N. May Day Conference who had spoken from the sat platforms being disrupted. After the Clevelar with him, who had helped organize together ing, which was held in the party con with him, believed that he too should be Workers Home, the Uj Elore published tuu excluded from the conference. For. sald news that the Cleveland meeting of the comrade Marks, carry a badge of honor was captured by the party, the and distinction. am a member of the organizer was beaten up and this Left Opposition. This announcement example must be followed everywhere.
stunned the bureaucrats. The Stalinists im Make the swallow their teeth. mediately emitted some boos to drown the said Elore. Nothing of the sort hapeffect that this announcement made. The pened in Cleveland, but the party leaders workers under the weight of the avalanche Detroit took the word of UJ Elore and orof slander remained silent but the impres ganized an attack on the meeting.
sion it made on them was unmistakable. Unfortunately for them, the memThe Opposition scored again for it had de bers also read the UJ Elore. Therefore they monstrated by deeds its readiness to work were well prepared, with the result that side by side with party members in the when the attack came they gave the party struggle if permitted.
members a terrific beating. The same thing The chair, in obvious embarrassment, happened in Chicago. The last meeting was tried to proceed with the meeting, ignoring held in New York. Here the Bureau memthe incident. He naturally had nothing to bers organized the attack. They were beaten say. In adjourning conference Amis up severely The report in the Daily Worker warned against provocation. He warned said that the party had no intention of against getting into fist fights and against beating up the But it failed to discussion (especially discussion. He explain the peaceful intention of the call knows, the democratic Amis continued, that in Uj Elore to make the to swalthere are many workers who are just boillow their teeth.
ing to jump at the throats of these rene gades, but we must exercise workers selfcontrol!
Communist Tasks in The Left opposition despite testere in the Workmens Circle exOpposition Delegates Heard Despite the Stalinist Bureaucracy The bureaucratic calm which prevails aside while speculation ran strong among at current meetings under the mechanical the workers in the vicinity of the delegacontrol of the Stalinist faction was rudely tion as to whether it would be accepted or disturbed when a representative of the Left rejected. At the conclusion of the collecOpposition succeeded in addressing 500 tion Amter and Co. meanwhile having de workers composed of party members and cided upon a course of action Amis was sympathizers at the United Front May Day seen holding in one hand the five dollar bill Conference March 30, in Manhattan Lyceum, and in the other the pledge. want to New York City. The applause that followed take this matter to a vote, he proclaimed.
his remarks spread consternation in the He then launched into a fit of violent abuse ranks of the bureaucrats in charge of the and ended by rejecting the filthy lucre. meeting. Despite their efforts to ignore the while the faithful from below joined in a delegation of the branch of the Com chorus of shouts of approval.
munist League of America (Opposition. its When the money was returned there was presence pervaded the entire proceedings of a visible sign of revival of spirits in the the conference.
praesidium which had been somewhat downThe compositon of the conference was of cast since comrade Ray speech. Broad a narrow character including only delegates grins now peered down upon the delegation from the party, its auxiliary organizations, from the platform. Amter who had been and the enfeebled new unions. The cre trained thoroughly in the Stalin Pepperdentials committee in its report did not of Lovestone school of maneuvering could feel course read the names of the organizations that he did not disgrace the tradition by present, for this would reveal too openly the this little maneuver. But the real victor limitedness of the united front. but was was the Opposition for it had demonstrated compelled to admit, however, the absence its readiness and willingness to assist in of representation from of locale. every way the May Day preparations, and This deficiency, it was said, must be over that sank deeper than all the circus contorcome at the next conference to be held tions of the Amters and the Amises.
April 20, although no one undertook to dis The credentials committee report did cuss how this was to be done.
not mention word about the delegation The Opposition delegates consisted of from the Communist League of America comrades Herbert Capelis, Harry Milton. Opposition. Stalinist supporter in the and George Ray.
conference who does not understand The conference was opened with agithat his faction is infinitely stronger tational speeches by Amter and Johnstone.
in silence and violence than in arguWhen these had exhausted themselves, disment demanded to know why nothing cussion was begun from the floor. The was said, and proposed a motion to unsuspecting chairman called upon George clude the Trotskyites from the conference.
Ray, the second one to submit his name, From the platform it was lamely stated to speak. Opening his remarks with an that this delegation was not recognized.
analysis of the economic crisis and preDiscussion of course was not permitted, and senting a perspective of a new wave of comrades of the Opposition attempting to struggle for the American workers which get the floor were shouted down and threatdemands the unity of the Communist forces ened.
as a prerequisite, comrade Ray said, while The hollow general discussion then conA perfect stillness reigned in the hall: tinued. It appeared that from this point represent the Communist League of America on the bureaucratic ftranquillity would proalso known as the Left Opposition. Last ceed undisturbed, when George Marks, a year when we came to this conference we member of the City Executive Committee were forcibly ejected at the door, This of the Unemployed Coun a ver year we are admitted. This is a great ad active member of the Downtown Council, vance for the Communist party. Buta well known for his hard and persistent further advance must be made so that next work, took the floor. He spoke of the ac.
year the conference will see us once again tivities of the Downtown Unemployed Couninside the ranks of the party. We want cil and its preparations for May Day. Adnothing better than the right to fight side dressing himself to the leading active memby side with the members of the party in bers of the Councils he asked whether they the struggles of the workers. In rallying who had worked side by siae with him.
the workers for May Day we will do our part. wave of applause rolled through the hall upon the conclusion of his remarks. It In previous issue of the Milltant we was the instinctive response of the workers who for the moment thought that a change acquainted our readers with the situation in the Hungarian Sick Benefit and Educaof policy by the party leadership had occurred. It was a demonstration of how the tional Federation, the only mass organization of Hungarian workers under party conworkers really regard the Left Opposition despite the mountains of slander and falsetrol. We mentioned some of the charges of hood heaped upon corruption, mismanagement and misuse of it. It showed not a fighting nor an aggressive mood, but a deep funds raised against the party leaders by committees of investigation representing passive sympathy which augurs ominously for the future of the present aggregation of several branches of tbe organization. The bureaucrats imposed leading elements of these comitteee until The machine immediately commenced a recently were party members and close symtorrent of abuse in order to counteract the pathizers. The opposition took the correct effects of comrade Ray speech. Amter in position that because of the corruption of the party leaders the organization should a very emphatic manner informed the dele not become antagonisti to the party and gates that this representative would never should not withdraw have been permitted to speak had they support from the known that he came from this renegade party and its auxiliary organizations. The organization. He did not forget to denounce fight of the opposition is not for severing connections with Leon Trotsky an enemy of the Soviet Unthe party but for ion. Amis, very much upset by his unthe elimination of the corrupt leaders (most of whom are petty bourgeois carpardonable blunder, parrotted Amter and seriets) replacing them with rank and file duly chastised himself.
party members We can find no fault with The next clash occurred during the col its demand for workers democracy in the lection when the Opposition delegation sub organization or with the demand for ideomitted to the chairman five dollars in cash logical control instead of mechanical conand a pledge of ten dollars. Amis examined trol. But the opposition certainly made a the contribution suspiciously but forearmed mistake when it failed to safeguard itself by experience said nothing, and passed it to his less blundering colleagues on the platagainst the possibility of being identified with anti Communist elements which try to form who similarly examined it with know attach themselves to, or make united front ing looks and smiles. It was finally laid with, all bona nde opposition within the Communist movement. An opposition failWATCH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION NUMBER!
ing to repudiate such elements will be die credited by them. An opposition, fighting for the regeneration of the Communist movement. at the same time must carry on This issue of The Milltant is No.
If the number on your wrapper is less than vigorous, relentless fight against all antiCommunist elements. Otherwise it runs the 66, you should send in your renewal. All danger of degenerating into a rallying cenexpirations are cut off the mailing list unless the renewal is received before the next ter for the enemies of Communism.
issue goes to press. Wrong Point of Departure THE MILITANT, very serious shortcoming of this new 84 East 10th St. opposition in the Hungarian language move New York City ment of the party le its wrong point of departure. It looks upon the situation th Enclosed please find. for.
the Hungarian Bureau as local, isolated renewal phenomenon and it draws the wrong conNAME clusion that it can be remedied by an isolated local action. It does not see that burADDRESS eaucratic corruption, the contempt of leaderCITY STATE ship for the workers, the practise of mechHungarians Struggle against Corruption sion will not be deterred by the Stalinist bureaucrats from doing its Communist duty for May Day. It will issue leaflets and There can be no doubt in the mind of hold meetings rallying the workers to de any class conscious worker who not only monstrate on May Day under the banner of has transferred because of sentimental Communism.
reasons his loyalty from the or any other political organization, to the ComOn Thursday April 2, the Stalinists began munist movement. but has also done some their campaign to eliminate comrade George studying and thinking and has learned Marks from the Unemployed Councils. He something from the leaders of the revoluwas removed from the City Executive Com tion that the splitting the existing workmittee, as the first step toward expulsion. ers fraternal organizations was not only When the question came before the Downa blunder but a crime. No doubt if Lenin town Council, one of whose representatives were allve. he would have repeated his Marks 1s to the City Executive, it was stated words: that this act was being taken on the orders greater lack of sense and more of Johnstone. It was explained that while harm to the revolution than this attitude the Unemployed Council was not the Com of the Left revolutionists cannot be immunist party no one who opposed the pol agined.
icles of the Communist party could be in Yes. will repeat. More harm to the leadership of the Councils! 18 voted for revolution than this attitude of the third the removal (all party members under dis period leadership cannot be imagined. The cipline of course) while the rest, 41 discour danger to the movement is almost irrepar aged and bewildered workers abstained. able. Imagine the loss of contact with tens Thus the Stalinist bureaucrats drive the of thousands of workers, the majority of best workers out of the Left wing organica whom are a potential element for the revtlong and condemn then to sterility and olutionary movement. The loss of prestige decay. Only subservient Stalinists and doe even among our followers in the and ile incoinpetents with no ideas or indepen the of 20, 000 and out of these only dence of character are wanted by these between five and six thousand have left.
bureaucrats. Stalinist infallibility must What happened to the rest? Most of them omerge triumphant even if it has to be on have become apathetic and a great number the ruins and wreckage of the Communist have fallen under the influence of the and Left wing movement. leadership.
This is the situation created by cumsances over which we have no control and Communists should not limit themanical control, petty bourgeois careerism. selves to the evaluation of the subjective conditions but also consider the steps to lack of democracy in the party and in the follow this diagnosis.
organizations under party control are not exceptional phenomena limited to the Hun First, we are faced with an accomplished fact. new fraternal order was organgarian Bureau or to the American section ied. What should be our attitude? In my of the Communist International. It is the opinion, our attitude should be the same bame story throughout the whole Internaas to any other fraternal organization tional, finding its source in what we call where workers predominate, allowing as in Stalinism. The main feature of Stalinism.
the case of the more radical unions for as party régime. is a bureaucratic appara different attitude in certain situations that atus, independent of the party, not responmay arise.
sible to the party, introducing the system Then what fraternal organization shall of appointment of party functionaries in a Communist Join? class conscious workplace of elections, depriving the member ship of the right of criticism, the expres er should join the fraternal organization where the working class elements are more sion of any disagreement. The Hungarian backward and that gives him a basis for Bureau is part and parcel of the bureaumore useful cratic apparatus built by Stalin in every work for the revolutionary cause.
party of the Comintern. Since organizational questions are closely related to quesThen you advise me to join the tions of principles, policies and tactics, it or the in preference to the would be absurd to suppose that the crea Don you think that by joining It we help tion of such an organizational apparatus to support the counter revolutionary ele.
is due to the will of any one man. No, it ments that control the organization?
is the result of the pressure on the party So you are helping the capitalist class by classes hostile to the proletariat. It by working for it; so, also you are helping seems to ns that such questions are disre by joining a union; by paying rent; by garded by the opposition in the Hungarian going to a movie show; by buying your movement. That is the reason why it has food. The whole life of a worker is nothno political basis, why it has no political ing else but service to the communityperspective and why it failed to align it that means service to the ruling class. His self with the International Left Opposition.
strongest weapons are organization and revUnder such circumstances its struggle is olutionary consciousness and this can only futile.
be attained by the most class conscious More Examples of Running Amuck workers participating in the daily struggle In my previous article it was mentioned of the working class, through the various that the has made an attempt to organizations. Therefore, the questiony use this opportunity for attack upon should be asked, when joining, where can Communism. sent an organizer on a na be of the most use to the movement?
tional tour to tell the Hungarian workere Why not unite with the Right wing that because members of the Hungarian (Lovestoneites) in the and the Bureau are accused of corruption, the Marslan theories are all wrong and the workers Our purposes are far apart. As opshould embrace syndicalism. The party portunists they are always looking for imleaders met this attack in typical Stalinist mediate results and always overlook the fashion. It was explained in the US Eloro revolutionary perspectives, especially now.
that the are a bunch of counter They are losing their fast dissipating ranks revolutionary fascists, who are in league in two directions: to the Right, Uke with the social fascists, who, in turn, are Miller, Benjamin, etc. and on the other the Agents of the fascist. Therefore the side, joining the party. They are anxious meetings should be broken up. The for allies. The only trouble is that the organizer went as far as Detroit, army is so small that nobody pays any holding meetings in Bulalo, Cleveland and attention to them, as the socalled opposition other cities, without any of his meetings in the the Left wing in the Party.
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