The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-02-25
BY David S. Reisz.

There can no more be a dictatorship
of Cor rather: BY the proletariat AS
A WHOLE, than there can be die
tatorship of (or rather: BY the cap
italist class as whole.
Either expression is inaccurate, fol
either expression presupposes unanimi
ty or at least majority participation
or approval of the dictatorship either
by the capitalist class or by the work
ing class.
When Communists speak of the die
tatorship of the proletariat, they do
not have in mind the dictatorship par
ticipated by all the members of the
working class. No! They do not even
have in mind the dictatorship of the
! (or rather: BY the) majority of the
proletariat.
To the Communists the expression:
Dictatorship Of the Proletariat"
means: Dictatorship by the majority in
the Communist Party in the interest of
the working class.
If this is what the expression means,
then why not say SO and discard the
inaccurate term: "The Dictatorship of
the Proletariat9' "
Nor have those so called revolution.
lists who oppose the dictatorship of the
ticipated in by all the members of the
proletariat clearer conception of the
subject. There are some illogicians who
state: There can be no dictatorship Of
the proletariat in this country, because
here the proletariat is in the majority,
and majority rule is no dictatorship. -
True, in this country the working class
is in the majority. Nor should it be
forgotten that in every country the
working class is in the majority.) But
to mention the fact that the working
class is in the majority in this country,
as an argument against the dictator
ship of the proletaIiat in the sense
of opposing the dictatorship by the
majority of the Communist Party in tho
interest of the working class-is to
assume that the whole working class
or at least the majority of the voters
in this country will, even while capital
ism lasts, become so conscious of econ
omie- social requirements that they will
vote for the communication of wealth.
Lincoln Steffens told in lecture that
when the Bolsheviks assumed power in
Russia, there was no majority rule, for
there were as many opposing views re-
presented as there were representatives.
1t was then that the Bolsheviks estab-
lished dictatorship, and did so with the
approval or perhaps only with the ac-
quicscence of the people.
What happened then in Russia, may
happen elsewhere. 1t is unlikely that
all, or even the sufficient politically
voting majority of the working class
in this country, will, while capitalism
lasts, discontinue supporting the various
conflicting organizations, and, by a
calm reasoning process decide to sup.
port Communist political party.
1t is unlikely that the workers will
be ready under Capitalism to abandon
the issues raised by the Republican,
Democratic, Farmer Labor, and Social. /
ist parties, by the I. W. W. and A. F.
H. unions, and that they will make a
voting majority to usher in
Communism either on the s. l.. P.
ticket or on the ticket Of the United
Communist Party Of the U. s., section
Of the Third International
"The Dictatorship of the Proletariat"
seems to be an illogical and objection.
lble slogan for propaganda purposes.
'All Power to the Workers." or can
Power to the Labor Unions" while not
perfectly accurate expressions, seem
nevertheless to be much more likely to ,
meet with respose by the members of
he working class affiliated with any
md all organizations.
(What slogan proved more convinc.