The Semi Monthly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition)
MILITANT VOL. II. No. 17.
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 1, 1929 PRICE CENTS 12 YEARS OF RED RUSSIA!
medo defore the completa con cont increasingly are present Class Justice and Revenge in the South HE greatest achivement of the proletariat of the method of voting capitalism out of existence, are para corrupted sections of the Soviet bureaucracy, linked by a thousand invisible bonds to their foreign allies.
and the Soviet Republic established by the Russian and determined Fascist movement.
These are the elements that express themselves politiNo 1917. With a spirit of solidari Where the social democracy has universally failed, cally through the Right wing of the Russian Communty, firmness and self sacrifice that history has never the Russian workers, under Bolshevik leadership, have ist Party, the faction of Bucharin omsky, Rykov Kalibefore known, the Russian working class has maintained succeeded in establishing the first Workers State.
nin and their supporters.
itself in power for twelve years, and its 12th anni But the Russian victory only opened a new epoch The Right wing, in close bond with the vacillating versary this Seventh of November will be celebrated of revolution and did not end it. The workers of the Centrist faction of Stalin, has carried on a six years by every militant worker in the world. Twelve years Soviet Union will be able to establish socialism and struggle against the Bolshevik Opposition led by Trotin which the surrounded fortress of the world revolu complcte victory ONLY with the aid of the victory of sky which represents the interests of the proletarian tion has successively overcome one insurmountable the workers in other countries. The Soviet power can elements in the country. It is the Bloc of the Center obstacle after another, beaten back the armies of the not always exist in a hostile capitalist environment. and the Right that invented the slogans and theories most powerful imperialist countries, defeated the sub It can hold out for a long time, as it has, but its for that period of reaction and back sliding in the Sovsidized adventurers who tore the country with the rav really great progress will come only when the work iet Union. It was the pressure of the classes alien to ages of civil war, triumphed over such catastrophes ers of more highly developed countries come to its aid. the proletariat that delivered systematic, heavy blows of nature as the famine and the drought, reorganized Those who, like Bucharin and Stalin, teach the work to the workers power by attacking the Opposition.
its economic life, and made possible the rebirth and ers otherwise are deeciving them.
Each blow against the Opposition and the movement growth of the international movement of the revoluThe victory of the Russian proletariat, has not profor which it stood marked another forward step of the tionary working class that was temporarily destroyed ceeded in a straight upward direction. It is still conforces of capitalism.
by the treason of the socialist leaders during the World fronted with many enemies. Its most powerful foe is But they all underestimated the tremendous ré The seizure and maintenance of power by the Russian world imperialism, which rightly sees in the Soviet sources for revolutionary resistance still possessed by workers remain the most powerful answer to the ly power its mortal enemy. Imperialism threatens the the Russian proletariat. The hounding imprisonment ing spokesmen of the capitalist class who teach the workers republic not only with armed intervention and exile of the Opposition, did not settle the question workers that capitalism is a permanent system of from the outside, but even more with the capitalist at all. The stubborn resistance of the Opposition to society and that the workers can never hope to rule elements inside Russia that work persistently to under the encroachments of the forces hostile to the workers, their own destinies. The victory of the Bolsheviks in mine the proletarian state. Then elements are the found an echo in the Russian proletariat.
the face of all the dismal croakings and warnings of Kulak (rich feasant. the private capitalist and the The workers, passive for years under the lulling in their enemies, is a living fluence of Stalin and Burefutation of the prediccharin, are again awakentions of defeat made by ing and assuming the ofthe socialists of all variefensive. The present ties, an answer to those The seven Gastonia strike leaders, Beal, Miller, Har not demand to be tried as a loyal citizen of the struggle demanded for who deceive the workers rison, McGinnis, Hendrix, Carter and McLaughlin, The seven men were framed up! Not a scintilla of years by the Opposition into thinking that capitalhave been convicted and sentenced Charlotte, evidence was produced during the whole trial to show against the Kulak and ism will evolve peacefulto such terms as signify for most of them their whole that a single one of them had shot at Aderholt. The the Right wing for conly into the cooperative future life in a Southern prison. At virtually the same whole trial proved that these men were convicted solecentration upon heavy inmovement commonwealth time, a Cabarrus county jury set free four mill boss ly because they were fighting for the workers and dustry and for the industhrough the application of thugs who were charged with kidnapping and flogging against the bosses, that the witnesses against them trialization of agrictult.
petty reforms.
the three union militants, Wells, Saylor and Lell. In were already fixed, and that the perdominantly farmure, is a victory for the While the Russian Gastonia, the grand jury refused even to find a true ers jury would be true to its role.
Leninist Opposition. It is working class, in spite of bill against the men charged with the cold blooded We had no expectations of a fair trial and the carried on with slogans murder of Ella May Wiggins. At Marion, the legalized all the difficulties and misrelease of the men from either Barnhill or his court.
and arguments which the takes, continues to march thugs of the mill owners, led by sheriff Adkins, are still The only hope for the men was the formation of workers forced Stalin to forward, and is today at large, despite their massacre of six textile workers mass movement throughout the country sufficiently borrow from the Opposis more firmly entrenched and the wounding of many more.
tion.
broad and strong to prevent their being railroaded to power than in the begin The young capitalist class of the South has shown the penitentiary. The mill bosses and their courts and It is true that Stalin ning of the revolution, the itself not one whit different from its brother of the juries were determined before the trial starts to con seeks to restrain this balance sheet of the so North. The decisions of the various courts have given vict the defendants. Only such a movement could have struggle, to prevent its cialist record shows a big legal approval to the murder, the shooting, the kidnap saved them. Such a movement was not organized transformation from a deficit for the working ping, the flogging and the armed raiding of the workto its full possibilities, and we say plainly that the bureaucratic, class.
apparatus In Germany, the ers. It has been made plain that even the most ruth responsibility rests not only upon the leaders of the fight into a movement of socialist coalition ministry less acts of violence against them can be committed official American labor movement, from whom nothing the masses. It is true has become the official without fear of punishment. It has also been made but sabotage could be expected, but in large part upon that in borrowing bits agency for reborn German clear that every worker, Communist or not, who dares the sectarian policy of the present leaders of the Comfrom the Opposition, he imperialism. In England, to fight for the improvement of his conditions, is sub munist Party, who deliberately rejected the offers of continues to distort and the MacDonald govern ject to the frame up, to a vicious sentence of imprisonaid of other groups of workers, and organized the water down its essential ment has not brought the ment, and even the electric chair.
movement on so narrow a basis that it could not exBritish worker a single The farcical trial of the Gastonia workers was con press the widespread sentiment of the working masses ideas in theory and application. That is because he step closer to socialism or ducted by the darling of the liberals, the much praised in favor of the defendants.
represents the Centrist lifted an ounce of the im exemplary Judge Barnhill. We pointed out that the It is not yet too late. The mill owners and their bureaucracy. For a conperialist burden from the fairness of Barnhill was only a cloak under which he government are still subject to working class pressure. sistent line, the victory backs of England colon was preparing to repeat the cruel game of Judge Land Our obligation to the men in prison is now greater ial slaves. In Austria, is in the trial of the We warned especially of the Opposition is rethan ever before. They must be set free. The warm, the Left socialists, who against the illusions fostered by Norman Thomas when militant spirit of labor solidarity can force open the The Russian workers scorned the barbaric he wrote: Hats off to Judge Barnhill for his re prison doors even now. This solidarity must be organ will attain that victory Asiatic methods of Bol markable fairness thus far to the Gastonia defend ized immediately, upon the widest foundation. The ants. At least North Carolina is to be spared the united front of labor must be established in reality still too. They shevism and promised the possess workers a socialist repub disgrace of a Webster Thayer. It was this remarkably and not on paper. Every working man, every labor enormous powers of resistance. They remain the lic by the reasonable fair judge who ruled: If he is a Communist, he should organization Unite to free the prisoners!
inspiration of labor. quired.
Next Number of the Paper Isthe First Issue of the WEEKLY MILITANT IN the face of tremendous difficulties, in spite of the est possible distribution.
of the week accurately. In addition to this, we have Stalinists and the Right wing, who whistle songs We have made the grade through the staunch spirit arranged to obtain regular articles and information in the dark about our disintegration. we are achiev of our comrades and sympathizers. But the Weekly from some of the best writers in the international moveing our goal. The next issue of the Militant will be must not only be begun but also maintained. That is ment and a standing section of the paper will be dethe first issue of the WEEKLY MILITANT! The loyal the big job before us. Our only source of support is voted to informing our readers of the important group of pioneer fighters in the ranks of the Communthe group of workers throughout the country who symoccurrences in world politics and labor.
ist League have made it possible to transform the pa pathize with our cause. Many of them have not yet We can publish the Militant regularly and improve per from a semi monthly to a Weekly exactly one been reached and they have not responded. It is the it with each issue only with YOUR aid. We are raisyear after the first issue of the Militant was published. workers who must maintain the Weekly and guarantee ing a Sustaining Fund that will guarantee the appearThat is our answer to the bureaucrats who keep up its regular publication. It is they who can make it a ance of the paper every week. Such a fund will estabtheir courage by announcing our death every two weapon of against the deceivers and betrayers lish firm foundation under our feet. If you can give months.
of labor, for the regeneration and rebuilding of the an outright donation of money, send it in immediately, We regret that the technical work involved in es revolutionary movement, for the victory of the proleIf you can make a pledge to send in a sum of money tablishing suitable headquarters and making proper tariat.
each week or each month towards the Sustaining arrangement for the printing of the Weekly Militant The WEEKLY MILITANT will be able to analyze Fund, no matter how large or small the pledge may will make it impossible to get out the first issue on and report every event of importance to the workbe, let us know right away. Send all funds and inquir.
the stipulated date of November 7th. But we have ing class. Besides the general political articles of a high ies to estimated definitely that it will be off the press on or standard which will be maintained, the WEEKLY will THE MILITANT about November 15th, 1929, and we appeal to all com survey the field of the daily class struggle in the Box 120, Madison Square Sta. rades to make the necessary arrangement for the wid United States and report the outstanding happenings New York,