July 19, 1919.
The REVOLUTIONARY AGE All Power to the Left Wing!
Call For Delegates THERE is a call issued for the CorganizBy Louis Fraina out of a secession at the Emergency National ation of a Communist Party at Chicago Convention, An Answer to the Michigan Federation on September The Convention is called by a Call for a New Party 2) The Conference developed the theore National Organization Committee consisttical, tactical and organization basis for the ing of Dennis Batt, Elbaum, Party.
Johnson, John Keracher, Kopnagel, tral Committees of the Russian and Lettish 3) The Conference decided that, in the Stilson and Stoklitsky. The committee reFederations, who are the heart of the seces event the Socialist Party National Convention presents a small group which, emphasizingsion group. Yet they rallied around this call is postponed by the old the Council its own plans and purposes as against the conat the Conference a miserable compromise. of the Left Wing shall proceed with the Considered opinion of the Left Wing Conference, This maneuvre was decisively beaten. vention.
is actually sabotaging the Left Wing.
But still the Communist minority stayed 4) The Conference, moreover, issued a This development was initiated at the Con in the Conference. At another session, De call for a Convention in Chicago, September ference. group of comrades, of which the legate Hourwich (who was elected by Local 1, of all revolutionary elements that would most consisted of the delegates of the CenNew York of the Left Wing, but actually re unite with a revolutionized Socialist Party or tral Commitee of the Russian Federation and presented the Central Committee of the Ruswith a new Communist Party.
four delegates from Michigan, together with sian Federation at the Conference) proposed These decisions provide an ample basis for three utterly unrepresentative delegates from that, in addition to nine or eleven members New York City, appeared at the Conference of the National Council of the Left Wing to the unity of all uncompromising Left Wing forces. Yet a small clique of deserters issue determined upon one thing: to force the im be elected at the Conference, each Central their own call, as against the Left Wing.
mediate organization of a Communist Party.
What is this call issued to organize a ComAll their actions were colored by this determunist Party. In the first place, it says: mination. The Conference itself did not in Those who realize that the capturing of the terest them. The task of laying the theoreSocialist Party as such is an empty victory tical and tactical basis for our movement did Pursuant to the actions of the National Left not interest them. All was secondary to their Wing Conference, the following call is made will not hesitate to respond to this call and to Left Wing Socialists and Locals through leave the right and the centre to sink topreparations for a coup etat; and when their out the country: gether with their revolutionary leaders.
coup met miserable disaster, they practically Act at once to win the allotment of deleRendered impotent by the conflicting emoabandoned the Conference.
gates to your State for the Emergency Convention of August 30th for the Left Wing.
tions and lack of understanding present the The Left Wing Conference laid down the Proceed at once in a regular official way, Left Wing Conference) continued to mark theoretical and tactical basis for a party of to instruct these delegates to join themselves time as centrists in the wake of the right.
Communist Socialism. That is indisputable. with the National Left Wing Organization in In other words, the Conference and its NaIt equally laid down the organization basis, its plans to transform the Socialist Party into a Communist Party, or to establish a new tional Council represent the centre, while since it unified the forces of revolutionary Communist Party.
the small clique of deserters represents the Socialism. party does not consist simply Where the Left Wing has failed to make Left Wing of a name. It must have a theory, tactics nominations on the regular ballots for elecBut now consider: The Call to organize a tion of delegates, or where the Left Wing and an organization all of which were develements cannot carry the regular party elecCommunist Party says: This party will be eloped at the Conference.
tions, to organize the Left Wing membership founded upon the following principles, and The Conference was not against a Com provisionally for the purpose of electing de then comes the program of the proposed new munist Party. The majority favored a Comlegates to go to Chicago on August 30th to work with the National Left Wing.
party, every single word of which, except one munist Party in principle, but decided that The election of delegates by the Left Wing short sentence and the excision of certain the fight within the Socialist Party should be acting outside the regular party machinery unimportant passages is the program adopted waged for two months more, to completely should however, be on same ration of dele by the Left Wing Conference, and appropriatrout the moderates and to rally the revolugates to members as in regular election, aled by these deserters.
though the requirement of three years party tionary masses in the party, and that the final membership would not apply in this case.
Eitherdecision should be in Chicago at the Emer In the formation of a new party these Left the Left Wing Conference adopted a gency Party Convention.
Wing delegates will constitute the only re revolutionary program worthy of being used The issue in dispute was not one of prinpresentation of their respective States, so it is all important that such delegates be sent to as the basis of a Communist Party, in which ciple. It was one of judgment whether to Chicago on August 30th.
event the crime of the small clique of deserters organize the party immediately, or wait two Notify the Left Wing Council early and in bolting the Conference is moustrous. months.
fully concerning your actions.
OrThis is not a fundamental issue.
NATIONAL COUNCIL, LEFT WING the Left Wing Conference was a centre But the minority deserted, at the moment Ferguson, Nat Sec y Conference adopting a centre program, in when a concentration of our forces was abwhich event the proposed Communist Party solutely necessary.
is to be built upon the basis of a centre or They are comrades who, at the moment Committee of the Russian Federations should non Bolshevik program.
when revolutionary unity is indispensable, elect one member each in addition which Either contingency is a terrible commentplace their own ambitions and their own petty would have meant Central Committee, not ary on the acts of the seceding comrades.
politics above the fundamental interests of the federation membership control of the Council. The small clique of deserters stigmatizes movement. Secession on principle is justifi This proposal was decisively defeated. And the Left Wing Conference as reactionary. But able; but secession where there is agreement then, at another session, 31 delegates, repre they adopt its program. By this adoption, on fundamental principles is desertion. senting mostly the Federation delegates, read they admit that it is a revolutionary program Consider the facts: a declaration withholding further activity in representative of fundamental Left Wing The problem of whether a Communist the Conference because the Conference re principles and tactics. They admit, moreover, Party should be organized immediately atjected the proposal for Convention to that the Conference, in its formulation of the Conference was discussed at several ses organize a Communist Party.
theory and policy, was in accord with Comsions. The proposal was decisively defeated. But these delegates stayed in the Confer munist Socialism.
The proposal being decisively defeated, the ence and participated in its acts after the It comes down to this, apparently, in the minority delegates who favored a Communist defeat of the immediate Communist Party judgment of the small clique of deserters: if Party immediately should have withdrawn and issue. They did not withdraw until the pro you favor the immediate organization of a organized their party. That alone would have posal to control the National Council was de Communist Party, you are Left Wing; if you constituted sincere, consistent and uncom feated. In other words, the Communist min favor a Communist Party being organized promising procedure. But they stayed. ority did not secede until its proposal to allow two months later, you are a centrist. It At a subsequent session, the Communist cach Federation Central Committee separate makes the test of revolutionary integrity, not minority united in favor of a Convention call representation on the Council, thereby secur one of fundamental principles and tactics, but ed by the State of Michigan for Chicago on ng control, was rejected by the Conference. one of time and judgment which is nonsense.
September to organize a new party.
Re consider the facts: Not all who favor an immediate organizThe call for a new party issued by Michi The Left Wing Conference decided in ation of the Communist Party are Bolsheviki.
gan was not a Left Wing or Bolshevik call favor of a Cominunist Party, to issue either Three of the names signed to the Call are not that is admitted by the delegates of the Cen out of the capture of the Socialist Party or (Continued on Page 8)
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