I THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, August 2nd, 1919.
Report of the National Left Wing Conference come.
First Session, June 21st, 1919 Owing to the fact that it is impossible to the movement in their section, short five miOpening Address get out the complete stenographic report of nute speeches.
the proceedings of the National Left Wing Mr. MacAlpine: make a motion that we Meeting was called to order at 2:30 Conference, June 21 25, in booklet form in listen to the State Secretary of the Socialist Maximilian Cohen presiding.
the short time at out disposal, it has been Party of Michigan.
Mr. Fraina was elected temporary chairman.
decided to run extracts from the report dealMr. Batt: He is not here. But am secretary Chairman: Left Wing Comrades of the ing with the matters now under dispute.
Socialist Party: think all of us realize that the Ways and Means Committee of the It is proposed to give such extracts as will this conference is laying the basis for a new Socialist Party of Michigan, and might acstate the position of both sides and will revolutionary Socialist movement in the United quaint you with the situation.
throw all possible clarity on the issues inStates. think all of us realize that the tasks volved.
Of course, there is nobody here that is not of this conference are tasks that are going to aware of the details of the activity of the Nadetermine the future of the movement in this tional Executive Committee in expelling the country. And the conditions that have brought forces to express revolutionary Socialism in Socialist Party of Michigan, and suspending this conference into being are conditions of the policy and the practice of the Socialist the various language federations, in all apcrisis Capitalism conditions of crisis in movement. And this does not mean, as the proximately forty thousand members of the Capitalism that have not only produced critical Right Wing within the party tries to insinuate, Socialist Party. The State Secretary of the conditions in the life of Capitalism itself, but that we necessarily must have immediate rev Socialist Party of Michigan went over to Chihave equally produced conditions of crisis in olution. We are simply trying to prepare our cago to verify the reports that we have receivthe international Socialist movement, and in selves for the day when the revolution shall ed unofficially as to the expulsion of the State our own American Socialist movement.
of Michigan. And as a means of dealing with We have met here this afternoon in answer The test of revolutionary Socialism is not the issue, he called a special emergency conto a mass impulse within the Socialist Party simply an immediate revolution. The test of vention of the Socialist Party of Michigan, a mass impulse that is trying to transform the revolutionary Socialism is in its policy during which met last Sunday in the House of Masses, Socialist Party into a revolutionary party of the actual struggles of the proletariat at all Detroit, to consider what would be the future Socialism a movement that is trying to times, under all conditions in the struggle activity of the Socialist Party of Michigan in square Socialism, not with passive, hesitant, against Capitalism and the ruling class, and we reference to the Socialist Party of America compromising theory of ultra Socialism and of can express the tactics and the principle of and the genral Socialist movement in this the ultra conditions of Capitalism, but with revolutionary Socialism just as well in ordincountry. We have a peculiar condition in the new militant conception of revolutionary ary times, just as well in pre revolutionary Michigan that does not exist in any other Socialism of the proletarian struggle against times, as we can during the stress and turmoil organized group of Socialists in the United Capitalism. We have been told by our oppon of the revolution itself. And as a matter of States. The Left Wing program that you ents in the Socialist Party that it is just an fact, this revolutionary policy of ours, by im brought up and that has been endorsed, isolated movement that this Left Wing is pregnating the proletariat with the consciousdare say, over 50 per cent yes, 75 per cent not something that has its roots deep within ness of militant action, is preparing the proof the delegates here this afternoon, relife itself that it is simply an emotional ex letariat and ourselves as well for the final present organizations that have only adopted pression of the proletarian revolutions in Eu struggle against Capitalism a preparation that program in the last few months. point rope. It is true that the proletarian revolution which is necessary because unless you have out the fact that the Socialist Party of Michiin Europe is a vital contributing factor toward that preparation, unless the movement develgan has been carrying on its propaganda on a.
the development of the Left Wing movement ops that revolutionary consciousness out of the non reformistic basis since 1914. For the last in the American Socialist Party. But it has actual struggle, the immediate struggle of the five years, the so called left element has had been a factor in developing this Left Wing proletariat, when the day of the revolution control of the Socialist Party of Michigan.
movement in that it is proven by the actual does come, we shall find the movement lined There has been no reform propaganda carried test of the revolution that the concepts of the up with the counter revolution against the Soon officially by the Socialist Party of Michigan Left Wing within the American Socialist cialist proletariat.
in that number of years. We have concentratParty a Left Wing that was not born today So, comrades, don think that we have ing class the necessity of seizing control of the ed our activity upon pointing out to the work or the day before, but which has always been the militant left the militant minority of to elaborate upon this thesis. know that we political state and establishing a workers govthe American movement that their concepts of are going to face this task in a spirit of revernment, generally called the Dictatorship of olutionary Socialism, and of revolutionary revolutionary action have been proven correct the Proletariat. And when we convened last by the experience of the proletarian revolution.
reality. know that we are going to lay a Sunday afternoon there was no question of albasis here for a movement that is going to tering our position one iota. We never considSo that we don have to base this moveengage in the militant struggle against Cap ered for one moment the proposition of apolo.
ment of ours simply upon European events.
italism. Because behind this conference is We can base this of ours upon not simply the masses within the Socialist reversing our stand upon the reform amendzing to the National Executive Comittee and events within the American Socialist movement itself. We can say that the Left Wing of Party that have sent you here in order to ment that we placed in our constitution. That today is the child of the Left Wing of yesterrealize their concept of revolutionary Socialwas not even considered by the convention. It ism, but behind these masses within the party day which has been given an experience, which was moved by the Finnish Translator Secrehas been given a new courage, and a new milare the proletarian masses that are anious tary in the name of the Finnish delegates to the to get the call of militant struggle against convention that we do that kind of a thing, itant insight into its problem by the Communists of the revolutionary proletariat in Europe. Capitalism, in order to realize the coming of and the convention hooted him off the floor.
the Socialist republic. And the spirit of this They would not listen to him.
And so, comrades, we are met here this afternoon for two purposes or rather, our conference, the spirit of the delegates here task is a dual task. On the one hand, it is to assembled, the spirit of the masses in the Party The questions that we considered there last crush the moderate Socialism within the Amebehind this conference, is the spirit of the Sunday are the questions that the comrades are Communist International which calls upon the going to have to consider here. The National rican movement, by trying to conquer the SoExecutive Committee has demonstrated its recialist Party for revolutionary Socialism. And proletariat of the world to prepare itself for actionary tendencies by expelling from the Sowe are also met to lay down here this afternoon the final revolutionary struggle against Capcialist Party of America forty thousand memnot only a basis for this conquest of the So italism. Applause. bers practically expelling them suspending cialist Party but a basis for a new militant revPreliminary Reports some and expelling others. If know anything olutionary party, for a party that can function about yellow Socialists if have learned anyeither as the Socialist Party or as a party in The Chairman. thing by the past activity of yellow Socialists dependent of the existing Socialist Party, if There being nothing before the house, com both in the American movement and in the difconditions compel us to realize that task. rades, wonder whether it would be a good ferent European movements, there is no step And this party of ours is going to join hands idea to fill in the time, think it would be a too degrading, too contemptible, too miserably with revolutionary Socialism the world over. good idea, as the Credentials Committee will mean for the Executive Committee to take It is going to do its task in accordance with take probably half an hour or so to get its in order to maintain their control of the Sothe spirit and the tactics of revolutionary So report it might be a good idea to have some cialist Party of America (Applause. cialism. It is going to do what it can in of the comrades from the various parts of the warn you here, and warn you now that accord with its own conditions and its available country make reports upon the condition of the National Executive Committee of the So