LEFT WING VICTORY SWEEPS CONVENTION (See Story on page 2)
SOCIALIST APPEAL Published Weekly as the Organ of the Socialist Party of New York, Left Wing Branches.
Vol. No.
401 Saturday, September 11, 1937 Cents per Copy National Executive Committee Sells Out Socialist Party To La Guardia Orders Expulsion of all Revolutionists Forward to a Rank and File Convention to Throw Out the Betrayers and Rebuild the Party on Revolutionary Basis party than a Clique The National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party, at its meeting held over the Labor Day weekend, approved the AltmanThomas motion on the New York City election campaign for the withdrawal of the Socialist candidate for Mayor in order to permit support of the capitalist candidate, La Guardia.
The National Executive Committee coupled its sell out to La Guardia with a unanimous vote ordering the mass expulsion of every revolutionist from the party.
The policy of Jack Altman, identical in its fundamental political meaning to the policies of the Social Democratic Federation and of the Stalinists, conquered.
Exactly as we had foretold, the Clarityites on the National Committee crumpled before the drive of the Right Wing, handed the Right Wing a majority on the La Guardia issue, and humbly pledged submission and loyalty to the sell out. At the same time, with not one single exception, the Clarityites joined hands with this Right Wing of liquidators and betrayers to expel the revolutionary opponents of the 11 out policy.
The demand of left wingers throughout the party for the calling of an emergency convention so that the membership might itself decide the fate of the party was cynically disregarded.
The dozens of resolutions, motions, and telegrams, proposing such a convention and pro testing the La Guardia sell out, received from branches, locals, and State organizations, were tossed aside.
These gentlemen of the National Executive Committee had assembled for one task only, and this task they carried out, so far as was in their power: to put an end to independent socialist politics, to head the Socialist party to ward the home version of Popular Frontism, sud to get rid of all revolutionary opposition to their course.
By their shameful and treacherous decisions, they think they have succeeded in their aim, have solidly yoked independent socialist politics under the People Front harness, have effectively silenced and smashed the revolutionary opposition.
But they are mistaken.
The first smashing answer to these heroes of the committee chamber was given by auother meeting, held simultaneously with the meeting of the National Executive Committee: by the Ninth Convention of the Young People Socialist League. By a proud and overwhelming majority, the Young Socialists repudiated the sell out policy, solidarized themselves with the revolutionists in the party, and steered boldly on a clear revolutionary course.
The actions of the Labor Day session of the National Executive Committee, coming as a climax to its decisions at the Philadelphia session and the Special Session held in July, ale a direct and brazen defiance of the party constitution and statutes, the solemn decisions of the Chicago Convention, and the will of the party membership.
By these actions, therefore, the National Executive Committee has placed itself outside of all party legality, and no longer functions in any sense as representative of the membership. No authority or standing can henceforth be granted the National Executive Committee and its decisions.
The great majority of the active membership of the party has already declared in favor of a Special Convention.
Now is the time to translate words into actions.
Next on the order of the day in the struggle for revolutionary socialism is the immediate summoning of a genuinely representative coilvention which will throw out the betrayers and rebuild the party.
The usurping bureauerats of the National Executive Committee, hoping to solve all problems behind closed doors, and fearing in the depths of their political cowardice to face the membership, have refused to call a convention.
Very well. Now is the time for the revolutionary branches, locals, and State organizations to assert their rights and fulfill their duties. It is now their imperative task to go over the heads of these usurping bureaucrats, and to call the convention in their own name and in the name of the membership.
There can be no doubt whatever of the outcome. There can be no doubt that whatever is active, militant, and healthy within the ranks will rally to this call. What self respecting militant, what conceivable revolutionary socialist, can for moment longer pretend to accept the authority and discipline of a Committee which has now so fully exposed itself as bare faced alliance of betrayers with capitulators united on the bitter platform of brutal and reactionary opposition to revolutionary socialism?
take seriously a Committee which in reality is no more representing nothing but a handful of pacifists, People Fronters and Stalinists? The movement has passed this Committee by, and its actions now are no more than the last gasps of its political death rattle.
There remains to be performed little more than the funeral oration.
Likewise there can be no doubt that out of the wreckage left by this unholy alliance there will arise a regenerated revolutionary party, a party resolved and able to carry forward triumphantly the mighty tasks of our day and epoch. What Altman, Thomas, and Tyler have wrecked is not the revolutionary tendency nor its adherents. These emerge stronger, more united, more determined, with ranks enlarged and ideas clarified, against the cringing blows of our opponents. No: it is their own pitiful house of cards which Altman, Thomas, and Tyler are bringing tumbling down about their ears.
The great goal of a revolutionary party in this country, the party of the victory and triumph of the socialist revolution, born and built in the fire of uncompromising struggle and based on the unshakeable foundation of the mighty principles of revolutionary Marsism, is closer and more assured.
Down with the La Guardia Socialists!
Down with the betrayers and liquidators!
Forward to a rank and file Convention and a regenerated revolutionary socialist party!
TOWARD THE CONVENTION!