SPECIAL CONVENTION NUMBER Program Constitution and Resolutions By of Addopted February 1921 THE COMMUNIST Official Organ of the Communist Party of America.
SECTION OF THE THIRD COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL PRICE CENTS Vol. 11. No. 18 MARCH 1, 1921 REPORT OF THE THIRD CONVENTION.
a Thirty delegates and seven fraternal dele unanimously, upon a roll call vote. The question of our attitude toward the trade gates met somewhere in the and former had kept the membership and industrial union movement in this for ten days thrashed out the problems of so well nformed upon the unity question country, and it was pla that this conventactics and organization of the Communist during the entire period of negotiation with tion which had voted and acted with such Party, made history, and passed another the that the delegates, being in unanimity on the question of unity and the milestone of the Communist movement in possession of all the facts, and having pre expulsion of Allen, was not satisfied to have America. The arrangements for the holding viously debated them in the various sub the policy of the party decided by one or of this convention, made by our technical district and district electors meetings, that two individuals. The whole debate upon the committee, the silent and secret gathering the s. report on this question ocTheses showed that the Communist Party together of the comrades from all parts of casioned little discussion and the stand of had passed the period of incubation, that the country, and their safe return to their the was unanimously approved by it had a thorough understanding of comhomes, is in itself a story which some day a roll call vote of all present. The recom munist principles and tactics, and was prewill be told when the annals of the profeta mendation that a weekly agitation paper, pared to carry these principles into life, rian revolution in America are compiled. a monthly theoretical magazine, and an and to take its placce as the leader and After waiting in vain for the official Party Bulletin, to be issued every vanguard of the working class of America.
to comply with the mandate of the Commun two weeks, free to the membership, was The discussion of the Theses paved the ist International to hold a joint convention adopted.
way for the consideration of the draft of upon the basis of proportional representation the new program, which had been prewith the Communist Party, inorder to effect pared by a committee of the old unity between these two parties, the convenThis draft was presented to the convention Resolution on Unity with tion was called by the in compliance by the Committee on Program who included with the twenty one points for affiliation to the those changes indicated by the discussion the Communist International, and to revise of the Theses.
its program and constitution, in conformity THE MUNIST PARTY OF AME Conventions are like revolution they with the Theses and Statutes ur the RICA, IN CONVENTION ASSEM want to The convention was called to order by the UNANIMOUSLY DECLARES: Section by sletion the Biogin party secretary, and after preliminary THAT WE ENDORS6 AND CONFIRM and with minor changes, each clause was speech by the party editor, reviewing the THE POSITION TAKEN BY THE FOR. adopted, without any serious clash, until history of the labor movement in America, MER OF THE COMMUNIST the clause on armed insurrection PARTY AGAINST HOLDING OF UNIwas permanent organization was effected by the reached TY CONVENTION WITH THE UNITED This clause, as originally prethe election of a presidium of three and COMMUNIST PARTY UPON THE ARsented by the Program Committee, read as various standing committees. The report of BITRARY BASIS OF EQUAL REPRE follows: The Communist Party of Amethe Credentials Committee showed six dist SENTATION.
rica will systematically and persistently ricts, Canada, and the Pacific Coast, which WE MAINTAIN THAT REAL AND propagate to the working class the necessity sent thirty delegates who represented 6819 ORGANIC UNITY BETWEEN THE COM for armed insurrection for the destruction of MUNIST PARTY OF members having paid the convention assessAMERICA AND THE UNITED COMMUNIST PARTY the bourgeois state and the establishment ment. The first order of business was the CAN BE REACHED ONLY UPON THE of the dictatorship of the proletariat based reading of the twenty one points for affiliBASIS OF PROPORTIONAL REPRE upon soviet power delegate made the ation to the point by point, which were SENTATION.
amendment to be inserted after the word adopted unanimously by roll call vote of all WE INSTRUCT OUR CENTRAL EXE insurrection as the only means for the present resolution to the same effect, CUTIVE COMMITTEE TO MAINTAIN destruction of the bourgeois state, etc.
THIS POSITION, WHICH IS INCLUDED as presented by the Resolutions Committee IN THE MANDATE OF THE EXECUThe editor of the Novy Mir immediately later was adopted unanimously and TIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUN took the floor, arguing that there were The secappears elsewhere in this issue.
IST INTERNATIONAL, UNLESS THE other means, such as the revolutionary retary made his financial report covering COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL of parliament, the soviets, INSTRUCTIONS.
OTHER the period from July 1920 to Jan. 1921, mass action, etc. etc. After this speech, another which was accepted as recommended by delegate made the point of order that the the Auditing Committee. The secretary amendment was contradictory to the Theses made a lengthy and exhaustive report on The reports of the Federations showed membership, literature, and propaganda, the following as to membership: Jewish, which had been adopted, and the chairman ruled that the point of order was well giving in detail the progress of the party 350; Lettish, 700; Lithuanian, 2700; Polish, taken.
for the past six months. The report of Against this decision the reporter 400; Russian 1800, Ukrainian, 1500. These for the Program Committee immediately the CE. was divided under the followreports were given in detail as to literature appealed, and the chairman was sustained ing heads. Important decisions as appearing and propaganda, and showed better than by a roll call vote of 15 to 14. Another in the minutes of the On general volumes of argument the really constructive amendment was made to insert the words work that these federations carry on. The progress; Developments and decisions on organization questions. for the final destruction of the bourgeois On Communist only discussion was occasioned by a deParty Nuclei; On attitude toward mand that the Russian Federation publish state and this was accepted by the chairman, and around this motion the question and Independent On atti a legal paper, a delegate prominent in Ruswas thrashed out in heated debate.
tude towards legal workers societies; On sian Federation, maintaning that there were Many new formulations were offered until finally editorlal policy; On removal of Allen from no proletarian Russian masses in this couna new committee was elected to reformulate editorship; On Allen expulsion from the try. This point of view was repudiated by the entire clause.
the convention which went on record de day session, and the next morning the This concluded that and from the party; On the stand of the Con Unity. All these reports manding that the Federation publish an clause was adopted as follows. The Comand recommendations were accepted. On agitation paper as soon as possible.
munist Party will systematically and perthe question of Allen removal from the editorship and subsequently from the The Statutes and Theses of the were sistently propagate to the working class the read ad seriatum.
This was no mere perC. and the expulsion from the party, the idea of the inevitability of, the necessity old E. was closely questioned by the functory matter.
The convention spent for a violent revolution and will prepare delegates, all the facts in the case were nearly two days in discussion and debate. the working class for armed insurrection laid before the convention, and was The delegates realized that these Theses as the only means for the destruction of shown that Allen was expelled for wilfully were the basis of the program of the Com the bourgeois state and the establishment attempting to block and disrupt the party munist Party and were adopted by the of the proletarian dictatorship based upon Second World Congress of the to be work; for refusng to accept and carry out soviet power. This clause was unanimousthe decisions of the party, and for flagrant applied and adapted to the needs of the ly adopted by roll call vote by all present.
communist movement of the various counbreaches of party discipline; and his exThe next and the most serious clash came Dulsion was confirmed by the convention, tries. Stormy debates centered around the upon the adoption of the new constitution.
SENDS lise it