New-York tribune., 1920-01-25

mitted. The constitution of the Com
munist party (see page 10 of the mani
festo) requires that:
Section 2-Applicants for member
ship shalt sign an application card
reading as follows:
1.-THE undersigned. after having read
the constitution and program of the
Communist party, declares his ad-
herence to the principles and tactics OF
the party and the Communist Interna-
tional, agrees to submit to the discip-
line Of the paSty as stated in its con-
stitution, and pledges himself to en-
gage actively in. it's work.
"An examination of the documents
submitted clearly demonstrates the
fact that it is the purpose of the Com
munist party to ovprthrow the govern
mcnt Of the United States. There are
many statements that might be quoted
showing that purpose. The two follow
ing arc typical. On page of the mani
festo and program the statement is
made:
Communism does not propose to
Capture" the bourgcoise parliamentary
state, but to conquer and destroy it,
And. again. on the same page:
The proletarian class struggle is
essentially a political struggle. .
The objective is the conquest by the
proletariat of the power of the state.
Many other staten ents of similar
purport are to be found in the same
document. After having found that it
IS the purpose of the Communist party
TO conquer and destroy the govern
ment of the United States, the next
point of inquiry is as to how the con-
quest IS to take place.
Orderly Methods Ignored
at is apparent that the Communist
party does not seek to attain its objec-
tive through the parliamentary ma
chinery of this government estab-
lished by and operated under the Con-
stitution. That is made sufficiently
clear by the following excerpt from
page 10 of the manifesto referred to-
"'(b) Partici patton in parliamentary
campaigns, which in the general strug-
gle of the proletariat is of secondary
Importance, is for the purpose of revo-
lutionary propaganda only
And again from pages 9 and 10 of
the same document:
In those countries where the con-
ditions for workers revolution are
not yet ripe, the same process will go
on. The use of parliame entarianism.
however, is only Of secondary i'm
portance.'
"'The Observation-Disclosures of the
Communist party performs a service in
mohilizng the proletariat against cap
ltalism. emphasizing the political char
acter of the class struggle'
The parliamentary processes estab-
llshed by our government are to be
discarded or used for propaganda pur-
poses only and other means adopted
for overthrowing the government of
1<, fV,+ C&,t
stated at considerable length and fre-
qNently reiterated, seemingly for pur-
poses of emphasis. The conquest If
the power of the state is to be ac-
by the mass power Of the !
proletariat.
STRIKES are to be broadened and
dcepened, making them general and
militant. and efforts made to develop |
their revolutionary Implications The I
strike is to be used not simply as /
means to secure redress of economic +
wrongs but as a means through which /
ne government may be conquered and
destroyed. few excerpts from the I
communist party and Communist In ;
ernational manifestoes will make these
statements evident
Thus, on page 10 OF the manifesto
md program of the Communist party of
is the following:
The conquest of the rnwer Of the
tate is accomplished by the mass power
Of the proletariat. Political mass strikes |
are vital factor in developing this
mass power. preparing the WORKING
class for the conquest Of capitalism.
ne power of the proletariat lies fun
in its control Of the indus
trial process. The mobilizng Of this
control against capitalism means the
initial form of the revolutionary mass
action that will conquer the power of
the state
And again, on page II of the same
document:
origis, but it acquires political char
acter as it develops fuller forms. Mass
action, IN the form Of general political
strikes and demonstrations units the |
energy and forces OF the proletariat.
brings proietarian mass pressure upon
the bourgeois state. The more general
and conscious mass action becomes.
the more 1t antagonzes the bourgeois
state, the more it becomes political
mass action: Mass action is responsive
TO life itself, the form Of aggressive
qroletaran struggle under imperial
SIN. Out Of this struggle develops
revolutionary mass action. the means
Tor the proletarian conquest of
power
And further, on page 12, the same
document:
"'strikes of protest develop into gen
eral political strikes and then into
revolnti onary; mass action becomes
political in purpose, while extra parlia-
mentery in form. 1t is equally a
process Of revolution, and the rcvolu-
tion itself in oreration.'
Then on page 10:
The Communist party shall par
ticipate in mass strikes. not only to
achieve the immediate purposes Of the
strike. but to develop the revolutionary
implications of the mass strike
Revolutionary Purpose Made Clear
And then making the purpose still
more clear we have the following from
. page 30 of the manifesto OF the
communist International with which
the Communist party Of America is
affii'ated, and whose manifesto is ac-
cepted as part of the policy of the
party:
The revolutionary era compcls the
proietariat to make use Of the means
OF battle which will concentrate its en-
TIRE energies, namely, mass action.
with its logical resultant, direct con
flct with the governmental machinery
IN open combat. All other methods.
such as revolutionary use Of BOURGEOIS
parsiamcntarianism, will be Of only
secondary signiGeance.'
rom these quotations and numer-
Gus otner statements in the manifesto
not here quoted, it is apparent that the
communist party OF America 10 no,