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THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE July 5, 1919 The National Left Wing Conference GAL unified and organized itself nationally. Carney (Duluth. Wagenknecht (Ohio) gram be considered. After a discussion, in At its first National Conference, held in New and. Stillson (Chicago) proceeded to con which the Communist Party again interjected York City starting June 21, the Left Wing sider credentials. Pending their report vari itself, this procedure was adopted. Ferguson was animated by a fundamental and unalteraous delegates spoke concerning conditions in then read the Program on behalf of the Comble determination to conquer the old Socialist their local movement. Zucker, of Kings Co. mittee, which was considered point by point.
Party for the revolutionary Socialism of the spoke in favor of the immediate organization It was in two parts one the Communist ProCommunist International.
of a Communist Party, after which the Chair gram, consisting of a summary of the BolsheThe most important issue before the Con urged that this particular problem be discus vik Call for an International Communist Conference was whether a Communist Party sed when it actually should come before the gress and of the Manifesto and Program of should be immediately organized by the ConConference. John Reed, just returned from the Communist International; the other a Proference, and the struggle in the Sociaļist Party attendance at the of Convention, gave gram devoted to the program of the Left now be abandoned or whether the fight should a satirical and critical sketch of the proceed Wing. An interesting discussion took place, continue until the Emergency Convention. The ings, indicting the of as a betrayer particularly on mass action; Batt of Detroit Conference by a large majority decided to of the workers.
opposed the Committee report on mass acwage the struggle within the Party until SepThe report of the Credentials Committee ţion, arguing that the term mass action should tember, in order to rally all the revolutionary recommended the seating of 66 delegates from be qualified by the word political, while Fraina elements for a Communist Party, meanwhile 14 states (other delegates being seated at sub answering on behalf of the Committee, argued that mass action, while it develops non politicorganizing, temporarily, as the Left Wing Section of the Socialist Party.
ally under the impulse of concentrated inThe Left Wing Conference was overwhelmdustry, acquires a political character as it ingly a proletarian body. It was animated with comes in conflict with the bourgeois state, a fine spirit of enthusiasm, which nothing mass action being not alone the tactics of the could daunt. For four days the delegates laimmediate struggle, but equally the final tacbored over important problems; and the prodtics of the social revolution.
uct of their labors was an organization basis In the discussion of the report of the Comand a theoretical formulation for a real party mittee on Manifesto and Program, the issue of revolutionary Socialism. It was a Bol.
of the immediate organization of a Communist shevik Conference, appreciating the vital neParty was again interjected. This interjeccessity of a Bolshevik policy for the Amertion of the Communist Party issue interfered ican proletariat. On the one hand, a fringe with the transaction of business; realizing of Menshevik delegates were overwhelmingly which, the Conference decided to suspend the beaten; and, on the other, a tendency toward regular order of business and proceed with Anarcho Syndicalism met with absolutely no the report of the Organization Committee.
response. Theoretically and tactically, this The majority of the Organization Committee Conference stands alone in the history of reported in favor of the Conference organizAmerican Socialism.
ing as the Left Wing Section of the American The Conference was composed of over 90 Socialist Party, that a National Council of delegates from 20 different states, coming nine members should be elected to compose overwhelmingly from large industrial centers, the executive organ of the Left Wing Secthe heart of the militant proletarian movement, tion, and that The Revolutionary Age (to be The Upsurge of Socialism such as New York, Boston, Buffalo, Rochester, combined with the New York Communist. Philadelphia, Providence, Pittsburgh, Hart sequent sessions) but split on the question of should become the national organ. The maford, Chicago, Minneapolis, Duluth, St. Paul, seating 15 delegates representing the Central jority further reported in favor of carrying Detroit, Kansas City, Denver, Cleveland and Committees of the Russian, Polish, Lettish, on the fight within the Party for the coming Oakland, Cal. The Left Wing has taken firm Ukrainian, Esthonian, Lithuanian and South two months; that all Left Wing locals and root in New England and the Pacific Coast, Slavic Federations. The majority recom states, including those expelled or suspended, in the North West and Middle West, in New mended seating them as full delegates. Max should elect delegates to the Emergency ConMexico, wherever the militant proletariat is in Cohen, as the minority, opposed this, arguing vention of the Socialist Party to be held at action. letter was received from dozens of that the Federations were already adequately Chicago, August 30; and that if all delegates comrades doing time in Fort Leavenworth represented through regular delegates they are not seated, including delegates of susPrison, greeting the Conference as the inspir elected or participated in electing, and that pended organizations, the Left Wing deleation of revolutionary Socialism.
seating delegates from the Central Committees gates shall secede and organize a new ComLouis Fraina was elected temporary meant duplicate representation. The majority munist Party. The minority, consisting of Chairman, and in his opening address sounded report was accepted.
Nicholas Hourwich, reported in favor of the the keynote of the Conference: With the adoption of the Credentials Com immediate organization of a Coinmunist This Conference is an expression of the mittee report Fraina vacated the chair, and Party.
upsurge of revolutionary Socialism within the William Bross Lloyd of Chicago was elected All Sunday evening was given to this disParty. The crisis in Capitalism has created a permanent Chairman, Renner of Detroit cussion. Fraina raised a point of order that crisis in Socialism, and this crisis goes to the Vice Chairman, Fannie Horowitz of New the minority report in favor of immediately heart of our revolutionary problems. The proYork permanent secretary, and Rosenthal of organizing a Communist Party was out of letarian revolution in action has modified the Philadelphia assistant secretary. Committees order, on the ground that it was in conflict old tactical concepts of Socialism; and the inwere then elected as follows: with the Call of Local Boston, Local Clevespiration of the Bolshevik conquests, joining Manifesto and Program: Fraina (Boston. land and the Left Wing Section of New York with the original minority Socialism in the Batt (Detroit. Stocklitzky (Chicago. Ruth City, on the basis of which the Conference met.
Socialist Party, has produced the Left Wing. enberg (Cleveland) and Ferguson (Chicago. The Chair ruled the point of order well taken, In spite of a reactionary bureaucracy, revolu Organisation, Finance and Press: Cohen and the minority report not before the house.
tionary Socialism is conquering the Socialist (N. Wagenknecht (Ohio. Hour An appeal was taken from this decision, reParty, proclaiming that in spite of the dead wich (N. Lindgren (Brooklyn. Mac sulting in a vote of 42 to 42, which sustained policies of the past, it will lay the basis for Alpine (New York. the chair. MacAlpine thereupon moved, seca revolutionary Socialist movement. Our So Labor Committee: John Reed (N. Ben onded by Fraina, a suspension of the rules in cialism will conquer not only the masses in Gitlow (Bronx. Anderson (Boston. Car order to discuss the immediate organization the party, but the proletarian masses outside ney (Duluth) and Jurgis (Boston. of a new party. Larkin amended that Hourthe party. This Conference has an historic Resolutions: John Ballam (Boston. Bross wich, representing those favoring an immedimission to perform, and it will perform it in Lloyd (Chicago. Tywerowsky (N. Mauate Communist Party, and Ruthenberg, accord with the milita traditions of revolu rin (Boston) and Stillson (Chicago. ing those favoring the other view, tionary Socialism. Our task is not an imme At the second session, Sunday afternoon, the be empowered to draw up a joint resolution diate revolution; it is the task of organizing Committee on Manifesto and Program report around which the discussion could center. The and preparing for the revolutionary struggle. ed. It was recommended to the Conference resolution was as follows: The Credentials Committee, consisting of that the approval of the Manifesto be left to Resolved, that the Left Wing Conference represe