The SEMI MONTHLY ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF AMERICA (OPPOSITION. It is necessary that every member of the Party should study calmly and with the greatest objectivity, first the substance of the differences of opinion, and then the development of the struggles within the Party. Neither the one nor the other can be done unless the documents of both sides are published. He who takes somebody word for it is a hopeless idiot, who can be disposed of with a simple gesture of the hand. Lenin.
MILITANT PRICE CENTS NEW YORK, June 1929 VOL. II. No. 10 Conference of the Opposition Communists Formation of the Communist League of America Opposition in the ganizing of dom. Press organization.
changed since the The to the open. Earnestness without diplomacy The National Conference of the Opposition characterized the discussions and put upon the Communists was held in Chicago on May 17, By James Cannon decisons finally arrived at the stamp of real 18, and 19 and culminated in the formation of conviction. The final results of the discusthe Oppositon forces into a National organa cidentals. None of them received wages or per dienm.
sion showed a complete unanimity and solidCoinmunist League of America (Opposition. The entire Conference was thus carried questions, and the Opposition Communists face arity of the entire Conference on all the main The Conference adopted the Platform printed ssue of The Militant, through with an unrivalled maximum of ecothe heavy tasks before them as a firmly ünited noiny. This revolutionary capacity for hard body.
proclay February 15th issue its full with the Russian ship triumphed over ver the handicap of the meagThe agenda of the Conference was as foland International Opposition under the leaderer financial resources of the Oppostion, which works without subsidies of any kind, and made lows. American Communists, inside and our National Conference possible. For a move1. The Situation in Russia. Reporter Comless vital and less rade Shachtman.
of its future, outside the Communist Party of the United States, on the Platform of the Opposition.
the circumstances would have completely pro2. The Crisis in the Communist Internationalconstitution for the Communist League was hibited such a Reporter comrade Spector.
a National gatherings were con The sessions of the adopted embodying the principle of democratic The American Situation and the Tasks of centralization as laid down the theses of the ducted throughout with a business like effic the Opposition Communists Reporter Second Congress of the Communist Interna iency and precision in sharp contrast to the de comrade Cannon.
tional. National Committe seven mem sultory, dragged out Trade Union Questions Reporter comrade and time wasting affairs bers was elected to direct the work of the orwhich have become the rule in recent years Swabeck.
The following constitute the under The Organization of the Communist Oppothe regime of petty bourgeois politician, Rational Committee. James Cannon, Maurition Reporter comrade Abern.
ice Spector, Martin Abern, Max Shachtman, principle and free from the factional intrigue Youth Questions Reporter comrade GlotArne Swabeck, Carl Skolund and Albert Glot which arises from the lack of it, there was no zer.
zer. Membership cards are to be issued and and Literature publication programneed for the Conference sessions to be held up Reporter comrade Shachtman.
the monthly dues rate was fixed at 50 cents and delayed for the deliberations of rival cauwith an initiation fee of the same amount. The All the reports were expositions and clachartering of local branches will begin at once. and conducted all the following sessions preborations of the various sections of the PiatFor the time being Canadian braches will be cisely according to schedule.
form which represents the settled view of the directly affiliated and will function as a part The Conference was marked by a freedom Oppositionists on all the important questions of the single of discussion on all questions which enabled confronting the American Movement. The natCommunist League will carry on a pro all points of view to be brought fully and fairly ure of these tasks las not gram of independent activities in the class before the body. Collective judgement, not cauPlatform was drafted for submission to the struggle and will also continue to work as a cus manipulation, was the aim sought and Convention of the a few months ago faction within the Party.
achieved. Conflicting opinions which arose and, consequently, the Conference saw no neThe Conference consisted of 31 delegates over secondary questions were brought out in cessity for the writing of a new one.
After with voting rights and 17 alternate delegates the discussion on all the main reports had been with voice but no vote.
Twelve cities were nimous vote. Editorial revision and reformrepresented as follows: ulation of some sections were made in order Delegates Alternates to express the decision of the Conference to New York Philadelphia stage of a purely internal Cleveland also conducting independent activities and reDetroit Hedlund, candidate for mayor of the Communist Op: cruiting non party communists, without alter Youngstown recived a vote of 896 to 827 for the Communist Party candi ing the line of the document. The Youth sectChicago date in the mayoralty clection campaign held in Minneapolis, ion of the Platform was also rewritten to deal Minn, on May 13th. The Communist Opposition and Party St. Louis candidates were the only ones running on a labor ticket; alt more comprehensively and concretely with the Kansas City others were out and out supporters of the capitalist class. problems of the Communist Youth Springfield. 111.
The Minneapolis Opposition group campaigned for comrade Hed. The Conference adopted resolutions on the Minneapolis lund on the platform of the International Opposition led by Class War prisoners of America, on the imSt. Paul comrade Trotsky and espoused the fundamental principles of the Communist movement and the Comintern founded by prisoned and exiled Bolshevik Leninists of the Toronto, Canada Lenin. The local platform of the Minneapolis Opposition was Soviet Union, and of greetings to priated in the previous issue of The Militant. In seven of comrade Trotsky and to comrade Malkin.
Total 31 17 the thirteen wards, comrade Hedlund (a railroad Worker, expelled by the Stalin bureaucrats for supporting the Opposition report and discussion on the trade union Groups in a numbe of other cities which platform) defeated the Party candidate. Meetings were held question were a prominent feature of the Conwere unable for financial reasons to send dethroughout the campaign and special leaflets were distributed ference. constructive line of Communist among the workers, as well as The Militant.
legates sent greetings and pledges of support. The Minneapolis Opposition unquestionably commands leader. conceptions derived from American and world policy on this question, restating fundamental letter from comrade Trotsky was read to ship over the majority of the revolutionary and Communist experience and sharply opposing the present the conference amid great enthusiasır.
Let workers of Minneapolis. Their steadast allegiance to the printers were also read from comrade Malkin in ciples of revolutionary Communism and their fight on behalf false line of the Party, was unanimously deComstock Prison, from the Opposition groups of the workers in the daily battles in the shops, trade unions, manded. The policy outlined in our Platform etc. has won them that support by the class conscious work in France, Czecho Slovakia and other counon the Trade Union Question, as concretely, ing men and women. It is the Minneapolis Opposition comrades tries.
who built and gave prestige to the Comunist Party there. And The conference was permeated through and built by litant and in the report of comra comrade Swabeck, before their expulsion which enabled through with the pioneer spirit of self sacbureaucrats to receive even the votes he did. Despite slander was supported by all the delegates. The disrifice and determination in the struggle for bother Party officialdome and the advantage of the Party ein speeches of comrades from all parts of the cusssion on this point was enriched by the principle. The delegates were almost entirely the Opposition candidate received the greater vote.
workers who came direct from their jobs. capolis eleccions testify to the firmness and determination of The Minnexperience in the trade union struggle behind large percentage of them beat their way to the the Communist Opposition to hold aloft the tanner of Comthem.
munism under the leadership of the greatest living teacher The new line of the Party, outlined battered automobiles borrowed for the oc of Bolshevism, Leon Trotsky. The Minneapolis comrades in.
in the preparation for the Confercasion; three or four only paid bus fare and one tend to conduct a sticker campaign for comrade Hedlund in ence and in its recent activity, was refuted and delegate rode a train on railroad worker the general elections on June 10th. All class conscious and condemmed theoretica revolutionary workers in Minneapolis ace urged to write in the grounds.
and practical pass. Lodgings for the out of town delegates name of Hedlund on the ballot then. The Minneapolis were provided at the homes of Chicago com comrades by their work are putting a spoke in splitting tactics It was clear to all that the future activity of rades and sympathizers. Many of the delega.
the Opposition is indissolubly bound up with tes paid their own exepnses for meals and inCommunist movement and the development of a revolutionary its organization form and, consequently, great working class movement.
CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT Opposition Progress in Minneapolis Vote from the of the party to a 4 The on