, becomes for him an object of Has it been worth while. e. the formation author, not without good reason, like a cat the most bitter attack in April 1920. We quote. who knows whose meat it has stolen remarks: There was an all prevailing sense of realisin oi the Communist Party this very question, this Oi course, someone will answer: This (i. e. about the work in hand, absolute candor in pseudo objective, majestically judicial attitude the mud thrown upon Bolshevism by the author)
interchange of argument, impossibility of comtoward the revolutionary proletarian party exis what the Right Wingers said about us a year promise as the solution of any item.
poses in the author a spineless petty bourgeois Three intellectual, who never acts, never lives in the ago If it is true now, why was it not true distinct groups were marked out at the opening then? And he immediately hastens to dispel of the Convention, and the whole proceeding present and in the future, but always in the all cioubts and questions by categorically and represented the balancing of these three groups past, always pre occupied with reflective, utterly emphatically answering: against one another. Three delegates who useless seli analysis. Has it been worth did not quickly enough yield their impulsive, tests of the worthwhileness of a party, in:ply, while? this very question, and the following It is true now; it was true then. But the Right Wingers used this sarcasm to characterize a individualism to the mass disciplinc (italics ours; an utterly non Marxian, bourgeis proſessorial atof one or another of the three groups left the particular phase of the revolutionary Socialist titude toward the arty. party, according to the movement in this country. They aimed their Convention. They found more congenial atmosbourgeois conception of our author like a suit phere in the Centrist Convention of the Commune shaits at revoluionary Socialism itself. Italics of clothes, may be ready made or made to ist Labor Party, where cach was a law unto ours. himseli, and where the group as an entity was order. No wonder that in another part of The meaning of this quotation is obvious: The beyond the possibilty of decisive action.
his article, extensively rich with similar new iact that the Right Wingers had slandered revoluideas, he speaks of a ready made Bolshevism. Thus, almost enthusiastically, wrote our author tionary Socialists was not so bad in itseli; that Moreover, he says, a party may be well made which in the course of thei abuse they saidin September 1919. What a change! That which and it may be bungled. Which, of course. was true. The only thing with which our he then proudly called mass discipline in April implies the equally profound idea that having author reproaches the Right Wingers in a friendly 1920 le calls hopeless arlstrariness. We been hugled a party may be remade, it manner is, that they had slandered revolutionary quote again: even may be ordered to another maker.
Socialists in general, whereas, they should have There are many other respects in which this Accordingly, being dissatisfied with an imported slandered the American Revolutionary Socialists.
Convention stands out from all other Socialist from Russia or ready made Communist Party, But the above described trait an inclination to gatherings in America. For one thing, the fact along the Russian fashion and Russian traapply two standards, to measure by two different that the Federation delegates were largely Slavic ditions, and, consequently, utterly unit for yardsticks, one intended for the home product, emphasized the close union between the organi American conditions our author decided to have the other for strange distant ones far away.
zation of the Communist Party here and the this party re inade to have it made to order is not only a manoeuvre of opportunists but parent organization which came into being at this time in sonc reputable American firm.
also a symptom of opportunism an indication Moscow in March of this year The Communist Now, ly a fortunate coincidence. such an International. Itwas the Russian expression of of a revaluation of values. Having begun American ürm, under the name of Damon Marxism which predominated this Convention, with slanders and attacks against the Revolution Company, has recently been formed, and the the Marxism of Lenine, and the party traditions ary Socialists and Communists in their own order for a new American Party has been of the Bolsheviki.
country, the opportunists invariably due to the given to this firm, the name and reputation internal logic of their position sooner or later Leaving aside such utterly unscientific dciiniof its owner and manager (formerly with the end by coming into open conflict with the bitterlytions becoming rather to a professor of a bourCoinnunist Party of America) being of sufficient hated Communists in general.
geois university rather than a Communist as, assurance that its product, carrying the tradeY. s article presents, in our opinion, exactly Russian expression of Marxism. tlic Marxism mark made in America will fit and satisfy such a symptom of sliding over to the Riglo, of Lenine, etc. compare the above quoted American customers.
of an irrevocable tendency towards opportunism, paragraph, written in September 1919, with the Due to lack or wpnce this annlysis will be toward the final desertion of the Communist ranks, iollowing denunciation in our author last article: continued in the next issue. and that is why we entitle it Political Obituary The supreme high pricsts of this new revelation of its author as a Communist.
had seen the divine flamc with their own eyes.
TO MEMIERS AND BRANCHES OF THE THEY HAD BEEN IN RUSSIA. Italics ours. Anyone who cannot understand the import of FEDERATIONS article; who cannot read this tendency towards Many years ago perhaps, in a world of circum Comrades: oportunism between the lines, whereever it may stances only dinily akin to those of 1919 in the We, the representatives of the language Fed.
not be obvious from the lines, is utterly unable erations of the communist arty of Americit the to understand this article and the only meaning It should be stated, that we class in the category Lettish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Russian Fedwhich it conveys, and for such a person the of centrist elements who, for a long time felt erations. siemand that the Executive Secretary uncomfortable and dissatisfied with the to them reading of his article is an absolutely waste of Comrade Damon and the members of the too narrow. limits of consistency in principles Koxl ey, return immediately to their and revolutionary discipline of the Communist Par. respective posts and work until the next conventy not all, but rather a small initiative minority tion under the supervision of the cely of those who now have formed the minority group eheted by the Constituent Convention of the party.
Let us pass over to a more detailed analysis led by former Executive Secretary Damon; the The convention, at which all the differences that of the article in question, which analysis this majority of this minority group found them have usen in the party will be investigated and article undoubtedy deserves not because of its selves in it by accident, as a result of inisunder. settleil, whall be called not before June. and not intrinsie qualities, of course, but because of the standing or misinformation and, we do not doubt later than July will soon sever with it and return to the arty Due to lack of race this appeal will be printed position recently occupied by its author in the to the in full in the next issue.