TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1939 SOCIALIST APPEAL By Dwight Macdonald Head Raps SWP and Negro Work SPARKS IN THE NEWS New Deal Ruling On Strikers Resolution Adopted by the National Convention ten ev.
For four days have spent most of my waking hours and a few of the sleeping hours as well! at Irving Plaza listening in on the second national convention of the Socialist Workers Party. Although am not a member of the as a regular contributor to the Appeal, was invited to sit in on the sessions.
It was an enlightening, and heartening. experience.
From the convention carried away chiefly an impression of youth the average age of the delegates was announced as twenty eight and a half years and seriousness. This was no convention of middle aged cafeteria table Marxists, splitting fine points of dialectics over the coffee cups. In fact, the convention seemed to indicate that the has struck its roots far deeper into the American working class than had supposed. These were for the most part working class leaders in steel, in auto, in rubber, in the maritime field, among the unemployed. There were also, of course, number of middle class delegates as well teachers, journalists, even an accountant or two.
But whatever their class origin, the delegates all quite clearly took with the utmost seriousness the sharpening crisis of American capitalism and the imminent threat of war.
The high point of the convention, in many ways, was Cannon brilliant speech on the war question, and the discussion from the floor that followed it.
The convention revolved around a central axis: the problem of changing the from a propaganda discussion sect into a mass party, how to turn the party face toward the masses. The level of the dissus was extremely high, and a great many gestions and illuminating bits of data came from the delegates comments. So far as could see, the sessions were conducted in completely democratic fashion. was particularly interested in the discussion on the press, with its constant hammering on the point that the Appeal must be written in simpler language, that its articles must be shorter, more concrete, and that it must be changed from a Journal of comment into what Burnham called a campaign paper. concentrating its fire on certain definite objectives. Much the best suggestion seemed to me to be that there should be more letters and news stories from workers in the field, and less journalistic comment written in the editorial office. The responsibility for the lack of original material from the field is hard to place. The Appeal staff pointed out that their correspondents out of New York Just didn write in usable stuff, while, on the other hand, comrades from Chicago and from St. Paul charged that the Appeal had failed to print what they had sent in. Whatever the reasons, the lack of first hand stories from the field is the glaring weakness of the Appeal today.
relief.
WORKERS FORUM WAS in MEN AND WOMEN OF LABOR OUT OF THE PAST Two Dangers The American Negroes, for centuries the Committee. Once more the Third InternationThe convention illustrated pretty well the most oppressed section of American society al has struck a deadly blow at the American and the most discriminated against, are po working class, this time by destroying the contwo great dangers in this transformation of tentially the most revolutionary element of fidence that was being slowly forged between the into a mass party. On the one hand the population. They are designated by their the politically advanced sections the black there are still some bad hangovers from the (Continued from Page 1) Unemployment a Crime?
whole historical past to be, under adequate and white workers.
old propaganda sect days, not so much in the the system which obtains in Under your interpretation leadership, the very vanguard of the proletar. Negro Nationalist Tendencies sions, for example, all began from forty five you, Mr. Hodson, regardless of cent American citizens whose of the Negro question by the party is, there Furthermore, the awakening political conminutes to almost two hours late. On Tuesday. what you evidently privately only crime seems to be the infore, a very disquieting sign. The must sciousness of the Negro not unnaturally takes the form of a desire for independent action un items on the agenda had not yet been taken up. drink about the Nazi set up, abovity to find non existent em recognize that its attitude to the Negro quest the session, scheduled for ten a. did not dare not publicly and openly noyment in private industry tion is crucial for its future development. controlled by whites. The Negroes have long felt and more than ever feel today the urge to begin until ten minutes to twelve. As a result, approve. would remind you, honor. below that of murderers, privileged workers and groups of isolated in create their own organizations under their own leaders and thus assert, not only in theory but as to be of little value, and the convention able Commissioner, that the on thieves and other felons of the tellectuals. Unless it can find its way to the great masses of the underprivileged, of whom in action, their claim to complete equality itemas on the agenda. There was not the slight system and the system that we absolutely without a scintilla of the broad perspectives of the permanent rev, with other American citizens. Such a desire is est reason, except sloppy management, that now face through a combina: justification. Your edict is a clution will remain only a fiction and the party legitimate and even when it takes the form of rather aggressive chauvinism is to be welthe report on unemployment could not have ton of Congressional action challenge to all those who sin is bound to degenerate been preser comed. Black chauvinism in America today is scheduled and your vile ruling is that the cerely believe in decent AmerI am told that at the last convention, in Nazis have concentration merely the natural excess of the desire for ican standards of living.
The proposes therefore to constitute equality while white American chauvinism, Chicago, meetings began promptly on time. camps for those who refuse to in taking this action you National Negro Department which will inthe expression of racial domination, is essenThe atmosphere of New York doesn seem to lower their standards to an in have earned, as you so richly itiate and coordinate a plan of work among demoralize the bourgeoisie so far as know. decent level, with the compen deserve, the contempt of evo operate strenuously in the difficult task of apthe Negroes and calls upon its members to cotially reactionary. Under any circumstances, it would have been a task of profound diffi. that culty, perhaps impossible, for revolutionary promptly at three, and directors meetings been in the concentration camps the city of New York.
party composed mainly of whites to win the ner. Our obvious tasks for the coming period gin on the dot but it has a terrible effect on food is not generally denied to Hodson threat was reported are (a) the education of the party. b) winconfidence of the American Negro masses, exthe leaders of the the poor victims held there.
in the press as follows. would also remind you cept in the actual crises of revolutionary in the old days, punctuality was a minor Welfare Commissioner Hod ning the more advanced Negroes for the Fourth International, and (c) through them struggles. Such possibilities as existed, howvirtue: it didn make much difference wheth that in our nation, as in others, son lost no time in announcing er an all day discussion on the nature of the it is not and has not been for that persons who refused to as and the work of the party in wider fields in ever have been practically destroyed by the Today the politically minded Negroes are Soviet state began on the minute or not. But centuries the practice to refuse cept the scab wages fixed by fluencing the Negro masses to recognize in turning away from the and Negro organin an active mass party, punctuality is a min food even to the worst of crim Congress would not get home the the only party which is genuinely working for their complete emancipation from izations devoted to struggle for Negro rights mum requirement. How can people make a thais.
revolution who can even make an appointthe heavy burdens they have borne so long.
are springing up all over the North and East, ment?
The winning of Negroes to our movement on particularly in Harlem. The nationalist tendencies of the Negroes have been fortified, and The other danger comes from just the oppoa revolutionary basis is, however, no easy site quarter. If the top leadership is, undertask. The Negroes, suffering acutely from the in addition to the poisoning of racial relations general difficulties of all workers under capby capitalism, the has now to contend standably enough.
not yet free of the attitudes with the heritage left by the and the perof the old discussion group days, the new rankitalism, and in addition, from special probnicious course it is still actively pursuing.
and file is open to another disease. It was exlems of their own, are naturally hesitant to pressed in more than one contemptuous allu NEW OFFICERS DON GO watchful eye on him all the take the step of allying themselves with a For a Negro Organization sion to petty bourgeois intellectuals. It also OVER WITH LOCAL 117 time small and heavily persecuted party. But Necame out in a tendency to set the rest of the Dear Comrade: Member of gro work is complicated by other more proThe therefore proposes that its Necountry in opposition to New York City The spirit of revolt among THE CASE OF found causes. For reasons which can be easily gro members, aided and supported by the false and fatal antagonism. Several speakers understood, the American Negro is profoundly party, take the initiative and collaborate with seemed to think of New York as a nest of ster the cloak makers which led to JOBLESS WORKER suspicious of all whites, and recent events other militant Negroes in the formation of have deepened that suspicion.
ile, isolated, long haired and long winded in the sweeping of the entrenched Dear Comrades: Negro mass organization devoted to the strug.
tellectuals for whom every honest worker can administration out of office have just returned from a Negroes Often Deceived gle for Negro rights. This organization will have nothing but contempt. This anti intellec manifested itself at the instal trip as a member of a grievNOT be either openly or secretly a periphery In the past, the Negro masses have had organization of the Fourth International. It tual, anti New York attitude which unhappily lation rally of the new officers ance committee from what my will be an organization in which the masses from the party sectarian past have men recently. For the first time in worker friends tell me was disastrous experiences with the Republican Germany, and my well to do and Democratic parties. The boasted benefits of Negroes will be invited to participate on a tioned above seems to me to be the rankest years the president of the In friends tell me was Doylestown that the Nerro as a whole are supposed to working class program corresponding to the see nothing immoralternational interrupted, Bucks County. one day to day struggles of the masses of Negro about brains. On the contrary, a party obvi. Meckled. jeered and finally wealthiest counties the Democratic Party can easily be seen for the workers and farmers. Its program will be ously needs all the brains, both practical and United States. Bristol, which is fraud that they are when it is recognized that elaborated by the Negro organization, in theoretical, it can command. To damn all the forced to stop his speech.
its largest town, is the home of it is the Democratic Party of Franklin Roosewhich Negro members of the Fourth Interoretical intelligence because intellectuals have It was a strange meeting in patriotic Joe Grundy, former velt which by force and trickery prevents the national will participate with neither greater their typical weaknesses, is to throw out the many respects. The flower be. Senator, President of the Negroes from exercising their votes over nor lesser rights than other members. But the baby with the bath.
decked platform contrasted Pennsylvania Manufacturers large areas in the South. is confident that the position of the It remains to be seen whether these defects strangely with the tense mood Association and owner of the The Communist Party of the from Negroes in American society, the logic of the will be remedied. The intelligence and serlous of the audience. The officials largest mill in the county. 1928 to 1935 did win a number of Negroes to class struggle in the present period, the supeness of the delegates, and their closeness to of the union parading on it felt Grundy always has the wel membership and awakened a sympathetic in rior grasp of politics and the morale of memthe masses all this seems to promise that themselves at the mercy of the fare of his workers at heart terest among the more advanced Negro workbers of the Fourth International, must inev.
they will rank and file. One after an and keeps watch over them for ers and intellectuals. But the bureaucratic cre itably result in its members exercising a powother the ousted officials of fear that they will earn too ation of Negro leaders. their subservience erful influence in such an organization. The Local 117 ran the gauntlet of much and then go out and eat to the twists and turns of the party line, their critical support of such an organization by the trony and derision. The apolo so much that their stomachs slavish dependence on the manipulations and does not in any way limit the party getic speech of ex manager are liable to swell to such pro combinations of the leadership. were drive among Negroes for membership, neither Levy did not save him. The de portions that Uncle Joe would seen by interested Negroes not as a transfer does it invalidate the necessary struggle for feated chairman of the Local, be compelled to shell out a few ence of the methods and practises of the the unity of both black and white workers.
Zuckerman, who started out pennies to increase the size of Kremlin bureaucracy in Moscow to America, But that road is not likely to be a broad highinnocently. The past eight his factories so as to house but merely as another example of the use of way. Such an organization as is proposed 18 years in which held office these expanded constitutions. Negroes by whites for political purposes un the most likely means of bringing the masses were the happiest years in my very benevolent fellow, this Un connected with Negro struggles. With the lat of Negroes into political action, which though life, was interrupted by gencle Joe. He just recently do est turn beginning in 1935, the has be programatically devoted to their own interBy EMANUEL GARRETT eral laughter and the question nated 5, 000 to his staunch Recome openly a party of American bourgeois ests, must Inevitably merge with the broader.
did you get a publican friends for the good democracy. Not only to expand, but merely struggles of the American working class ideas. It was not long, therefore, before he work that they are doing in the to exist in this new milieu demanded that it movement taken as a whole. The found himself in opposition in the Socialist The biggest reception was county and the state of Penn imbibe and practise the contradictory dis therefore, while recognizing the limitations criminations inherent in that society. The Ne and pitfalls of a mass organization without a League also, and in 1889 retired to form a saved for president David Du sylvania Socialist propaganda group, the Hammersmith way the plight of the cloak an assistance office, where we have The place we visited is called groes, very sensitive to all such practises, clearly defined political program, and while retaining its full liberty of action and critiSocialist Society. To the end of his days, how kers by government statis took up the case of Mr. Pfarre quickly recognized the new face of the beneath the mask of demagogy with cism, welcomes and supports any attempt by ever, he remained an ardent advocate of the tics. Some of these figures were a farmer. cigarmaker. and which it seeks to disguise the predicament in Negroes themselves to organize for militant Socialist ideal very instructive, e. that there concert violinist, who gradu which it finds itself, and the result has been a action against our common oppressors, inPerhaps no one who attempted to depict are 000 cloak makers in ated from Pennsylvania State mass exodus from the party (80 per cent of structs its Negro members to work actively the achievement of that ideal has drawn as Brooklyn and 000 in the ad College with special mention of the New York State Negro membership) and towards the formation and activity of such an attractive a picture of the future Socialist so joining area working for the his proficiency in Tile Drain: a bitter hostility to the which reached a organization, and recommends to the party ciety as has Morris, in his News from No New York jobbers at half the age, Beekeeping, Sllo s, Com climax when well known former members of members to follow closely all such manifestawhere. Within his limitations, of course. wages that the New York work mercial Fruit and Potato the testified against it before the Dies tions of Negro militancy.
Knowing little of the economic end of the er gets. This explains why the crowing and Poultry keeping.
Socialist transformation of society. empha seasons last only a couple of Evicted from Farm sized another angle. This was that the new weeks, that is, the jobbers need This man, a Republican, Mr. Praff stated that he did made no progress.
world would be a place where the beauty and the New York shops during the started to work in a cigar fac: not mind having girls handing pleasure of labor could be developed, where rush period only when the out tory at the age of thirteen and on his coat tails when he was cultural advance and the flowering of the hu of town shops cannot take care worked at the trade for seven young, but resented it when he man personality would no longer be hampered of the orders.
teen years, saved his money was hungry.
by the shackles of capitalism, where art would The uproar started when he and bought a farm. In 1925 he In March, Mr. Pfaff got in no longer be something appreciated only by quoted the Labor Board that planted 973 fruit trees. In 1932 touch with our unemployed highbrows but where it would become an art the cloak makers have the high he sold 3528 baskets of peachesunion and they took up his case eration of the Pacific, the con Pacific, we told the Maritime (Continued from Page 1) ship of the Sailors Union of the for the masses and by the masses.
est hourly earnings the In 1934 a Democratic polt and got relief to him from vention went on record to sup Commission that the crumby Morris Chants for Socialists, in which country. What about annual tician appeared and he turned his poetic powers to the service of earnings was the general cry. sented himself as a Secret Ser. Several days later he received port the third term for Roose: tubs could stay tied up alongthe movement, are also still well worth read. The unemployed cloak makers vice Agent trying to find out notice that he was dropped welt movement. The Natione side of the dock until such time today.
and the semi unemployed were why the farmers are losing from the relief rolls. Art for the Masses!
in no mood to listen to the apol their farms. He got all the inin convention, will undoubtedly was willing to use the same Fake Story cretics of union leaders whom formation he wanted, and then dc likewise.
methods of employment as Why is the name of William Morris, which they hold responsible for their left.
Then the union took up his Roosevelt Called to Act practiced by private shipownfigures so prominently in the history of Eng plight. Dubinsky, rattled and About six weeks later he ap case with the head investigator Very good! If it is true thaters on the Pacific Coast.
lish literature, also remembered by the so disconcerted, stopped in the peared again and ordered Mr. who is a Mrs. LaSpino. She Roosevelt is our friend, we the Acts cialists?
middle of a sentence, packed Praff off his farm because he told us that she was well ac seamen will appeal directly to The Today, when the cultural front and the his papers and asked the secre said that he had bought the quainted with these da se vond him to speak out in our behalt the American Federation of movement are terms that are bandied about. ed officers. He returned after Icave. The next day this man at all. The writer asked her, thing be fairer than that? Since port the position taken by the he appears to be reluctant to sailors Union of the Pacific in it is important to point out that William Mor a couple of minutes this time appeared again with a 325 wlom, for instance, did he reto join the Socialist movement BECAUSE he free advice to the new officials. Pfaff a clubbing, then went and plied that he often sald in her guest. If he is really our cord with the mandate of that was an artist, not IN SPITE OF that fact.
was first awakened by his realization that said the figures of the elections without the benefit of counsel relief. and that she needed least saying something in our dent Green wired the sailors Morris social and political consciousness revealed by Dubinsky when he thrown in jail for seven days for everybody, that he wants grasp the opportunity of at convention and in reply to a request by Lundeberg. Presicapitalism was not only harmful to the masses show that a shift of a few hun. or bail. Mr. Pfaff was then help because her husband was behall that: dred votes could have brought told by the authorities that he sick and she needed somebody in a statement issued by who lived in poverty, but also to the develop an entirely new administration. had to go to the poorhouse or to take care of her orchards. Harry Lundeberg. Secretary of regret unyielding position ment of art and the beauty of life. How could As it stands now, part of the else they would send him to the The committee did not be the Sailors Union of the Paci which Maritime Commission art be healthy when the great mass of human administration slate was elect Insane Asylum. He preferred Heve this story and went to see fie, he makes this request on has assumed regarding hiring thinking of bread and butter, and when only ea. Also some disgruntled un. the poorhouse from which he Mr. Pfaff who said this was behalf of the seamen of the seamen for government ships patronizing art? The result was a parasitic wind was blowing and joined him dope and liquor.
the social parasites could afford to indulge in who saw in which direction the while in jail they tried to sell the job. The writer and Mr. situation now stands in Seat ly appealed to Chairman Land art, which was bound to reflect the degenera the opposition. The rank and Pfaff went to Mrs. LaSpino stle) there is only one out to set to hire unlicensed personnel Denied Relief farm and asked for the job. tle this entire matter and that through union hiring halls. tion of boss class society.
file elements who were the Mr. Pfaff has tried to get re she replied that she had no is that the President of the will call on Secretary of Com William Morris. He serves to remind us that movement were nosed swer he got was that he should the work. The bosses and their who can change the attitude of liest opportunity upon the Presthe ultimate aim of socialism is not merely to out by a few score votes. Pres live off somebody else, and stooges do a lot of talking the Maritime Commission and ident and urge action at earllassure bread and security to the worker that ident Dubinsky congratulated that because a lunacy commis about jobs, but just try to get it is entirely up to him. we est possible moment as you is only the first step but to make the world himself on that fact. sion had examined him, he one.
will see in the next day or two suggest.
a more beautiful place to live in.
The meeting ended with the could not get relief. He tried to Well, that is all that has hap whether Roosevelt thinks more Franklin love labor After all, is it not a most crushing condem speech of the newly elected set an appointment to see the pened up to this time. The of the Maritime Commission or Roosevelt now has the oppornation of capitalism to realize that after all manager Kaplan. He was not Head Director without an ap union is going to continue to whether he has any feeling at tunity of proving his devotion.
the ages, the most important problem that received over enthusiastically pointment, with several pret fight the case, and ll write to all for the demands of the Those drum beaters the still faces mankind is the same as that which but the workers are willing to ty girls trying to bar his way you about the latest develop thousands of seamen of the third term for Roosevelt, our faces the lowest animal how to get the daily give him a chance to see what by hanging on to his coat tails. ments. Fraternally, Pacific Coast.
friend. should rejoice that this mouthful of food he can do while they keep a He talked to the Director, but Howard Stump On behalf of the member. opportunity has been provided.
Sailors Spike Presidential Order to Hire Fink Crews WILLIAM MORRIS (March 24, 1834 October 3, 1896)
William Morris became Socialist at the age of 49.
At this time Morris was already famous as one of the outstanding poets of England. He was also widely known as an artist who had revived a dozen different art crafts fine printing, tapestries, textile designing, house hold decoration, etc. He was wealthy and respected Yet, at the height of his career, Morris as tonished his friends and the public by casting his lot with a small obscure political group and throwing his enormous energies, as well as wealth and reputation, into their work, This group was the pioneer organization of the British Marxists, the Social Democratic Federation, led by Hyndman, Not a Dabbler in Socialism Morris joined the In 1883. His artistic friends thought he joined as an artist dabbling in politics as a diversion. But Morris soon showed he was no mere dabbler in Socialism.
He joined the movement as a rank and file Jimmy Higgins. For two years during which his literary work lapsed he crowded his days with street corner speaking in Hyde Park and in the proletarian quarters of London. He called it street preaching and he painfully sought to develop himself as a Socialist agitator for the masses of workers. He was a frequent speaker before workers groups, and on occasion his reputation cained him entree to middle class organizations where he lectured the white collar audiences on the necessity of working class socialism. He was involved in the Trafalgar Square riot of the late 1880 It was against his own desire that he was drafted onto the leadership of the and became a member of its executive committee, for he himself recognized that his bent lay in the direction of propaganda work among the masses. Moreover, he cheerfully admitted that he knew little of Socialist theory. And this indeed was one of the reasons for his split with Hyndman and the Morris was second in prominence only to Hyrdman in the ranks of the Federation, but he found that he could not work with Hyndman. For that matter, neither could anyone else: for Hyndman brooked no division of his uncontrolled power over the organization. This surce of friction was complicated by the existence of an anarchist wing of the Federation, which in 1885 broke away to form the Socialist League.
Morris went along with the Socialist League, Sand became one of its leaders, in spite of the fact that he disagreed with the anarchists This column on William Morris is contributed by Hal Draper. Readers who wish to submit columns on Men and Women of Labor are urged to do so.