The Left Opposition at Work JOE COLBERT. LABOR MARTYR 09 to Unemployed Activity in Retrospect of AGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1982 The Farmers Holiday.
OO (Continued from page 1)
today as was the case in the past when Recent advances have been registered and of the Communist Party on the basis form it is a recognition of the fact that It was back in 1927, durlug the great, Goin to look for rabbits. was the Pepper, as a representative of the RightCenter bloc, lost the Communist move by the League in several directions. This of Marxism Leninism.
his loyal and devoted efforts at the head national strike, when the coal miners of cynical reply. assume that there will be plenty ment into opportunism with his two. Is first of all due to our campaign for a of numerous rank and le revolts against the United States were making a gallant Bolshevik policy in the present fateful The party was decisively defeated in corrupt union officials, against opportunthat first met Joe Colbert. That was What are you fellows going to do. The crisis is throwing upon the sur situation of the German proletarint and their attempt at disruptiou, but we were ist Purmer Labor Party joliticians light for the preservation of their union, around here pretty soon. Joe asserted. class party idea.
face new layers of rebels. These new our fight against the pacifist anti war not able on this night to complete our well as in strike morenents, has earned We an early September morning when 1500 the killer asked.
therefore and for him the deep respect and confidence strikers had gathered at Old Beu uum. We are going to strike every mine layers crystalize around issues of imme. masquerade Support in the party and speaking program.
Bonus Communist sympathetic ranks has came nounced our third and concluding mass of the Minneapolis workers.
ber 15 near West Frankfort, and persu. in Illinois until they give us an honest diate demands at hand. The March was a typical example of this. forward. Comrade Pappas issued bis meeting for the following night, where aded the miners of that mine not to count. Joe countered.
The Bonus Army with the exception of open letter, which has already been about 800 workers assembled and listened The question of comrade Hedlund return to work under the separate agree. Well, you fellows better not come the minority Left wing. was force printed in these columns, and aroused attentively to our message. Comrade acting on such a committee, however, was ment policy that would desert the heroic out there, was the threatening re made up of patriotic Americans, Loyal considerable discussion. His arbitrary Avrin spoke on the Washington massacre.
an entirely different matter and he did miners of Pennsylvania and Ohio and Joinder of the gunman.
Americans. who wanted reliet from expulsion has resulted in protest by ser Comrade Bloomberg related the history inevitably wreck our union. Joe was We will be out there in spite of all mass hunger and starvation. The Goveral New York party units. Our mem and problems of the Left Opposition not delay in completely dissociating himthere for the first time actively partici. your army, there is nobody going to ten ernment answer to their cry for bread bers have distributed a total of 30, 000 Comrade Cowl gave the united front pole self from it in conformity with our pating in the atrairs of his union. From ihe mivols miners to work under con with bullets shifted the army and many leaflets on the German situation. icy of the League in the organization of League policy. The Farmer Labor Party then ou he became a constant to her for ditions that they never brand Joe Poe of its sympathizers to the Left, and away the Unemployed. The Party members administration in the first place attained How Regime Reacts this time listened without making a to its position largely due its promises he was assassinated by a guard from marks as we went on.
The farmers strike follows this new The attitude of the party regime, cal peen. Only once Gardner shouted. Look for unemployment rellef. After being the anime where he was employed. The following morning doputy sheriftstrail, but throws to the surface an e. minating in Colbert had been a trip rider in the urrested me and threw me into mlues and his missing right hand was county jail along with a student body tirely difterent layer of enemies of against us, intended to squelch this wave himself. The speaker swapped right capitalist predecessors, a few miserable capitalism. The reorganization of agri of support, has already proven to have back: After your performance Inst night, charity crumus, even sponsoring a new of the credential to prove thut he hud goue that was accompanying That night culture to coordinate it with industry the contrary effect. Quite a few new there is no doubt in anybody mind whol Innovation in the form of forced labor through the mill. The injury lett a stub was released and the following conversa by the American Imperialists pushed sympathizers to the Left Opposition have is the jackasst The crowd laughed of the unemployed. The sprinkling above the wrist but still his youth and tion took place between myself and the the farmers forward into struggle. Their come forward. We do not mention names their appreciation.
robust health permited him to work on states attorney: outlook on property relations warys this in this connection for rery good reasons party members and sympathizers asked tee was designated only to give the work the conveyors of the Chicago, Wilming.
hou bade betere not stay at home to movement, restricts it to a struggle at but soine of these now sympathizers have serious questions after the program and Ing class stamp of approval to their dis ton Franklin Coal Company, tempting to hold in check the concentra influential positions in the party and its discussed before the crowd until after usting chemes. Comrade Hedlund in eleven which is a late bour in this town. his statement of dissociation from the In 1920 we elected Joe the president Who is to tell me where am totion and centralization of wealth. They auxiliary organizations.
commitee made this clear, declared his of our local union, for his courage and go and where to stay?
want to turn the wheels of industry The methods we used in handling the complete lack of confidence in such a Some of this sympathy is expressed in larty members were completely vindie committee of city politicians and busihis constant struggle against the oper Well, am merely telling you what backward.
ators abuse of conditions, endeavored him know, they are going to kill you and Workers Strike and Farmers Strike letters sent to the office directly or to ated by the results we obtained. What nesmen and demanded serious action for in the heart of his fellow men. Later some other leaders of this movement if individual members. We quote a part of remains to be done however is some in unemployment relief.
When the workers strike it is a blow one such typical letter sent to a he served in the capacity of Financial you do not watch yourself. said the New tensive organization work in Duluth Comrade Hedlund stated that there Secretary, then werved three years as against capitalism, at the basic contra York comrade: The minute read that with the view of organizing a branch, must le immediate governmental relief recording secretary and It Committee been a system of unemployment insurance man of our local in which capacity lie worse than a military war; It war was and the exploited producing wage slaves. This industrial war could not be any relation of the exploiting machine owner Worker, I, of course, knew that it rinneapolis comrades who have the six hour workday without reduction served til his death. Ile was also declared would not be consulted as to But the farmers strike turns on a dit. two other party members who work in deavor to follow up in an effort to estab of pay for those employed.
was not so. spoke that same day to organizing the work in Duluth will Comrade ted Mine Workers of America.
Auditor of Sub District number Uni whether would go or not, therefore terent axis. The farmers strike does not in shop and they also agreed that it is a firm foundation for the Left Op Hedlund also pointed to the necessity of refuse to be told what shall do in unearth the same relationship to the large scale credits to be extended position in Duluth.
do had oxasion to serve with Colbert a fight that determines the very life of basic coutradictions of capitalism. The well but anyway we would not believe the Soviet Union, together with demands ou several committees. Acting on our thousands of my men. answered. farmers strike reveals the relationship this, it has just so much surer to ns that CARL COWL.
corresponding to the local situation in local unions resolution committee for At any rate, am telling you what of a section of the petty bourgeoisie, the we must study this question of the Trot MINNEAPOLISthe city.
the International Convention held last know, was the answer.
farmers, fighting another section of the sky program. This we will do and we This our comrade declared that he January Colbert stood by a militant Very well, since you, as the leading capitalists who have monopolized the wish you success for your ideas.
program and led the fight for the re authority in this county tell me that my avenues between production and distri Some time ago the Minneapolis Farm would continue to fight for as a cognition of the Soviet Union and against ilfe is in danger demand a permit to bution. The workers solution is for the Criminal Syndicalism law. Some of carry a gun for my protection, he replied. ward to the social revolution. The solu recerea ample proof that the best lorement relief committee composed of eityndded the one question which is ens un During the recent few weeks we have er Labor Mayor appointed an unemploymember of the Left Opposition but he most. Can do that, am disarming peotica of the farmers is an attempt to position views on the present vital work politicians, businessmen and a sprinklinging growing importance with every day bering 36 in all, were presented to the was the last response of the state check the march of industry, to turn the ing class issues have penetrated deeper of Workers representatives. Among the passing by. He reltirated the imperative International Convention by our delega attorney.
wheels backward. This does not mean into the party and its sympathizers latter were our comrade Hedlund, need of a united working class front in tion. Colbert collaborated with me in the presentation of these resolutions.
Threats Fulflled During the district scale committee negoreactionary. It means that it is doomed gistered a response, wanting to know. least effort to obtain his consent or even cluding with the revolutionary forces workers pollThe next morning learn that the at the start to certain limitations And Wanting to discuss. Secondly due to this to inform him before the appointment also the trade unions side we fought Igor an energetic program dered with a full shot gun lead right auxiliary struggle in the class struggle led to engage in somewhat of a discussioner Labor mayor should hit upon the idea put the Farmer Labor Party politicians tiations we were delegates and side by threats were nor blufts. Joe was murmust be supported in this light, as an the party leadership has become compel became public. The fact that the permetical organizations. This is the way to of struggle against the fakers within through his heart. Joe had gotten up against the capitalists. Not a our union and the coal operators. carly and was busily engaged picking on an equal basis with the workers meeting on Germany and the discussion cd committee is in itselt an enormousers who may still retain confidence in orker as, for example, in its recent New Year of including Fiedlund among his appoint to the test before the eyes of those work During my expulsion from the United mushrooms in teh pisture near his home struggle, as indicated by the slogan of on Trotskyism now to be taken up in tribute to our comrade. In inverted them.
Miue Workers of America for my activ. He was accompanied by his father who Workers and Farmers Government. but the Thirdly.
the bureau ities in the National Miners Union Col had gone out to stake a cow. At 15 as a struggle of allies in the night of cratic regime has become alarmed and bert almost single handed struck Orient minutes of six, an open touring car ap the workers to overthrow capitalism, become frontie is well illustrated in its number in solidarity with Mine peared, the driver got out and called for The Middle Class in the Crisis attempts at physical retaliation, and base an equal division of work. The Joc. Joe turned and started toward Large sections of the middle class have frame up method.
strike took place during the rank and them. He no doubt recognized the three Three milestones mark gf Ilthe party On the key questions of policy file movement in which Colbert played men in the car. When he arrived ten already been ruined by the crisis and the course in ita uremployment work since iting the employed and unemployed a constructive part. Colbert and Ans feet from the car, the gunman opened fire attempted reorganization of American PROSPECTS FOR DULUTH Browder, a little more than a year ago, workers, and working out broad organiThe results bury held the strike intact for weeks. shattering his manly chest piercing his industry by the financiers. The farmer, Aud not until the operators had brought heart. Joe died almost instantly with alas section of this class, has been in a weetings and anti war demonstration in unemployment Insurance and set the successful mans turned the helm away from the fight for national forms to include workers of all permanent crisis. The financiers the shades of opinion, regardless of their have into play the Federal government, which faint smile.
arrested every active foreign born miner Joe wife, Frankie ran out on her dle class as muukies. Not so with the nation work for the Communist League clusion of every revolutionary already won a section of the new mid Duluth are excellent for further organicourse for immediate relief, to the ex. political affiliations; the success or fulldemand. ure to attain which is the measure of will end.
which seven Communists are now facing her face as her husband lay crumbled is not correct to contend that the im. the Militant, the Party held an anti war the Daily Worker of March and 12, was silent. He let his readers infer that long prison sentences on the charges to earth of violating the Crimial Syndicalist laws.
perialists have won the middle class as meeting at Court House Square recently 1931, the U UL NE resolution ad as with the line, so with its results in The murder of Colbert by the guna whole to their side, nor is it correct in which we publicly advertised that we opted in Pittsburgh on October and these essential questions Colbert had become known throughout man of the coal operators is part of the to say the middle class will not survive would participate. For reason, all 1981, and now the Proposed Draft Pro Two steps backward in order to make the mining regions. His courage, tenac prosram of the Lewis Walker Edmundsou this crisis. The problem is many sided the speakers turned their guns on the gram of Fighting Methods and Organiza one step forward. said a worker, misa ity and leadership had developed thousands of friends throughout the coal wage cut down the throat of the class is divided and moving in many into an anti Trotsky revival. We refused These are the theoretical fruits of the the first step backward on the road which nelds of the state. At the same time he because of his bravery and Influence. It blems can be expected under capitalism rade Bloomberg to come up here and inois coal miners. They feared Colbert directions and no solution of their pro. ened bureaucrat said, challenge com ist swamp.
to be provoked, expect when one embola course which has led into the opportun. has led inexorably to the opportunist had aroused the enmity of the coal opswamp where the movement is bogsed.
erators and their agents the was necessary in their desperation to and particularly from the fakers stop the rank and Ale movement from the middle class.
It will be remembered that February The TUUL NEC Resolution within the Unite Mine Workers of Am taking hold of the union for the moveletariat, they are of value to the further platform. No, no. shouted the speaker unemployment insurance under the lead the pursuit of this policy, the orientation As allies of the pro deny this! Bloomberg Immediately ac 25, 1901 marked the close of a year erica.
cepted the challenge and moved to the nation wide, fighting demonstrations for Contrary to the Stalinists expectations ment threatens to engulf them forever development of society. Fateful Conversation for the minerd therefore desperate men in regret, we don want to hear what ership of the Communist party. Febru of the movement on relief, the relega Returning home from the Benld conse desperat tactics.
This new farmers struggle is on an en you got to say. Why did you invite ary 26 marked a tremendous decline in tion of unemployment Insurance to the ference of week ago, where Colbert and The death of Joe Colbert tirely different plane when compared to me? asked Bloomberg simply and the the influence of the Comunist party over background, the fallure to organized had again acted as delegates from our avenged. We, the militant miners of muwill be the struggles of the former centuries. crowd roared.
the masats, insofar as its unemployment Highting movement of a shorter working local union, we stopped at a filling station inois, pledged in mass funeral of 15, 000 The struggle against capitalism in on the outskirts of West Frankfort. There strong that we will carry the fight to the America is the struggle of the workers, the following day to a debate on the a million and a quarter workers. In and stabilize themselves as powerful or Wo issued a challenge to the Party, work was concerned. In the March 6th day, for credits to the Soviet Union, dia 1980 demonstrations the party claimed not see the unemployed councils grow guards with shot gun in hand. The fol things that he fought for will be real etc.
lowing interesting conversation took place ized as long as there is a breath of life lies.
The Communist workers The farmers must be used as al sky is an enemy of the working class. it claimed only four hundred thousand and ineffectual instruments embracing must 1200 workers came down to the square.
between Joe and the mine guard.
workers, and only left in the militant working class move clandesalust the Stalinist attempt to This was one of the biggest mass meet ated goes without saying. But that the woricers sympathetic to communisun.
That both figures were grossly exagger only unemployed elevate the farmers strike above its ings held on the streets of Duluth In decline was great is equally true. Where are you going with Joe queried.
proper level in the class struggle. The recent times. This turnout cecisively GERRY ALLARD.
ers strike to the same level of the work the Lett wing do want to know the trutk when the crisis was deepening and the theaters The great loss in influence, at a time, cral other cities they took no deep root MARILLERMASTAHOTHER TAMARIST ers struggle against capitalism must be about the struggle of Trotsky and the struggle against it should have been By October the failure of the new LEON TROTSKY efected, if we are to approach the pro Left Opposition. What they want to rising to greater heights and embracing turn was apparent to all. Time had de with Marxian policy.
a correct know especially is how this relates with broader masses of workers, presented the N C resolution of October 3rd the day to day struggle of the working Stalinists with the necessity of making. class. And this we were prepared to a turn. Marxists would have begun and 4th affirmed the correctness of the tell them.
with an examination of their past pol. line: The present developments do not icles to find in them the cause of their require a change in policy of the U The party bureaucrats had organized a failure Not so the stalinists. The cor. UL.
Vital Questions for the German REVOLUTIONARY squad of hecklors and even hopel to be norstone of their faith is the dogma that That this whitewash was meant to Proletariat LESSONS able to capture the platform. But we the line is correct. To doubt it is apply to the unemployment policy as well hit every attempt squarely on the nose heresy, as the trade union policy is evident from By Lenin by exposing their tactics before the work TO Browder was entrusted the ideolocan find this monument of confusion and the text of the resolution. Our readers ers present. The workers understood sical legerdemain of pronouncing a turn, distortion in the files of the Daily Work Containing Lenin famous APRIL, the reactionary role the Party plays in set absolving the previous line of any er.
THESIS with which, in comrade Trot organizing to break up meetings, and suspicion of error. This he It was published as a supplement to sky phrase, the Bolshevik party was create disturbances and in mass threat. accomplish in a series of two articles sought to the issue of November 11, 1931.
rearmed; the Thesis submitted by Lenin ned the individual party hoodlums to in the Daily Worker (Dareh and 12. ments are conceived in this document as The unemployed and red union moveLENINY to the First Congress of the Comintern be quiet or go home. When u vote was 1921. mder the tile: On the organiza separate movements. This marks are.
at Moscow, March 28, 1019, under the put whether to go on with the meeting ortion of Relief Work by title, BOURGEOIS DEMOCRACY AND not, a forest of hands voted yes, and a Councils.
Unemployed treat from the previous policy of the THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE PRO solitary hand voted no. The hoodlums party which confined the unemployed LETARIAT; LESSON ON TACTICS; feared to vote let it would be construed The Turn councils to the organizational control of and other short pleces. Paper cover AN participation in our meeting. From the TUU This is a necessary step Browder called for the creation of toward establishing the correct base for 82 pages: Limited number on hand.
DICTATORSHIP your programy shouted YCler. That food collection committees to set food a broad movement for temployment rePrice 25 Cents (no discount) is exactly what we are here to explain tions of the locality. rticularly in from the larger capitalists and corporal lief.
Order at once front we answered, and proceeded to our prothose institutions where the temployed a formal one.
But the party has made the division In its resolution it posed PIONEER PUBLISHERS a whole on the basis of the united front, were formerly at work. Anticipatiug the question of uniting the unemfailure for this idiotie nonsense, Browder ployed movement with the red union BRUENING?
84 East 10th Street, provided. When the committee un movement. This is fundamentally incorNew York, THE NILITANT able to get food from the corporations rect. It is not at all a question of un.
Batared u second claw tell matter and large capitalists, they shall then iting the two movements but of building EXCHANGE OFFER November 2, 1021, at the Post Omco berinto solicit small merchants and one united movement of employed and With Germany on the edge of the volcano that threatens to erupt at This is a notice to all and sundry New York, Under the act opetty bourgeoisie generally, calling upon unemployed workers. This must be a any moment, Leon Hrotsky penetrating analysis of what is next on that we are willing to open negotiations March 3, 1879.
these elements at the same time to join broad movement, much broader than the the order of the day in Germany is the most timely revolutionary with the lucky holde worl of the Unemployed Council in demanding as yet weak red union movement. It Published weekly by the Communist document of the moment. It is priced so low for a quick sale. Order comrade Trotsky that are out of print, Lalue of America (Opposition) relief from the government treasures and must embrace, in the first place, the or or rare, etc. on the basis of an exchange a 14 Last 1044 St. in demanding unemployment insurance gonized labor movenient. This means the your copy now!
of our current stocks for these rare EDITORIAL BOARD nationally. of unions.
33c works. We are particularly anxious to Martin Abara James Canon Under the leadership of Browder and In the question of the organizational In Paper 63 get copies of Democracy versus Dietator. Max Shachtman Maurice Spector Co, the movement was plunged into sys forms the resolution made no advance In Clothship: Lessons of October: Our RevoluAme Swabeck tematic, organized beggary. It became a over the party previous narrow con.
PIONEER PUBLISHERS tionary Lessons: Comrades who have SATURADY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1932 fish wife haggling with the charities over ception of the united front as applied to 84 East 10th Street, New York, spare coples name your price and let Vol. V, No. 36 (Whole No. 182) pennies. The revolutionary link bethe unemployed councils. The united us bargain. Or if you know where we Subscription rate: 13. 00 mr yar: fortween the day to day, reform demands front projected in the resolution is es.
THSCHUHTIKU THIS on 50. Tre At Mercy and the revolutionary goal was cast off sentially a united front of unorganized, Scan get these works please let us know at once.
Sundla ratom, to like so much unnecessary ballast. unemployed workers.
that ment.
WHATNEXT?
BRANTLERY HINDENBURG EFT OPPOSITION SOCIAL DEMOCRACY?
NATIONAL SOCLAWISM!
ADOLF HITLER?
PEOPLE REVOLUTION?
ULTIMATISM?
RED ARMY?
HILFELDING!
SEYDEWITZE THAELMANN RED STRATEGY BOLSHEVISM?
FASCISMO SOVIET UNIONI DEMOCRACYT STALIN?
CENTRISM COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL