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January 1, 1929.
THE MILITANT Page Page THE MILITANT January 1, 1929. Burglary Its Political Meaning case.
from without an means one, with ago to us are an process.
reason.
the for the same 19 n!
magnified by the The sharpening tions. National Organization Tour of an Our Appeal to the Party Members questions and not merely the National and local ones. The Party must have the right to discuss the questions confronting the Communist Party of the The regime of bureaucratic strangulation which The failure of the Party to grow in the favorable Soviet Union in order to participate intelligently in expels its cutspoken opponents and bludgeons the objective circumstances, the defeats it has suffered their solution. The Party members must have the Party into silence has become an international where victories were possible, its poor showing in phenomenon of the period. This is the only key to right to discuss ALL the questions of the Comintern the election with the field to itself as the Party of since they are part of the Comintern and should not an understanding of its absolutely unprecedented the class struggle, the collapse of its trade union regard it as an institution standing apart from them excesses. real struggle against it cannot be made work work, etc. are due primarily to the false leadership and making decisions without their participation.
an understanding of its International Official bombast There is one feature of the proceedings against hide these condemning facts. The scope. On this, as well as on the other principle longer obscureast and factional trickery can no us which give them a tragi comic aspect. We see questions, is a fight against the systematic fight of the Russian Opposition under the leadership cratic regime with which it fortifies itself against beforete walgin, et rachten beriged Kruse and others thie Rall Partics unites with the Bolshevik opportunist policy of the leadership and the bureau sitting here. ready to raise their hands to expel us, of At the XIV Congress of the Communist Party regime is tied up with the external opportunistic risee the ide lenders of their use in prevolucion, mus of the Soviet Union Stalin issued a warning against line and is an expression of it. serious struggle followers of Lenin and Trotsky, from the Socialist for a correction of the opportunist external policy Party in 1919. Then as now they did not spare ruptive consequences. He defended there the refusal which weakens the Party and cons countly the class slander and vituperation in the process. We were said, We are against the policy of lopping off, of determined. stubborn and relentless fight for title capitalists and even spies and provacateurs. Te was not we but they who had to repent the actions dangerous thing. One day you lop off this limb. the policy of the Party can be corrected and its leadTomorrow another an the next day a third. And ership reorganized on a proletarian Communist basis. expulsions and the slander. because we were Comand swallow the words. We survived all that the after a while what becomes of the Party?
Stalin forgot these words so full of prophetic the education of the Party membership on its meanThe raising of the issue of Party democracy and munists and we will survive it now for the same significance. He formed a factional combination ing and significance are made all the more necessary left, with the right wing to suppress and expel the by the confusion that prevails on the whole question THE BASIS OF PARTY UNITY line in all the Parties of the Comintern. As a reOpposition. He gave the of Party government, of forms of working class We live and struggle in the epoch of wars and organization, of centralization and discipline, which a prevails. This confusion is fostered by the monrevolutions when the events of days and weeks strengthening of the opportunist elements, an enormous development and entrenchment of bureaustrous distortions of Lenin teachings disseminated transcend in their magnitude and importance the events of years and decades of other times. We cratism and wholesale left the core of the workers of the proletarian by the Party leadership and is the direct result of Communists, who are the standard bearers of the them.
vanguard. All the interests of the proletariat and the fighters for the little Stalins in all the Parties are bolstering them The 10th Congress of the Communist Party of Russia, held under Lenin leadership at the end of immensity of our historica moment forget the for a future of humanity, cannot selves up by these means.
the Civil War, said: The form of organization and by the fewness of our numbers here THE DE PROLETARIANIZATION OF THE the methods of work are entirely determined by in the reactionary citadel of World Imperialism.
PARTY the specific character of the given historic situation ternational complications which and the problems which arise directly out of that push us every day nearer to the verge of Imperialist This meeting of the Central Executive Committee situation.
has an unusually large attendance which has been war, the great and unavoidable difficulties of the gathered together to applaud our expulsion. The THE ISSUE OF THE PARTY DEMOCRACY colossal problems and tasks confronting our Party Soviet Union in its Caapitalist encirclement, the composition of the is also symptomatic. Of the two hundred or more in the hall, almost every in the class struggle these facts are raising the The resolution of the 10th Congress said fur question of Party unity, of the full utilization of all onc is a functionary or employee of the Party or ther: The needs of the current movement demand the tested forces, in all its insistence. The burning organization or institution closely related to a new organization form. That form is Workers There are not half a dozen workers Democracy.
the Party.
issue of Party unity demands a solution, not on the We do not advocate the mechanical basis of bureaucratic machinations but on the basis from the shops present. The opportunist leaders of of Lenin teachings.
the needle trades are here but the rank and file adoption of the forms and methods prescribed by for the Russian Party which Communists, who fight for Communist policies vastly different conditions from We speak here for this unity. We declare ourours. But if against them, are barred out. The fiction of pro Workers Democracy could be proclaimed by Lenin selves ready to do all in our power to bring it about letarian representation was never more clearly exposed than it is by these simple facts. All this is Proletarian Dictatorship on its shoulders, then it against us. We make one demand only: that we in correlation to the shifting class composition of is a hundred times more applicable to our Party unhave the right to maintain our views and to defend the upper circles of the Party.
der the given historic circumstances in America.
them within the Party by Party means.
The wholesale expulsion of proletarian fighters We pioneers of Communism in America standing The present leaders and teachers of the Party goes hand in hand with the steady recruitment of all kinds of dubious petty bourgeois careerist and substitute the idea of discipline in the formal mech mittee, fully conscious of the great solemnity of the distort and misapply all these conceptions. They here at the Plenum of the Central Executive Composition of the Party, particularly in the New York anical sense for the Leninist doctrine of democratic occasion and with a full sense of responsibility for our words, say openly to the Plenum and to the District, has been seriously affected centralism. Our Party which ought to be the by in recent years and has had a direct expression in champion of Workers Democracy throughout the pelled are Leninist views. We stand by them. As entire Party: The views for which we have been the taboo. All democracy is indiscriminately labeled continue to stand by them and work for their victory strengthening of the opportunist elements upper circles of the Party, in the Party bourgeois democracy. This false and thoroughly reactionary idea is heard on all sides, and Comrade in the future. On this basis we present our appeal apparatus, this increased proportion of non proletarians is enormously expanded. Under the LoveWeinstone, who has become the full blown here to the other expelled comrades who share our views.
regime these elements are appearing more and party martinet, has made an interjectionpe of for the reinstatement into the Party of ourselves and more on all sides as Party representatives, officials, icials, not exclude, but presupposes centralization and dis phecy that this will be the last time we will ever the same effect. Party democracy, of course, does Pepper ended his report against us with the promanagers, directors, teachers, supervisors. Coming cipline. It is just the bureaucratic distortions and address a Party gathering. But this statement to these positions without sufficient prerequisites, mechanical conceptions of discipline which give rise be refuted by the facts of the future just as his other will they bring with them the detestable careerist atto syndicalist prejudices in this tributes of insolence, arrogance and pride of office, statements are refuted by the facts of the past. In antagonizing and alienating the worker elements and The Price trender the past for of this by struggles the base de cour entire lives we have always thrusting them aside.
The first step is the breaking down of the disruptive the other side of the barricades. We will be at our of those who expel us, including Pepper, stood on under such caspace dispensed in the Party school such auspices is becoming a distorted caricaof revolutionary training. It is led almost ex pelled Communists with the right to express their Let the Peppers make preclusively school teachers, dentists, professors. the Party by normal journalists everything except proletarian leaders of administrative gagging, suppression and terrorism records who by overthrown. The worker Communist must discredited thereby. For such talk of the future only The Party must examine this question in direct be able to feel at home in his own Party. He must invites a recollection of their own dishonorable past connection with the struggle against the Right danhave right and feel the freedom to which discredits them.
ger and the opportunist leaders who are its bearer.
mouth and say what he thinks without being called The Party needs the scores of loyal and tested necessary at once take other, like complete registra into the office of some petty official Communists who are being expelled today and cantion of the Party membership with the object of ened with discipline. All talk of Party democracy heard and assert its will. The Party will call us not spare them. The Party will make its voice occiselyon determining its of the Party apparatus from top to in the face of suppression on all sides and the wholeback to our rightful places in the ranks, and will do bottom, up to and including the Central Executive sale expulsion of comrades for their views is a this sooner than you dream. We say this because Coinmittee, placing the overwhelming majority of the positions in the hands of experienced and tested The Party needs a real and free discussion. The interests of the Proletariat on an International scale the platform of the Oppositoin represents the class Party workers of proletarian origin, must be effected suppressed documents of the Russian Opposition, and the Communist Party will adopt that platform at once. For the next period, until a proletarian dealing with the vital world problems of the period, we say this because we have confidence in the prostabilization has been achieved in the Party and its must be printed and made available for the Party letarian ranks of the Party, in their revolutionary apparatus, the Party membership must be closed en members. The Party must have the right to discuss spirit and will. Therefore our final words at this tirely to non proletarian elements. Even then their the questions upon which there are differences and meeting are a revolutionary salutation to the Party admittance to the Party must be carefully restricted not merely those upon which there is general agree which we have helped to found and build and from and supervised.
The Party must discuss the International which no power on earth can tear us away.
December Plenum, they can change from opposition to the building of new unions in April to the policy of organizing new unions overnight and on paper On Sunday evening, December 23, the residence in any other way. It resorts to bureaucratic admin in August, without changing their fundamental of Rose Karsner and Jim Cannon, where the ed istration and to expulsion of communists because it position and their completely cynical attitude in either itorial work of The Militant is also conducted, was fears control from below. It incites and organizes It is the task of the Opposition, in the light of the entered by burglars during the absence of the oc gangsterism and robbery because it has no principle ground. It cannot stand up in the ideological and recent events, to wage its fight against the Lovestone cupants.
leadership more subbornly and more relentlessly than The burglary was a professional job. Deep, de political fight.
This before, facing marks on the door jamb indicate that entry leadership, corrupt, bureaucratic, and opto expose its incompetence and corruption, all sides, sparing nobody who in one way or was effected by forcing the lock, which was a strong portunist through and through, is driving the Party another is a party to it.
About 18 months comrade Weinstone came timed for the occasion, as comrade Karsner had been sion of almost 100 Communists of the Opposition in is only a There confined to the house by illness and Sunday evening is equal number alarm with the declaration that the corrupwas the first time in several weeks when there was beginning of the expulsion of the Foster group after under charginning.
tion, opportunisin and cynicism of the Lovestone They are laying the ground for the group leaders was such that they would destroy the no one at home material was taken: Our letter the Convention. Clear indications of this are already that we knew of them by what he had learned as. some manuscripts, bank book, partial list of sub and by the removals and suspensions now taking with us and within the fooster group of secure the scribers to The Militant and me other material of place on various pretexts.
this kind. Nothing else was taken.
The Pepper Lovestone faction, leading the party Party against this. In our opinion this proposal corresponded with the best interests of the party, to defeats in the class struggle and faced with an The robbery subjects us to some temporary inconveniences but will not seriously disrupt our work, ever growing revolt from below, must and will exExecutive Committee was secured in support of it.
ned and a majority of the Central as we had taken the precaution to keep copies of the pel the entire articulate proletarian opposition. The This majority was set aside by the Executive Commost important manuscripts and addresses in another bureaucratism, the expulsions, the gansterism and place in anticipation of such an event. Its perpetra burglary are all parts of this proc tive of Bukharin and the Lovestone faction was meIt is impossible to wage an effective fight against chanically entrenched in control of the party. The financial situation and lack of resources and the these methods without attacking the false political fears fears expressed then by Weinstone were nevertheless names of some comrades who had been in correthousand times spondence with us but who have not yet taken a definite position on the questions at issue.
bound up. And it is likewise futile to quarrel with in the intervening period. Weinstone has capitulated That is all. There is not a line in our correspon lutions (as the Foster group leaders do) without Pepper as he characterized it then and has become dence relating to any activities for a henchman of it. The issue remains however and is ours which conflict in the slightest degree with our party democracy, against bureaucratism, corruption clearer now, in all its International implications, pubidendes laat be produced by the organizers of the and underworld methods. These people have no than ever before. Those who see that issue and definite principles. They can change their slogans fight on that line as a part of the Russian and Inburglary unless it is forged. On the contrary, from Fire Against the Left at the May Plenum ternational Opposition are the true defenders of the definite and complete proof is contained in our stolen to a hue and cry about the Right Danger at the Party and future.
correspondence to refute every one of such accusaA question for Communists of far more importance than any exposures in the Forward style of stolen or forged material is the political significance of un In view of the action of the Party administration was driven from the Hall and the Police placed derworld methods in Party disputes. Four years in expelling us from the party and in utilizing public Comrade Cannon, who was loudly protesting and Committee chat pour party should sanction such when the proposal first came before the Political meetings and the forums of non party organiza denouncing their action, und arrest, but eased tions to attack and misrepresent our position, we him after the crowd had been dispersed.
methods in a trade union fight we took a determined stand against it in principle. We said then that invitations to speak before workers organizations This exhibition of hooliganism has aroused the the toleration of such a procedure would prove to in order to bring our platforın before the Commu members and sympathizers and is condemned on all utmost indignation among the rank and file Party be a frankenstein that he would inevitably because they nist workers and sympathizers.
sides. They have demanded another meeting for it woulding to giving up the Comrade James Cannon will soon take the Comrade Cannon and it will be held at the Labor ideological and political struggle road on an organization tour in behalf of the Op Lyceum on Friday, January the mobilizafor tion of the masses which is the is the weapon of Com position and its platform which will extend as far The second public meeting of the Opposition was munism and submitting the arbitrament West as Minneapolis and Kansas City and will in held in Philadelphia at Boslover Hall, Thursday, ment clude Cleveland, Akron, Detroit, Chicago and a of the ganster blackjack and the burglar jimmy Dec. 27, with Comrade Shachtman as speaker.
of reaction. We exaggerated the as we thought, in order to stamp out non will speak at public meetings on The Truth Profiting by the New Haven experience a strong the very beginning. Many things and will atsb hold meetings with the local Opposi comrade Shachtman spoke for two and one half of the Opposition, workers guard was on hand to protect the meeting have happened in the meantime.
for detailed discussion of all points Let the proletarian communists in the party ranks hours and answered questions for another hour, to ponder over this question and ask themselves: Who the satisfaction and approval of the crowd.
brings these absolutely unprecedented methods into The first public meeting on this subject was held The third public meeting will be held in New at the Labor Lyceum, New Haven, Conn. on Frifactional disputes in the party? What class inYork City on Tuesday, January 8, at the Labor fluence is behind them and WHERE DO THEY day, December 21. with an audience which filled Temple, 14th Street and Second Avenue.
the hall. An LEAD?
leadership of the District, Cannon from speak An organized group, sent by the Party to disturb the They will search in vain for the necessary key to these questions unless they see them in their meeting and prevent Comrade These tactics violently antagonized the worOur First Pamphlet!
THE DRAFT PROGRAM OF THE gangsterism and burglary are not isolated phenom kers who had come to hear a presentation of the COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL ena. They all bound together and they are the position of the Russian Opposition for the first time. Criticism of Fundamentals of expression and instruments an adventurist leader an hour despite continuous interuptions and disorder By ship and its opportunist political line. This leaderL. TROTSKY ship, lacking a proletarian class basis and outlook, Whict calls had come to Police Headquarters. Some With an Introduction by James Cannon lacking any experience or contact with mass moveREADY SOON of those who had been attempting to ments, regarding the inner party struggle for con of 25 cents per Copy trol of the appartus as an adventure and an end in mee it appear that we had called to our aid. But this clever trick was he police to our In lots of or more 18 cents per Copy itself, is an absolutely artificial, unhealthy and imby possible leadership for a proletarian party. It rethe announcement of Order now from of Comrade THE MILITANT sorts to these methods alien to communism, because disorder ce meeting that there was absolutely no Box 120, Madison Square Station no one responsible for the meeting had its regime is collapsing and it cannot maintain itself called the police and could not do New York City.
all Communists who have a relations withe files are themselves only when they are arrested and THE MILITANT that the police were requested to withdraw and let CIRCULATE Published twice a month by the Opposition Group in the the meeting proceed. One of the disturbers, Comrade Kling, stood up explain to the Address all mail to: Box 120, Madison Square Policeman charge of the THE MILITANT Station, New York, Publishers address at 340 East 19th Street, New York, the name of the Communist Party. He was repretenses by using Subscribe to The Militant and order a Telephone: Gramercy 3411.
bundle.
buked by Comrade Cannon before the audience and Subscription rate: 00 per year. Foreign, 50 SUBSCRIPTION BLANK the Police and was told that he should not explain 5c per copy Bundle rates, 3c per copy. his grievances to policemen as though they were the Enclosed find One Dollar for one year subAssociate Editors arbitrators of disputes between Communists.
scription to The Militant.
Martin Abern James Cannon This brought a roar of approval from the crowd NAME Maurice Spector which cleared the atmosphere and restored order.
JANUARY 1, 1929.
No.
The cops left and the meeting proceeded. They re ADDRESS turned later however and broke up the meeting on CITY Application for entry, as second class matter pending at the Post Office at New York, the ground that we had no permit. The audience under itself, that it the danger then, mas such tendencies at tior pintorm and tactits.
this process exo.
we opportunistic policies of the ing.
stone es respect.
posts also in the future. they wish. It is not we means. The policy devolutionists with unsu Cannon to ture unsullied tested must be Open his or began to to a in holding the meeting under fra made that we were Editor Max Shachtman VOL. II.
ment.