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THE MILITANT April 1, 1929 Page Letters from the Militants HE WRITES WHAT MANY THINK LETTER FROM COMMUNIST FARMER City comrades have pledged 100 to the weekly Militant Williston, North Dakota and enclosed is a check for 20 as a starter on the pledge.
New York City, Feb. 15, 1929 February 4, 1929 (We have confidence in our three generals. Keep up Editor, The Militant, the good fight.
Dear Comrades: That last issue of the Militant is a good one. Each Dear Comrade: You wanted our views on the agrarian situation. new issue seems to be better than the previous one. It With revolutionary workers all over the world The way we see it, the small farmer is being put won take us very long here in Kansas City to have more subs for the Militant than they have for the Daily interested in learning the latest developments of the out of business much faster than was expected by Worker. Enclosed you will find four new subs with deportation of Trotsky, they are compelled to read the economist. In the out lying townships in 1912 check. We have mailed out many samples and we are the capitalist press for their information. Espenearly every quarter of land (160 acres) had a famgoing after the subs from now on. We also mailed out cially is this true in the United States. Members ily or head of household living on it, with three to the issue with the Opposition Platform so that should of the Workers (Communist) Party must read the four school houses in the township; today in many give everybody a pretty good idea of our Program if they can read at all. Now if they are interested at New York Times and other capitalist newspapers, to of the ame townships, there is no school, the houses all think we can at least get out of them for a 12 learn what is going on in relation to this disgraceare empty, and every township that has no conmonths sub. The Militant is sure doing the work here in ful act of the Soviet government. The Daily Worksolidated school has most of the schools closed. Hund It is bringing rebels back to life again.
er makes no mention whatsoever of this question in reds of farm houses are empty and falling down. welcomes the new Weekly Militant. A. BUEHLER its news colums, in spite of the fact that it is usually The banker, after closing out the horse farmer or very eager to publish as much news as possible with the badly in debt one tractor farmer, rents the land KRUSE CRUSHES TROTSKY IN CHICAGO a Moscow date line. Does Robert Minor think that to the more successful machine farmer who usually Chicago, III. by ignoring the story he will make the Communist has no children and hires all his help from the town.
Dear Comrades: workers forget about this act, which should make He is equipped with two tractors and more, a com have received your letter asking for help in making all Party members blush with shame. While the bined harvester, and thresher. He is not concerned the Militant a Weekly and want to say heartily approve news columns are silent, Minor raves against Trotsof such a step iſ enough funds can be secured to insure about politics or in any way interested about the ky in the editorial columns of the Daily Worker. But success. have had so many causes to help lately that am wage slave. year or so ago he would have taken am continually in a tough situation but just the same of course, nobody takes Bob, of Change My Mind stock in a cooperative grocery store, but last fall a feel must help as much as m able to a Little fame seriously. He is nothing more or less big retail store, the Red Owl, came into Williston. Here is a news item you may or may not already know than a flunkey of the Mussolini minded This gives them their groceries at a lower cost so about.
they seem to be satisfied. In short, the prairie coun Sunday, March 17th, the Paris Commune celebration The writer of these lines has been a supporter of try ic fast developing to a small number of farmers here took place in Temple Hall. was elated to see the Ruthenberg group of the Party since the 1925 on large tracts of land, and a few business houses in several comrades selling the Militant at the door as national convention. supported the Lovestone went in. They sold a lot, too. It was the poorest Com.
the town.
mune meeting ever saw, only about 300 being present.
group of the party until several months ago, when Comrades Cannon, Abern and Shachtman were exThe big cities will not let any new industries dev It was started an hour and 15 minutes late. Feingold, elop in the agrarian districts as a few of today I. secretary here, in the collection talk, called for pelled. Since then have studied the Trotsky platbig railroad engines can haul supplies for the ma 10 and bills from us sucked dry class fighters, but form and find myself in agreement with it on the chine farmer who is middle class. But, we can see got none, and not many dollars either. thought it questions of Socialism in one country and the China bad blunder. Wm. Kruse, district organizer of the his finish because of the Industrialization of farmese revolution. On the other questions have not Communist Party, gave the final talk on He ing by big capital that will continue competition broke into such a fit of rage in speaking of Trotsky as yet reached any conclusion. Nor have decided a while longer on wheat and farm products, hence ism that he actually gnashed his teeth. Down with whether or not agree with Trotsky organizationally the reason for the veto of the McNary Haugen bill. Trotsky! Down with all the American Trotskyists! he or with his international allies. After further stuThe renter and the small mortgaged land holder do shouted.
dying the question will make my decision. On one not know how they are going to live, they tell me this (Good way to build the Ed. point am convinced. Even if Trotsky is wrong, daily. These make a great field for the left wing spite of all efforts to be going back fast. am, The entire left wing movement in Chicago seems in he is a sincere man, and all talk of his being a coun.
unter revolutionist is nonsense.
Communist to work. The trouble is that they have Yours for true Communism, been deceived by the Nonpartisan League and have WALTER SUKUT. will not sign my name to this letter, as do not hardly the money to contribute to their own movewant to be expelled from the party.
ment.
THE WORK IN ST. LOUIS PARTY MEMBER SINCE 1919.
Many of these farmers, when off the land, are for St. Louis, Mo.
Dear Comrades: the most part competing for jobs, and in fact those TO ALL ESTHONIAN COMMUNISTS!
Received your letter regarding the proposed confer with the old scab wage laborer are running all of ence in Chicago for May 17th and other information. The struggle in the world Communist movement be.
the industries in the plains and farming country We are presenting our program to all Party and tween the Militant Opposition and the followers of the towns. They work eight hours in the shop then League members in St. Louis and expect to see things Bureaucratic Stalin machine now controlling the Russian build a house or dig a ditch up town; on economics change after the convention. The local comrades are they are as dumb as the lower animal, and are not proud of the leadership as expressed by you comrades Opposition is fighting to bring its revolutionary viewe point to the misled Party members in every country in.
concerned about their fellow men at all. If they our fullest agreement with the platform of the Opposi cluding Russia have any money left after paying their bills, they tion and further urge you comrades to carry on this In order to hasten the fulfillment of our revolutionary buy moonshine, whisky, or play poker after they fight to an ideological conclusion covering our entire task, every language group should assist in the move.
platform and not to make a fake unity with the bureau have worked the sixteen hours.
cratic leadership ment, discuss the burning questions raised by the Oppo sition in group meetings and take their stand on the side We all are for the Trotsky program. suggest At our next meeting we will take up the question in of the teachings of Marx and Lenin represented by the that all party members of the world, like wise non regard to the form of organization and also for a de Leninist Opposition tailed discussion on our program. We will then send party workers and farmers, should read the book The members of the Esthonian language group will you some suggestions on these questions. We are plan. Ten Days That Shook The World by John Reed, do their share in the struggle. It is necessary that all ning to liquidate our debt to you and also plan to hold who was in the midst of this Russian revolution. an affair within the next two weeks and send in a dona Esthonian comrades in the country, who have the Rus.
sian Revolution at heart, communicate with the New In this book, you will see that Trotsky was always tion.
York group of Esthonian supporters of the Russian Op.
on the side with Lenin. If Trotsky ever was a remain, Comradely yours position which has just been organized.
traitor or if there ever was a drop of traitorous ELMER MCMILLAN We must consolidate the efforts of all Esthonian Com.
blood in his veins, as the lying Daily Worker would munists in this country for the purpose of counteracting have you believe, surely he would have used his weekly, who systematically misrepresent the views and WHO ARE THE EXPELLED COMMUNISTS activities of the Opposition. They follow blindly in the power when a word from him would have turned the footsteps of the Daily Worker, except where they try to whole tide of the revolution against the workers and JOSEPH KELLER. Joined Proletarian Party in 1921, outdo the latter in agitating for and provoking actual peasants of Russia. Later, when he was commander then left this psuedo Communist party to work among violence and gangsterism against the militant Opposi.
in Chief of the whole Russian Army that crushed the Slovakian workers in Slovak Socialist Federation.
tion.
the five imperialist invasions, could he not have dir Helped swing it into Workers Party in 1924 and was To work, comrades! Address all mail concerning the ected the army into the hands of the enemy? Read vakian workers in the country, particularly in the Cleve. Esthonian Group, Box 120, Madison Square Sta.
one of the leading Communist workers among the Slo Opposition work among the Esthonian Communists to this book, and you will find that a man with the iron land District. During a recent visit of the Hungarian tion, New York, and steel of Trotsky never could change and fight Horthy reactionaries, he was clubbed by the police durP. SCWAHLBE, Secretary, Esthonian Group.
the class he once defended.
ing the demonstration for carrying a placard denouncing Horthy blood regime. short while later, he was Comrade Minor in the Daily Worker of January ANOTHER BOSTON MEETING clubbed by a Stalinite at a mass meeting called by the 28 tries to make the readers of that paper believe Opposition in Cleveland to discuss the viewpoint of Boston, March 25.
that Lenin for fifteen years before the revolution Trotsky!
The second public meeting of the Opposition Com fought Trotsky because of his Mensheviki ideas. We munists was held here Saturday night at the Chelsea La ANTHONY REFUGEE Joined the Socialist Party bor Lyceum. Comrade James Cannon spoke on The of the opposition are not surprised to see such falseof Italy in 1910 and the Communist Party in 1921.
hood come from the managing editor who before and Communist member of the municipal council of Trieste, Platform of the Opposition to an audience which filled the hall one of the largest Communist meetings held until a year after the Russian revolution, opposed Instructed by the Party to leave Italy in 1923. Joined in Chelsea for a long time.
the tactics used by Lenin and Trotsky to win the Workers Party of America in 1924. Member of the ItalComrade Cannon spoke for nearly two hours without ian Bureau since 1925. Foundation member of the Antirevolution. Well do we remember his article in Fascist Alliance and member of its executive committee.
a single interruption After the lecture questions and the Liberator entitled Changed My Mind a One of the most active leaders in the Anti Fascist move.
discussion followed, all of which was conducted in an Little, which was written long after the revolution ment and on the picket line during strikes in New York. intelligent and constructive manner. The workers presstarted. In this article, he did not whole heartedly ent who attach great importance to the world problems agree with the program put over by the two great MORGENSTERN Joined Young Workers League involved in the struggle in the Communist International.
in 1925 and Party in 1926. Became section organizer of had to come in hear the Opposition point of view leaders of the revolution.
League, then Negro Work Director of Pihladelphia Dis and to put some questions on their own account. They Fraternally yours trict and head of Agit Prop department. Member of were in no mood to tolerate hooliganism and none was tried.
District Committee and Bureau and at one time of MILLER Secretariat. Worked for Joint Action Committee in The party. bureaucrats established a picket on the ACTIVITY IN KANSAS CITY participating in strike where he was ar sidewalk outside the hall a trick copied from the Right rested. Arrested also in pocket book makers strike, in Wing fakers in the Needle Trades who kept shouting, Kansas City, Mo. Sacco Vanzetti campaign, for distributing leaflets, for like bally hoo spielers at a fair, that a notorious coun Dear Comrade Abern: Hands Of China demonstration in Washington, Hands ter revolutionist is speaking inside. This brought quite Received the call for the national conference of the Off Nicaragua demonstration in Washington, served 30 a number of curious people who paid twenty five cents Communist Opposition in Chicago, May 17th. Kansas days in jail for Porter demonstration in Washington, and apiece to see the new attraction which they had not City will have at least one delegate present. Kansas arrested in Chester, Pa. during textile union campaign. even heard of before.