THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, April 12, 1919 The Swing to Revolutionary Socialism their policy, the reality.
It is not a party ideas, in multiplied HE Socialist arty is in upheaval. It is being By Louis Fraina new revolutionary Socialism (which is the Socialism revolutionized by events, and by the organized of Marx and the First International in action, adaptpressure of the left lling within the party. Local after local of the party has aclupted the Manifesto dominated by the petit bourycois ideology, which im quirements of modern Capitalism and the revolution(for government ownership, reforms, etc. and was ing and developing Marxism in accord with the reand Program of the Left Wing; and 110w comes the agines that it can conciliate Capitalism, grow into the ary struggle. this Socialism, giant in character, repState Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of Massachusetts, adopting the Manifesto and Program, reforms and parliamentary measures. When the test new society by means of class co operation, social slendent with the glory of the new world, terrible in its acts but beautiful in the full glory of the Communrepudiating the Berne Congress of the Creat Betrayal, of war came, this Socialism accepted the war in the ist society that is coming and insisting upon affiliation only with the Bolshevik petit bourgeois spirit of either national defense or a and practice of moderate Socialism reSpartacan International. Truly, at liistoric act!
The moderate Socialists in our party, sterile in came, it rejected the revolution in favor of the petit period of peaceful struggles, of compromise and class parliamentarism leveloped out of a when the proletarian revolution formism and thought and impotent in actio:1, unable to sense the bourgeois policy of peaceful reforms and parliament cooperation. It was not a policy and practice that met new spirit and understand the giant character of rev ary action. This moderate Socialism; which may have the requirements of a revolutionary situation. it broke olutionary Socialism, are aghast at the upsurge of mouthed revolution as an intellectual sport, when the down and was repudiated by the proletariat in action, revolutionary Socialisin in the party. Unable to comIt is this situation that has developed the upsurge of limits of revolutionary Socialism, the thrusting forward of the their own concepts and action, they press this movement within the stulticonspiracy сту policy and practice of the Left Wing Turn to the Left!
separatism and division, a movement to But, it is asked, why a Left Wing in the American disrupt the party. Contemptible in they Resolutions adopted by the newly elected State ExeSocialist Party? Our party, they say, was against the are contemptible in their arguments. They do not cutive Committee of the Socialist Party of Massachus war; it favors Soviet Russia; it is not against the understand. They cannot understand. They will be ets, at its first session, April 6, 1919.
Spartacans why then a Left Wing in our party?
THE LEFT WING that Socialism is done with their petty bourgeois and Appearances are not always what they seem. ApWhereas, the trend of world events and the exper pearances may often disguise reality. Let us consider potentially counter revolutionary policy: ience of the Revolution in action have demonstrated conspiracy, Socialism in the party. It this the necessity for a clear cut definition of the Socialist upsurge of revolutionary The Socialist Party, in its majority official policy, the position; and Whereas, the growth of opportunism and bourgeois It is symptomatic of the revolutionar use of life itself.
has always been a of moderate Socialism. In its spirit and policy parliamentarism within the Socialist Party has made a ro statement of the revolutionary Socialist position itsformism; sin its rejection of revolutionary its emphasis on parliamentary action to the exclusion that is active in every Socialist Party in the world, imperative; and Whereas the tendency of the officialdom within the that is an expression of the problems of new unionism and adopt industrial uni final into which Socialism party has been in contradiction with the revolutionary sentiments of the rank and file within the party as and the proletariat have now definitely. emerged. petit bourgeois policy the American Socialist manifested in the St. Louis program on the war; be it Dario has been bone of the bone and fresh of the flesh The Marxist (not the pseudo Marxists who have therefore Resolved, that the State Executive Committee of the party Saw Marxism, and of whom Marx himself said: platform it reeks with bourgeois reformism. ConState of Massachusetts herewith endorse the Manifesto dragon teeth, and rcaped fleas. in. con and Program of the Left Wing as printed in The sider the official party press nowhere does it sidering this upsurge of revolutionary Socialism, con Revolutionary Age of March 22, 1919; and be it siders the objective facts of the situation. What are size the real struggle of the proletarian revolutioa in further these facts?
Resolved, that we call upon the rank and file tliroughstruggle between majority Socialism and Left Wing Socialism, it shows no understanding or Capitalism is on the verge of collapse. It is unable out the party to work and co operate with the Left Wing movement to the end that the Socialist Party acceptance of revolutionary mass action and proletato extricate itself out of the multiplying contradictions of America may become the true revolutionary ex rian dictatorship. Still the old parliamentarism! Still implied in its maturity, in the firal stage of its develop pression of the American working class, and a proper the old reformism! Still the old petit bourgeois policy ment. The war, provoked by Imperialism, used as a party to participate in the Third International with the Communist Party of Russia (Bolsheviki) and the The Socialist Party, they say, favors the Bolsheviki means of thing insoluble economic contradictions, Communist Labor Party of Germany (Spartacans. and the Spartacaus. But how? do not wish to be misunderstood: the party has carried out a fine agitINTERNATIONAL CONGRESS Whereas, the rank and file of the Socialist Party of ation against intervention, in favor of Soviet Russia.
revolution the conquest of power by revoluCountries, and it caſually produced the mos America has clearly demonstrated on many occassions But, also, do not wish to be incomplete in the facts.
tionary Socialism. The that it is in sympathy with Bolshevik Russia and the And the other facts are these: the official represent: rian revolution are incalculable. and they are part and revolutionary section of the working class everywhere, atives of the party were silent about the Bolsheviki and is opposed to the tactics of right wing and centre the contradictions of Capitalism, of an econ Socialism in Germany and France, in spite of the efforts until months after they conquered power, when the upsurge of Bolshevik sympathiy in the party compelle ee that staggersitalism real of the majority of the to line our party up omic collapud is not with the reactionary Berne conference dominated by the official representatives to speak. The tional but revolution dele: the Ebert Scheidemann gangsters and reactionary Euro Executive Committee of the party, which was in sessfinal is on in some count pean Socialists generally; therefore be it in others.
Resolved, that the State Executive Committee of the ion at the time, did not accept the Soviet proposal for sonized by the proletariat in action.
State of Mass. protests against the sending of Comrade But James Oneal to Europe: and be it further peace negotiations, and agitate for the armistice. The revoluResolved, that we call upon the rank and file every, tionized by these epochal cuents. This is a fact of the majority of the official of the party where through its locals and branches to endorse and first importance; it is a fact that the moderate Social second the resolution of the Central Branch of Local greeted, at first, the The Presidemann Government of the Counter Revolution as a Socialist Republic. Boston printed in The Revolutionary Age of Morch ist either refises to admit or camouflages; but it is 1919, stating that the party shall participate only in a Again the pressure of events and the upsurge of revthe most important fact to the real Socialist, and is conference called or participated in by the Spartacan the cause of the upsurge of revolutionary Socialism olutionary Socialism in the party compelled a change and Bolshevik parties.
of front. But still there is no real understanding, or THE AMNESTY CONVENTION refusal to understand, among the official representary stariat has conquered power in Russia, HuzWhereas, the resolution of local Queens County of atives of the party.
in other nations preparing to conquer power the Socialist Party calling for the convening of a Na The party favors the Bolsheviki and the Spartaby means of revolutionary action and tional Emergency Convention is being circulated for proletarian dictatorship. But this fulfillment of the cans, but there is no statement and emphasis of the referendum; and ideal of Socialism is being accomplished against the Whereas, the calling of the proposed National Amnimplications of this; precisely as the party, was ago opposition of the old dominant noderate Socialism.
ainst the war, Irut there was no emphasis of the impliesty Convention to be participated in by bourgeois The old dominant molerate Serialism, under the test groups in contrary to the best Socialist practice and cations of this revolutionary policy among most official was intended to head off the growing demand for a of revolutionary events, is proving counter revolution National Emergency Convention of the Party, be it representatives of the party, who either sabotaged the ary. The old parties and the old leaders are against therefore anti war policy or interpreted it in the terms of petit the proletarian revolution, are betraying Socialism Resolved, that the State Executive Committee of the and The National Executive Committee has issued literState of Massachusetts condemn the proposed Amnesty strugeromoting the supremacy of Capitalism. The Convention; and be it further ature against intervention and favoring Soviet Rusof the proletariat against moderate So Resolved, that we support the call for a National sia; but this same National Executive Committee seis as implacable as its struggle against CapitalEmergency Convention; and be it further Resolved, that we call upon the rank and file to suplected (unconstitutionally) delegates to represent struggle against moderate Socialisni, against the beport our action in these matters by voting yes on the party at the Berne Congress of the Counter Revolution of social patriots and betrayers of Socialism, National Referendum. B, 1919, and by condemning trayers of Socialism.
through their branches and locals the proposed NationThe Marxist is not astonished at this. It is a situ al Amnesty Convention.
where Bolshevism and proletarian revolution were repudiated.
ation produced by certain definite social alignments.
Marxian Socialism: the Socialism of the First Inter revolution came discovered (to the astonishment of andere te party is for the Bolsheviki and the Spartacnational, was revolutionary. It accepted the revolu some naive souls) that it was interestedl, 110t in Social platform and official acts. Let it festo and Program of the Left Wing, which is the accept the Manistruggle with all the means in its povrer. This is inteism, but in bourgeois democracy!
But Socialisın is not an intellectual sport. It is a Spartacan and Bolshevik policy and program. We do er by the revolutionary proletariat, theonquest of pow. necessity of the proletarian class struggle. It is a thing not want pious gestures: we want deeds. But, the of deeds, not of words. While Socialism as a whole say, the Bolshevik and Spartacan policy is a the bourgeois state and the introduction of a new pro was moderate, it held within itself revolutionary elem during a revolution, and we are not yet revolution con ship of the proletariat. This revolutionary Internation in Germany, the Left Wing groups ond International was an International of moderate assault against Capitalism and Imperialism, it rallied only during a revolution, but a policy to promote and when the revolutionary proletaria de marche come to me at all times and can be pursued at all times; the policy Socialism. It was conservative and petty bourgeois in around this minority revolutionary Socialism in an prepare for the revolution. The Bolsheviki and the spirit. It was part and parcel of the national liberal implacable struggle against the moderates. From left wing groups were in action before the Revolution. movement, not at all revolutionary, clominated by the acceptance of an imperialistic war, moderate Socialism the Revolution simply made then dominant. Moreover, conservative skilled elements of thie working class and proceeded to an acceptance of the counter revolution. we have emerged definitely into the revolutionary epoch the small bourgeoisie. It was hesitant and comprom Moderate Socialism collapsed, miserably and vilely; of the final struggle against Capitalism: the Socialist ising, expressing the demands of the petite bourgeoisie but out of this collapse, an historic necessity, arose the Party must act accordingly.
parcel of Socialism ary ing struggle. se ries, is olliour cois society is be cialism ism; dered its objective to be the ie