The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-07-30
NECESSITY OF COMMUNIST
ACTIVITY.
Continued from page ~

tC0nClnueQ IEOiH PoSS ~
Lrowr The discussions which took
nlace at the Second Congress OF tne
Communist International and the prm-
c;nlss which were adopted, brought
them once more to the foreground
snecial situations can always ARISE
as is the case, for example, IN 'he
limited States. These special situations
cannot be disposed of by the appllca-
tion pure and simple Of the general
rule. They call for special examina-
ton and special solutions.
In the United States the traae
unions making up the American re
deration of Labor of which the yei-
low Gompers is president, comprises
onlv a small minority of the workers
Of that great country. This is just the
state of things that these unions
want for they do not aim to unite all
the workers, but on the contrary, on
lv a small group, in order to form
sort of workers aristocracy. Inc
means employed to attain TINS emu
consist, among other things, IN a very
,hioh initiation fee and in the syste-
a. o,;r,;na+ion of all the unskilled
workers, looked down upon by the new
labor aristocrats and left defenseless
to capitalist exploitation.
Nevertheless, recent events nave
shown that this state Of things which
has existed for many years IS now
being confronted with new currents
The domination of Gompers and MS
acolvtes is being seriously menaced'
and even in the heart of these ultra
reformist aristocratic organizations
revolutionary struggle is becoming
possible. This is very important
fact.
But this situation has no equivalent
anywhere else, while nearly every
where in Europe the problem is the
same. in England as in Germany, as
in France.
Advantages of Remaining in Old
Unions.
Tn organizations which include tens,
of thousands of workers, it is in these
organizations that all true revolution
lists must carry on the struggle.
No doubt it is easier to bring about
a split, to abandon the reformlst
unions and to create along side them
revolutionary unions.
But the new unions thus formed are
destined, by the very force of events
to be of little Importance as far as
numbers go, and what is more serious,
to have no influence on the mass OF
workers, and to limit themselves in
advance to a policy which, however
excellent it may be in theory, is in
practice confined to very narrow
circle.
The struggle is harder in the old
reformist unions, but nevertheless it
produces better results. Under the
present circumstances chances for ac-
ton are not lacking. Instability of
production and the ever-increasing
cost of living throw the workers into
frequent strikes. Then it is the
duty of communists to make lesson
of events, to show that the struggle
for mere increase in wages is an in
sufficient struggle because it is the
capitalist system itself that must be
attacked.
Moreover they find in these move
ments possibilities of showing up ir
concrete way, the duplicity Of re-
formist leaders who cannot conceal
in the course of their movements
their attempt to paralyze them, II
! dupe them, and to turn them off intC
blind channels to prevent them from
reaching their logical and necessary
conclusion. These leaders have basic
ally the same point of view as th,
capitalists; like them they are trying
to hold together the old world whicl
the imperialist war shook up so vic
lently and irretrievably distributed it
equilibrium.
The communists must tell all tina
to the workers; they must point out t,
! them the lesson Of the events whicl
are now developing at such a grea
pace, at the same time that they ar
showing up reformist leaders and re
negades.
But they must be convinced tha
they will have no chance Of beini
understood by the mass of worker
unless they keep in close contact wit
this mass, and carry on the struggl
with it, in the same unions. It
on this basis that they can carry O.
their activities with maximum result.