THE COMMUNIST BIVE Resolution on Unity passed the into a unity.
ADOPTED BY THE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF AMERICA.
Since the resolution of the Executive Committee of the Communist International demandIng Immediate unity between the Communist Party of America and the United Communist Party, was received after the date set in the resolution for the final completion of said unity; and Recognizing that the idea and the intent of the resolution must be carried out, and to the best of our ability and circumstances without further delay; We decided to take immediate steps for calling a joint convention with the United Communist Party, within two months, the represent ation to be in proportion to membership determined upon a just and equal basis for both parties, and To notify the Executive Committee of the Communist International of our acknowledgement of their authority the question, and of the steps we have taken to comply with thelr decision AS soon as it has reached us.
October 19, 1920.
TO THE ESECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL, Dear Comrades:In the Izvestia. official organ of the Soviet Republic, issue of September 14th which accidently came into our possession on October 13th and therefore could not be acted upon before the date of this letter we came across the following decision enacted by your committee relative to the American Communist movement. Both Communist parties, the United Communist Party and the Communist Party, are obligated to unite into one party on the basis of the decisions of the Second World Congress of the Communist International. This unity must be finally accomplished not later than in two months; that is, by the 10th of October 1920.
Those who do not subject themselves to this de cision shall be expelled from the Third, Communist, International The Central Executive Committee of tho Communist Party, at its special meeting on October 19th took up this question and adopted the enclosed resolution. Your decision was immediately complied with not only because we recognize your full and complete authority but also because we agree with your fundamental plan of creating one Communist Party In each country.
However, we wish to impress upon your committee that the Communist Party has done all in its power, consistent with Communist principles and tactics, to unite all Communist elements within one party, ever since the breach created by the split in the Left Wing Confe once which eventually resulted in the formation of two Communist parties.
We have already enumerated in detall the outstanding facts pertaining to this question in the last statement to your committee on the occasion of our receipt of your appeal for unity between the Communist Party and the Communist Labor Party, as printed in the No. 11 issue of the Communist International.
THIS APPEAL ARRIVED SOME MONTHS AFTER THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR UNITY HAD BEEN SUDDENLY BROKEN OFF BY THE P, WHICH UNITED WITH THE SPLITTING OFF MINORITY OF THE LED BY DAMON, CAXTON, FISHER CO.
It is also important to bear in mind that the split was engineered just at the moment when unity through a joint convention was about to be consummated.
Your first appeal for unity could no longer be applied in the new situation because an entirely new set of factors had developed, which can be briefly enumerated as follows. 1) The had broken off negotiations with the of the Communist Party. 2) The and tho minority faction which split away from the made a deal not to have anything to do with the of the c, AS PRINTED IN THE MAY 15th ISSUE OF THE COMMUNIST. 3) The United Communist Party abolished and destroyed every vestige of subordinate languago federations in their party. 4) Tho United Communist Party took a wrong position on industrial unionism In its program and in its dealings with the Wontirely out of keeping with the position of the Third International. 5) The Centrist leaders of the minority (Damon, Caxton, Fisher Co. who had aplit further delay; away from the mainly on the questions We decide to take immediato steps for of mass action, and language federations, after calling a joint convention with the comitting a grave breach of party disciplino as within two months, the representation to be well as absconding with the funds and records in proportion to membership determined upon of the party.
BECAME THE DOMINATING a Just and equal basis for both parties; and LEADERS OF THE UNITED COMMUNIST To notify the Executive Committee of the PARTY.
Communist International of our acknowledge(6) The Contrist leaders of the openly ment of their authority in the question, and of condoned these actions and endorsed the stand the steps we have taken to comply with their of the Centrist minority leaders.
decision as soon as it reached us. 7) From the very beginning The United Com On the basis of this resolution the Central munist Party refused to acknowledge the exist Executive Committee of the Communist Party ence of the Communist Party, as a regularly has following motions, in order to constituted party, despite the self evident facts. facilitate the process of uniting both parties. This new situation could not be dealt with at a joint convention; in the manner prescribed in your appeal be 1) committee of three (Allen, Dobin and cause the breach had been so widened that Leon) has been elected with power to make left no other course open for the Communist arrangements with a like committee representParty to pursue except to send a delegate to ing your Central Executive Committee.
Russia to lay the facts before your committee 2) That in the event of agreement a call and await your decision after the facts had for a joint convention shall be issued by the been laid before you.
respective s of both parties.
This course the Communist Party pursued. 3) The basis for the joint call shall be as it sent a delegate to Russia to lay the facts follows: a) The decisions of the Second Conbefore your committee and awalt his return gress of the Communist International; b) The with your decision before resuming any action Conditions for Affiliation to the Communist Intowards uniting all Communist forces in this ternational; c) Any decisions of the Executive country into one party.
Committee of the Communist International perThe decision of your committee on August taining to the Communist Movement in this 7th, prior to the arrival of our delegate, how country.
ever, makes further delay Impossible, Irrespect 4) The joint convention shall be called ive of the outcome of our delegate mission. within two months.
We recognize your decision as final and have 5) The basis of election to joint conven.
made preparations that will bring both parties tion shall be as follows: representation is to unity convention based upon propor be in proportion to membership determined uptional representation of membership in. both on a just and equal basis for both parties.
parties. The decision of the Second World Con In view of the very limited time for the gress, the conditions for Affiliation to the Com. calling of the joint convention we expect a munist International, and any action of your speedy reply.
committee pertaining to the Communist move.
Fraternally yours, ment in this country, shall be the basis of Dobin, Exec. Sco.
COMMUNIST PARTY OF AMERICA.
This does not mean that we have given up THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND THE the fight with the Centrist leaders of the SOCIAL REVOLUTION. By no means. This fight will now be carried (Continued from page 4)
on within the new, united party, just as uncomConclusion This short review was not written for the promisingly as before. These men have proven themselves utterly unfit for leadersihp in the mere glorification of the deeds of the ComCommunist movement and have also proven munist Party of Russia. Glory to be sure, there is that they do not understand the needs of a more than enough in the revolutionary Communist Party at this stage of Its existenco record of the Russian Communists for thie in the peculiar conditions obtaining hore, last three years. But there is something else We are confident that the position of the in it. Something that concerns us in America Communist Party will be vindicated after your much more vitaliy. This is the revolutioary committee has come into possession of all the experience. Many a good revolutionary workfacts. We believe that your committee has been ers in America is still questioning the necesfed with misrepresentations and lies due to the sity of Communist Party in America for PECULIAR CONDITIONS which precluded the the liberation of the working class. And under possibility of our side of the case coming be.
the tutelage of such educators and leaders as fore you.
Sandgren of the One Big Union Mon hly. With Communist greetings, we remain, quite a number of the workers honestly devoted Yours for the world proletarian revolution, to the cause of their class, are acquiring the The Executive Committe of the Communreactionary and harmful notion that a revoluist Party of America.
tionary working class political party, such as the Communist Party of America, is useless if not actually dangerous, to the proletarian cause. do not care to argue, at present, with Sandgren. But do care a great deal for the October 20 1920.
truly revolutionary workers of the and other organizations TO THE E, OF THE who sincerely believe that politics. all and every kind of political Dear Comrades. action, is injurous to the interests of the Having on October 13th accidently como across a decision in the Sept. 14th Izvestia. working class. To these workers say, study the Russian revolution. Demand the facts. Ask official organ of the Soviet Republic, relative to be shown what made the revolution in to the unity of the Communist Party and the Russia possible. Why were the workers there United Communist Party, as follows: able to seize the powers of state and suc Both Communist Parties, the United Com cessfully break the resistance of the capitalists munist Party and the Communist Party, are obligated to unlte into one party on the basis landlords, and most important of all, what produced the wonderful team work of all parts of the decisions of the Second World Congress of the Communist International. This. unity of the labor movement in the functioning of must be finally accomplished not later than in the proletarian dictatorship in Russia?
In my short review have attempted to two months; that is, by the 10th of October, give you the facts. My study is far from 1920. Those who do not subject themselves to being exhausted, still, the outstanding facts are this decision shall be expelled from the Third, Communist International.
there And what do they teach us? That a Communist Party, that is a political organizaIn accordance with this decision of the tion of all the class conscious and revolutionExecutive Committee of the Communist Interary workers trained in the art and science of national the Central Executive Committco of largo political and social affairs, is an in.
the Communist Party has passed the following decision: dispensible condition for the success of the social revolution. Since the resolution of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, demandOn the third anniversary of the Russian Soviet Republic it behooves the class conscious ing immediate unity betwoon the and workers in America to take to heart this the was recolved after tho dato sot In tho rosolution for the final completion of momentous lesson of the Russian revolution and dedicate themselves to the task of building up unity; and a strong and powerful Communist Party in Rocognizing that the Idon and tho intont America. Only thus shall we fuloll our duty of the resolution must be oarried out to tho towards the workers of America and the best of our ability and frcumstanoo Without laboring masses the world over, Letter to the on Unity.