THE COMMUNIST went to Chicago to use all my in exception that in the Socialist Party uation in the party which will result fluence to prevent a break in the there was the justification of a great in disorganization and chaos at a unity of the party and succeeded. difference of principle, while the time when all the energy of the reported this settlement to the action of the majority of the Execu movement should be directed toward Executive Council last Tuesday, but tive Council is based solely upon building up a stronger organization in place of accepting it and thus ex motives of personal politics and and propaganda among the masses pressing its co operation in en control, even though it attempts to of the workers.
deavoring to prevent a split in our camouflage its motives by talk about They believe that they represent organization, four members of the discipline discipline which it only the majority of the membership of Council, representing the majority invokes against those who oppose it. the party and that it can be proven group of the Central Executive ComIn my activity in the party have beyond doubt that their position in mittee, took action to maintain their consistently stood against disruption regard to organization tactics is supfactional control of the party and fought to maintain the unity of ported by the membership, and that action which is bound to bring about our organization. do not believe those who support the opposite viewa split. by voting to send a re there is any issue in the party at this point, although they may be in the presentative of this majority of four moment which cannot be decided by majority in the do not reto Chicago with authority TO RE the coming convention and leave the present the membership of the party.
MOVE THE DISTRICT ORGANI party united.
If the wishes of the membership ZER. This action was preceded by a But am faced with the necessity should prevail, their plan of organiproposal to remove the entire of choosing a course of action in a zation would be immediately adopted.
District Committee and to reorganize situation in which a temporary ma They cannot, therefore, accept the the District, which was only aban jority, a few weeks before a conven decision of a committee, which by doned when it was shown by the tion, threatens to bring disruption every standard of judgment and minority that it would be impossible and disunity into the party in an experience, has been repudiated by to carry out such a proposal because effort to further, not the interests the membership, but in order to the membership of the Chicago of the party, but its own group con preserve the party unity, propose an District would not permit it. The trol. have determined that it is my agreement on the following statement four members of this majority (An duty to the membership of the party and conduct of the organization in drew, Bernstein, Raphael and Sascha) to fight such disruptionist activity accordance with same, until a conalso voted down my motion to refer when it comes from a majority of vention can be held and the future of the whole matter to the full the Executive Council, just as the party authoritatively decided. motion supported by Damon, Bunte fought it when it came from the ChiThat until the convention the and Braun. cago District Committee.
existing facts in the party at the time The sending of a representative of therefore make the following before the meeting of the Council the majority group to Chicago with statement to the majority of the at which the controversy developed authority to remove the District Ormajority of the Executive Council: shall remain the status quo and ganizer can only have one purpose, Should it persist in the course of neither the Executive Council nor and that is, to use the temporary action determined upon at the last the shall take any action to authority the present majority meeting and this result in the re change the situation so far as the group to perpetuate its control by moval of the Chicago District Organmatters of controversy are concerned.
arbitrarily ousting those who oppose izer and refusal of the Chicago The status quo to mean: it. The removal of the Chicago District to further recognize the That there shall be no change in District Organizer on this issue would authority of the Executive Council District Organizers except to fill vabe resisted by the District Committee and the Central Executive Committee cancies, until the convention.
and the membership of the Chicago until the convention, it will be im That the Executive Secretary shall District and would bring about a possible for me to continue to work continue as Acting Editor.
break in the party unity which sucwith the present majority of the On the last point we are willing ceeded in preventing.
Executive Council. will continue to to agree that two pages of each issue There is no other ground than an conduct the work of the office of of the paper shall be set aside for effort to perpetuate factional control Executive Secretary and Acting Party each group for the publication of to warrant the removal of the Chi Editor and will carry on the work controversial articles. These two cago District Organizer. He is the of the party through the District Orto be under the complete most captable man in such a position ganizations, including the Chicago control of the respective groups.
in the party at the present time. The District Organization now con In regard to the matter of expressChicago District reorganization has stituted, holding all funds and report ing the party policies in harmony progressed farther than any other of my work for submission to and with the party program we agree district. The Chicago District has disposal of by the convention.
that when the acting editor and turned over to the National OrganDAVID DAMON, associate editor disagree, the article ization for the party work more funds shall be referred to the Council for during the last three months than Executive Secretary. final disposition.
all the other districts combined. Yet The submission of this statement We further agree, that the majority this majority of four members of compelled the Executive Council may send a representative to present the Executive Council in its desperate majority to change its position and its viewpoint to various party units.
attempt to maintain its control of to call a meeting of the Central Ex Signed: David Damon, Executive the organization is ready to sum ecutive Committee, the District Or Sec. Ed. Fisher, District No. 5, marily dismiss this District Organ ganizers and the Executive Secreta Davey, District C, Polish Fedeizer because he represents a different ries of the Federations. At this meet ration Representative, Wood, party viewpoint than they do, at a time when the party has been unable ing an effort was made by the Exe District A, Esthonian Federation cutive Secretary and those support Representative, Smith, District to secure competent men to fill similar positions elsewhere.
ing his position to effect an agreeNo. 1, South Slavic Federation Rement to maintain the situation as it presentative, German Federation ReThe proposed action of the majority stood before the Council action, until presentative, members of the Executive Council Ukrainian Federation a convention could be held. The agreeRepresentative, Kasbeck, member (a bare majority of one, for the of motion was adopted by a vote of four ment this group proposed is contained to three) is exactly paralell with the in the following statement which they The majority group of the action of the National Executive Comsubmitted to be majority of the however, refused to agree not to remittee of the Socialist Party move any District Organizer until last the convention and insisted on apyear, when it expelled all those memSTATEMENT BY THE MINORITY bers of the party who oppossed it, pointing another editor with equal GROUP in order to make certain its control power with the party editor.
of the convention in August, with the The undersigned earnestly desire The majority refused to discuss the to prevent the development of a sit call for the Convention.
pages as