Pages IR IPAD NE MILIMANI The New Progressive Movement exVINCENT ST. JOHN cause.
or industrialist position were storing up disaster for the future. The philosophy of the which St. John did so much to shape, was too simple for the complex situation brought about by the entry By Arne Swabeck methods of the left wing.
of the United States into the World War. The great The in its organizing conference, sacrifices and heroic deeds of its members were unThe Conference for Progressive Labor Action made an attack upon the Communists. This was done availing against this handicap and were greatly dis(Muste Group) has emerged as a definite trade union partly to preserve their own appearance of respect counted by it. The spirit of the died in the ability, but mainly to solidify the influence of their war, not the least of the signs of this tragedy.
membership basis of groups and individuals.
The program of the contains points one thing must remain decisive that any group pro of the old guard which had made its history and its posing to organize a progressive movement to the ex glory. St. John was among them. Spiritual death is worth noteing, as for instance: clusion of the Communists will neither be able nor the real death of revolutionaries.
Demands for social insurance.
have the slightest intention of actually leading the To the great loss of the workers cause, St. John, workers in revolt against the reactionary policies of To assist in organization of industrial unions in and with him the great majority of the leading milbasic industries with aggressive fight on the picket the of bureaucracy, much less against Ameitants of the failed to make the theoretical line and against the power of the courts to issue inrican imperialism. Their aim is, rather, to keep all and tactical adjustments neccessitated by the junctions and their attempts to cripple unionism.
such developing movements within safe, legal chan perience of the World War and the Russian Revolution. Their limited industrialist concepts remained To help establish farmer and labor co operatives. nels and prevent the actual and necessary revolt.
LEFT WING TACTICS unchanged. Communism, especially its American reTo urge independent labor party action.
Yet it would be entirely to narrow and un Marx presentative, impressed them unfavorably and they Support of the struggle for the six hour day.
Opposition to expulsions from trade unions for in a view to identify the progressive movement which could not swim with the current of the new moves this period will develop merely by these aspiring lea ment. The enormous errors, presumptiousness and political beliefs.
To urge the workers to demand the wealth they mental in unloosing the forces of great potentialities. ponsible for this calamitous state of affairs. Amer create and to strike for their right as of old.
ican Communism should have been a natural Unquestionably this program and its militant Such is the destiny of the new progressive movement: out of the soil of the pre war movement represented owth terminology to a large extent reflects the pressure it must either turn into more definite, more left, more in part by the The early years of the Party of genuine left wing policies and activities of the revolutionary channels and discard its reformist here were weakened and hampered by this failure and the past. It is a progressive program, most of its points ders or become merely a shield for reaction and dis movement. alienated from Communism, being indentical with those sponsored by the apear in a merger with it.
The official attitude so far taken by the new lost its old time vigor and passed into an inevitable This new movement is a direct outgrowth of the degeneration and decline.
increasing class pressure upon the workers in trusti trade union line of the Party in refusing to reco But despite the tragedy of the after war years fied industry and is one expression of working class snize the forces these elements represent and the earlier work of the militants. and St.
radicalization. The almost complete disapearance of coming movement they express in its first stage, in an organized left wing has facilitated the emergence simply lumping them all with the of bureau John in the front lank retaimi!
of the at this time. These are facts of crats in one hodge podge, has nothing to do with They wrote much sf the tradition of the Americay the greatest significance. They demand attention Communist tactics. The present moment calls for the revolutionary movement in letters of fire that can united front tactic with an independent policy and never be extinguished. The modern movement of and a correct attitude from the Communists.
merciless exposure of the reformists, fakers and be Communism, which is the heir to their achievements, In industry everywhere the pressure upon the trayers; a constant pressure to make the present gran should value this tradition highly and honor the me workers is increasing. More speed up, more machin: diously proclaimed program a program of realities, car mory of the men who made it. The memory of Vinery, more uncertainity of employment. The present ried into life in the movement; constant pressure for cent St. John will always be a treasure to the revofaint gropings of the workers for a way out will, in more definite left wing and revolutionary policies. lutionary workers of America in their aspiring strugthe course of its natural process, turn into more de In this process the reformist leaders will be discard gle for the workers world.
tinite channels. The unorganized, unskilled and semia ed and the left wing will prove its worth as the only skilled workers in the basic industries, who here and force able to bring these policies to their correct conFor those who knew The Saint as a man and friend his untimely death brings a deep and poignant there begin to stir, are becomming ready material clusion.
grief. He was a most admirable personality. brave for organization. Those in the unions will be comand resolute, loyal and honest. He was a gifted pelled to seek new policies, new methods, which will and inspiring leader and organizer who gave himself, go beyond the obsolete craft barriers and challenge throughout the years of youth and manhood prime, reaction.
untiringly and unsparingly to the workers And with the highest executive qualities he combined NEW SPIRIT IN OLD UNIONS The death of Vincent St. John at San Francisco the rare gift of friendship, of warmly human conSimultaneously the reactionary trade union lea: marks the passing of another of the great figures sideration and concern for others, of loyalty in per: dership is marching ever more into the open as the vement whose sonal relations, which bound men to him Administration and deeds helped to make its tradition and whose names long affection. Those who were so bound to him, who strategy the policy of the employers is becoming will not be forgotten. The Saint. as he was known, knew the warmth of his handclasp, enshrine Whis more dominant. Actually to prevent organization of by those who knew and loved him, died at the age memory in their hearts along with the best this concern of these of 56 after a long illness complicated by high blood mories of the great cause for which the unorganized is now the main we live and flunkeys. Yet to conclude that the of and pressure. He will be sincerely mourned by thousands strive.
kindred unions are passing out of existence would whose lives were influenced by him, particularly by Hail and farewe. Soldier, Man and Friend!
be entirely wrong; or even to deny the possibility of those who belonged to the old guard of the in its bravest days when he was its moving spirit and certain growth. The lower functionaries who are closer to the rank and file and more subject to its guiding intelligence.
pressure will feel themselves compelled to move for expansion. The Chicago Federation of Labor is a case Little, was trained in the hard school of the Western Federation of Miners, that model labor union whose in point.
mighty struggles threw their shadow across the world CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE Recently by resolution a committee movement of defense to the exclusion of all other blished to carry on organization to further increase in the latter years of the Nineteenth Century and the the union ranks. While this committee is composed of bestormers of the Twentieth. metal miner by trade, working class for ces. Instead of solidarity they paid officials from the affiliated local unions bring came one of the most militant fighters in its ranks they divided it. The mass movement arose in spite fase with them all the conservative craft prejudices, and an influential voice in its councils: Despite his of them. The momentum of the movement swept over the action itself is nevertheless a response to pres: modesty of disposition, his freedom from personal these triflers and succeeded in becoming a power Gure of conditions. Lately also on several occasions ambition and his lack of the arts of self aggrandiz despite these reactionary leaders. The policy of In almost unanimous sentiment for the building of a ement, his work spoke loudly and brought him wide ternational Labor Defense in those days brought it labor party and discarding the of time worn spread fame. His stirring deeds as a pioneer organizer the support of hundreds of thousands of workers, political policy has been voiced at meetings in quite became legends of the movement and remain such increased its prestige, and called into existence the militant terms.
Our limited experiences have already quite clear: board of the and in that strategic position since the strongest days of the Mooney fight.
ly established the fact that the buiding of new unions became the leader of the left wing in the looming in basic industries is conditioned upon the waging of struggle between conservative and Grave consequences will be reaped by the defense the most militant struggle and facing the most fero unionism which centered around the question of af the in the Gastonia fight. Up to now, the revolutionary unless this policy is adopted by the Communists and cious persecutions. This is vivdly brought out in the filiation to the which the Western Fede defense work and agitation has been conducted on a Southern textile mills. Would it then be reasonable ration had played a major part in founding in 1905. most narrow and irresponsible scale. The united front to expect that the workers who become ready for or At the second convention of the I, in 1906 has been sunk without a trace. Instead of welcoming ganizaton will in mass numbers entirely discard the St. John headed the revolutionary syndicalist group outside support, the Party has repulsed it. Instead existing unions which have a tradition behind them? which combined with the elements to oust vf inviting united aid, the Party has preferred to Hardly. On the Pennsylvania railroad, for instance, Sherman, a conservative, as President and establish proceed alone in its pure ultra Left madness the unions are now in agreement with the bosses a new administration in the organization with a re The Gastonia unity conferences of the have. organizing the shop crafts.
volutionary policy. He became the general organizer been organized on the most limited basis conceivable.
Surely in the present objective conditions there under the new administration, breaking with the In Chicago, the frivolous Stalinist dabblers refused are many favorable possibilities for the growth and on the withdrawal of the latter body, and giving to seat the delegates of the Communist League Top position at the defense conference because they development of a broad progressive movement. To his whole allegiance to the He presided at deny this is tantamount to denying the present begin. and the elimination of the political clause a criminal attempt to carry on the factionally corrupt are counter revolutionaries. We denounce this as not yet of large ramifications, will ever more express from the preamble. St. John was the leader of the splitting game of the Stalinists at the expense of the itself both among the unorganized workers in basic proletarian Direct Action forces which defeated Gastonia defendants industry and among those in the trade unions. On as General Secretary of the until 1914, and wing cannot arouse a broad inclusive movement for There is not the slightest reason why the Left yet the one inculcated by capitalism. To expect that undoubtedly did more than anyone to shape its the defense of Gastonbrood they should at once tear themselves loose from all courte and prepare the ground for its later develop movement we set into motion in defense of Saece ment under the active leadership of Haywood.
capitalist influences and completely accept communist and Vanzetti. There is not the slightest reason why leadership will be a mere expectation having no found of General Secretary and engaged in a mining en strike cannot be repeated in the case of Gastonia.
He withdrew from activity on leaving the office the unity for support and defense of the Passaic ation in facts. To pursue a policy based on the sup terprise, doubtless with the illusory hope of aquirposition that these working masses are waiting for ing a fortune to help finance the organization of the the South has the knife to its throat. Every worker Gastonia is in danger! The labor movement in the Communists to assume the direct lead which workers. Despite his retirement at the period, fear of must answer. The banner of unity, not the flag of the Party endeavors to establish by mechanical meahis abilities and the prospect of his return to the of sectarian isolation and partisan primacy, can become sures. without traveling the road of intermediary tice vacated by the imprisonment of Haywood dic the standard that will rally every honest el:ment in stepe, can only lead to disaster and isolation.
tated his own arrest and subsequent conviction with the working class to the stirring appeal of Gastonia.
BEGINNING OF REVOLT the Chicago group of wartime prisoners. He The signs indicating the present trend of the served two and a half years at Leavenworth before workers, even including the formation of the commutation brought his release. show the beginning of revolt against the growing From his earlier concepts of revolutionary 80Tempus Fugit reaction of the officialdom. Adefinite class ideology cialism St. John, in revolt against the parliamentary by no means exists as yet. Our task is still the one of reformism of the Socialist Party and the sectarian, The leader of the Canadian Communist Pais, struggling for a class movement of the American ultra legal concepts of the Socialist Labor Party, unfortunately, used to be an ex comrade by the name workers. Tis of course presupposes the compact or developed along the line of revolutionary syndicalism, of Spector. Jay Lovestone, The Communist, Januganization of a left wing capable of developing and the path taken by many of the best proletarian fight ary February, 1929.
broading its influence in the course of struggle, ex ers of the period. In many respects this represented Tempus fugit! The lea. merican Com posing the reformists aspirin ta Inndannhin and nrov, a pt forward for partiamentary. te be Vincent site dohom bike Haywoodor and wenke Gastonia in Danger was esta