The Party and the Left Opposition Father Manuel and Comrade Epstein оша y auе аnd due.
der the banner of the party.
The farther march of developments will reveal ever more clearly, provided we have a correct policy, that the ruling apparatus has fallen into complete antagonism to the Dear Comrades: not been in vain. They have been stored up By LEON TROTSKY in the minds of thousands and tens of needs of the party, while the fate of the In sending your conference my warmest incomparably smaller, their losses far greatgreetings. want to express myself once Opposition, on the other hand, has become thousands of advanced workers, covered by er, were it not for the voice of censure and bound up with that of the party and the a crust of formal discipline, but they will more and as briefly as possible regarding proletarian revolution.
the general line of the German Communist admonition of the Left Opposition, its anal break open with all their force with the how ysis and its prognosis. No matter Opposition.
Dangers Confronting the rise of the revolutionary period, when the weak we still are organizationally, we have advanced workers look with entirely dif Opposition It is clear to every one of us that the nevertheless already become a serious factor ferent eyes upon the leadership that is In the past half year the German Op German Left Opposition is still extremely in the inner life of the Communist party, destined to lead them in the decisive strug.
position has accomplished a good bit of weak in comparison with the tasks posed and a factor of its consolidation at that.
gles.
preparatory work. separation, of the before it by the entire situation. This weakfundamental lines has been executed, a ness has been inherited from the past, and The Role of the Thälmanns The present increase of Communist separate organ, Der Kommunist, has been is the result of objective historical condiBut does not this consolidation lead to votes, alongside of the growth of the fascist created and it has struck a correct course tions as well of the false policies first the strengthening of the present leadership? danger, must already have raised the revin relation to the official party. Finally, of the Maslow Fischer, and then, of the And is not the present leadership the main olutionary consciousness the proletarian hand in hand with the other sections, the Urbahns leadership. These people believed vanguard, and its critical spirit toward its obstacle on the road to the proletarian revbasis has been laid for an international or and taught all Opposition workers to be well. With this, the olution?
own leadership The latter is absolutely correct.
ganization of the left. All this, in its enlieve that the official party must inevitably Thälmann, Remmele, Neumann are a com possibilities of propaganda and agitation tirety, forms the conditions for the develcollapse and lose in influence, and that the increase also for the Bolshevik Leninists.
bination of the worst features of bureaucraopment of a correct policy and consequently Opposition, reinforced in its struggle with tie irresponsibility, philistine self satifaction.
also for the growth of the influence of the the party, will arise as a new party on its barracks discipline and a peculiar adventur What could, destroy the Opposition, is Bolshevik Leninist faction. And yet, only ruins. Consequently, every serious worker ism of subordinates, one in which adventures the spirit of the street corner sect, wbich an insignificantly small part of the historic had to ask himself: if all that has been are executed on command from the author lives upon defeatism and malice, hopeless work, which faces the Left wing of Comcreated in the course of the last ten to ities and in which the adventurers know and without any perspectives.
munism, has been accomplished, Loss twelve years must collapse and new people in advance that they will be left unpunished. order to fulfill its historic rôle the time, as well as the neglect of a revolutionbuild on new ground, what guarantee is From political extremism, for which Opposition must be impressed with the in ary situation is a thoroughly real danger, there that the results are going be betnothing exists save the conquest of the separable connection between the successes posed not only before official Communism ter? This question is correctly posed. The streets in the name of the immediate dic of the party and its own successes. Only in but before the Opposition as well.
only guarantee lies in the living experiences tatorship of the proletariat (on paper. this way will the Opposition find its way Experience has proved anew how much of the proletarian vanguard, and experience such a leadership can without any disturbinto the ranks of the proletarian vanguard, time is lost by petty conflicts and group is gathered in events and years. Wide cirance go over to possibilism by turning with from which it has been isolated by the com struggles which are inseparably bound up cles of revolutionary workers will begin to bined forces of capitalist stabilization, the every wind that blows from the petty bourwith the life of sectarian circles. There follow and confide in the Opposition, only geoisie, even as far as chauvinism. The reprisals of the apparatus and the mistakes is no other method of getting rid of this when they are convinced by experience that head of the officious Centrist is so con of its own leadership.
inheritance of the past than that of holding it not only does not renounce all of the structed that all the winds of eclecticism From what has been said it is clear that up to view the gigantic revolutionary tasks experiences accumulated by Communism in constantly whistle within it. The revolu an unbridgeable chasm separates us from in all their greatness, and that of mobilizing Germany and in the entire world but on tionary German workers would never tolthe Brandlerites and that the split with the the spirit of sacrifice and devotion of the the contrary, that it bases itelf on these exUrbahns League was correct and salutary.
erate this kind of leadership voluntarily.
best elements of the Opposition for their periences in order to draw from them, to Therein lies the essence of the present It is appointed, supported rescued and solution. whole heartedly hope that your gether with the proletarian vanguard, the foisted upon the vanguard of the German situation: that while the Stalinist apparatus conference will do justice to this great task.
correct conclusions.
proletariat by the Stalinist faction in Mos has become a deeply reactionary force sup With firm Communist greetings, THE STRENGTH OF OUR PARTY cow. This is absolutely indisputable. But porting itself on capitalist stabilization and TROTSKY.
IS OUR STRENGTH is it correct to say that a strengthening of political sterility, the Opposition, on the con Prinkipo, September 17, 1930.
Of course, the working class, too, has the influence of the Communist party in its casuists, mere critics who form little the ranks of the German proletariat leads groups that remain for years on the perito a strengthening of the present leadership.
phery of the labor movement and content No, that is not correct. This is the essential contention, false to the core, of all and SAN ANTONE workers after six. The sacred fire burns themselves with impotent criticisms, apart every sort of ultra Left and psuedo Left from the large tasks and perspectives. These THIS IS THE MAN ithin him at all time.
sectarianism.
sprouts of ultra Leftism rejoice over every EL PADRE MANUEL At six in the morning, he is again transfailure of the Communist party, and hope The Stalinist bureaucracy was able to GOD IS WITH US substantiated. Comrade Epstein once more superstitiously that out of the failures of attain its present power in the CROSSES, ROSARIES, MEDALLIONS, becomes Father Manuel. Again, like a the proletarian vanguard there will someas well as on a world scale, only thanks to humble friar, he wends his way from door HOLY PICTURES how grow up their own power.
the enduring revolutionary ebb.
to door, urging the benighted to greater With these sectarians, who in Germany The Stalinist faction delivered its first HARRY EPSTEIN piety and selling them his crosses, rosaries, play all the colors of the rainbow, we have blow at the Left wing, after the Brandlerist 423 Delmar St. medallions and holy pictures. Of such is not and can not have anything in common. leadership had so disgracefully neglected San Antonio, Texas the Kingdom of God. This is the resurrec For us, the victory of our policies depends the revolutionary situation in 1923.
tion and the faith.
not upon a weakening but a strengthening The Stalinists submitted the Left Op This legend, illustrated by a picture of This is a true picture of a party memof the Communist party.
position to a merciless destruction, after the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, en ber in San Antonio. We invite the Daily Is there any contradiction in this? Do Ohiang Kai Shek yesterday Stalin con circled by a host of angels, is inscribed on Worker to challenge it. The rest of the we hear the possible objection even a twofederate, had destroyed the Chinese revolu a calendar hanging from the wall of many party membership there is not much better.
fold contradiction. tion The years of capitalist stabilization Mexican workers homes in San Antonio They make an economic living by fleecing First: Can we expect a consolidation were years of consolidation for the StalinGod sun has rarely shone on so pious the Negro and the Mexican, and save their ist apparatus. And that is by no means of the Communist party under the present a creature as Father Manuel. perfervid political soul by shrill protests of loyalty an accident. The decrease of mass activity, leadership?
proselyte, a man of piety and devotion. to the latest party line. It goes withthe decline of the revolutionary mood of the true defender of the catholie faith.
Second: Does not a consolidation of the out saying that they consider Trotsky worse masses. the growth of pathy these party lead to a consolidation of the present than wrong. How long will this rubbish went to six o clock mass this morncauses alone could make possible the enorleadership, which experience has proved ining, he reproaches his customers, why be tolerated in the party?
mous growth of party bureaucratism, supcapable of leading the proletariat to victory?
were you missing?
ported on the state apparatus for material CHARLES CURTISS.
Both objections are incorrect, because means and for means of repression. Verily, God must be in him. murmurs they are not dialectic.
every good catholic, leaving him with a That the influence of the party can grow Defeat of the Opposition benediction.
After this was written, the Daily Worker despite the present incompetent leadership Weakens Party published a statement announcing the exThe good people of the Catholic fold pulsiorl of Epstein. The other Epsteins of has been proved anew by the last election. Thus the defeats of the international in San Antonia know him as Father Manuel varying shades remain. It is barely necA correct leadership is the indispensable revolution, the weakening of the Communist when he changed his personality by a condition for durable successes and more so essary to add that the statement also makes parties, the weakening of the Left wing draught of the magic chemical. And even an for the complete victory of the proletariat.
attack on (Bolshevik Leninists) within the parties and so is Father Manuel. At the stroke of the Trotskyists and on comrade Curtiss in But a growth of the party influence can particular. The atthe growth of the power of the Stalinist ap six, the holy father is wondrously trantacks on the Opposition are not new; they take place in spite of the incompetent leadhave proved to be parallel and in substantiated, out of the body of Christ, ership, through the intercession of objective terconnected processes.
and into the person of Comrade Epstein, are an un original repetition of Father causes. We can say with certainty that the Manuel political philosophy. The attack leader of the San Antonio branch of the This simple and indisputable generalGerman party leadership has done nothing.
on comrade Curtiss is, of course, a typical ization alone permits us to construe several Communist Party of the United States, secbeginning with the March days in 1921 and Stalinist payment to the Opposition for prognoses. real radicalization of tion of the Communist International! Hard the especially October 1923, to this very the crime of having pointed out in time mases and influx of workers under the banto believe? But it is nevertheless true.
day, but weaken the revolution, the prolan open sore in the movement which the per of Communism will not mean a consoli Mr. Hyde, in his transformation, would Stalinists themselves only etariat. On the other hand, we have the discover long dation but a collapse of the bureaucratic ap trample children to death in his mad rage. afterwards.
hopeless international position of Germany, paratus. Thilmann, Remmele. Neumann Comrade Epstein tramples underfoot the the avaricious and malignant policy of the German bourgeoiste, the we repeat can hold on to their leading posi Trotskyist traitors. The welkin rings with infamous and tions only through the enfeeblement and his denunciation of these counter revolutiontreacherous role of the social democracy, the sterility of the revolutionary movement, ists! How he demands their blood nothOUR NEW PAMPHLET which force huge masses to tread the road only through a decline in the activity of the ing less! Just as he affirms his faith in of revolution. The fact that the bureauworkers.
Right after this issue of the Militant Growth of Communist masses Plus XI up to six o clock, he affirms his cratic Stalinist leadership, blind and selfgoes off the press, we are preparing to print means a growth of revolutionary tasks, a faith in Stalin after six. He shuns the confident. deaf and ignorant, opportunistic a new pamphlet in the series which we growth of the requirements of leadership.
sullying contact of the infidel before six, and adventuristic as it is, by its entire have planned. It is World Unemployment The experiences of the last twelve years have and of the Negro and Mexican ignorant policy prevents the revolutionized masses and the Five Year Plan by Leon Trotsky.
from Tallying to the banner of Communism The pamphlet deals with the proposal ad. this fact constitutes under the present vanced by the Left Opposition for combincircumstances very serious source of ing the unemployment crisis with the destrength for national socialism.
mand for the extension of credits to the Soviet Union to enable it to make more The increase of Communist votes at the rapid progress with the last elections seems important by itself, industrialization and collectivization of the country. In when it is measured with the parliamentary NECESSARY?
yard stick. But it is extremely unimporaddition, it contains a reply to the objecions made to this proposal by Rude tant from the point of view of revolutionary James Cannon Walter Starrett Pravo, official organ of the Czecho Slovakian possibilities and tasks.
Communist League of America Road to Freedom We can say that at the last elections, Communist Party. The pamphlet is admirsays. YES!
the party gained the arithmetical difference ably suited for distribution, especially at at the the present time. The introduction is writbetween those masses whom the bourgeoisie LABOR TEMPLE ten by Arne Swaleck, wih special referand the social democracy have driven to 14th Street and Second Avenue ence to the situation in the United States.
wards it and those whom the leadership on Orders should be sept in immediately. The of the has repelled And we can add SATURDAY, EEBRUARY 14, 1931 rates are 10 cents per copy and cents with full justice that the gains of the GerAdmission. 35 Cents P. sharp in bundle orders of five or more. Send funds man as those of all the other seeAUSPICES: JOINT ARRANGEMENTS COMFITTEE.
and orders to the Militant.
tions of the Comintern, would have been paratus DEBATE IS THE PROLETARIAN DICTATORSHIP says, NO!