The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-04-16
MUNIST INTERN
THE DEPARTMENT STATE

4
s. The old classical division of the labor move
ment into three forms (the party, the professional
or tradeunion, and the cooteratives), has clearly
outlived itself. The Proletarbn Revolution in Rus
sia has brought to the foreground the basic form
of labor dictatorship, viz, the Soviet In the nearest
future the following divisiot will establish itself:
First, the party; second, the Soyiets; and third.
the productive unions But the work both in the
Soviets and in the reyolutiozed productive unions
must be invariably and systematically directed by
the party of the proletariat. j. e., the Communist
Party. The organized vanguard of the labor class,
the Communist Party. serves equally the interests
of the economical, the political, and the cultural
struggle of the working class whole. The Com
munist Party must be the soul of the productive
unions. of the Soviets of Workmen's Deputies, and
of all the other forms of proetarian organization.
The appearance of the Soyiets as the chief form
of the dictatorship of the proetariat furnished by
the history does not in any way diminish the
directing role of the Communist Party in the Pr0e-
tartan Revolution. When the German Left" Com
munists (Cf the appeal of their party to THE
German proletariat entitled ITO the German Pro-
letarat dated April II, 1920, and signed by 'The
Communist Labor Party Of Germany"), declared
that even the Party should adapt itself more and
more to the idea of the Soviet and assume pro-
letaran character" ("Wird erfordert dass auch die
Partei sich INNER mehr dem Raetegedanken an
passt und proletarischen Gedanken annimmt'-
Kommunistsche Arbeiter Zeitung No. 54), this is
timid expression of the idea that the Communist
Party should presumably dissolve itself into Soviets
and that the Soviets presumably can take the place
of the Communist Party.
This idea is profoundly incorrect and reactionary.
In the history of the Russian Revolution we saw
whole epoch when the Soyiets were against the
proletarian party and supported the policy of the
agents of the bourgeoisie. The thing has been
observed in Germany; it is possibly also in other
countries.
In order that the Soviets could fulfill their his
torc mission it is necessary on the contrary that
there should exist Communist Party sufficiently
strong to be able not merely to adapt" itself to
the Soyiets, but to be in a position to exert de-
cisively pressure on their policy, to compel the
Soyiets themselves to give up adoption to the
bourgeoisie and the White Simultaneously and
to be able through the instrumentaty of the Com
munist fraction in the Soviets to lead the Soviets
| after the Communist Party
| Those who suggest that. the Communist Party
should adapt itself to who consider that
| through such adoption the proletarian character
| of the party is strengthened render yerys poor
service to the party and to the Soyiets for they
do not understand the Significance of either the
party or the Soviets. r'The Soviet idea" will
Z quer all the sooner, the stronger the Communist
| Party which we shall be able to create in each
| country will be. The Soviet idea is now recog-
nzed ostensbly by many Independent Socialists
and even Socialists of the Right. But these ele-
ments can be prevented from corrupting the Soviet
idea only if We shall have a powerful Communist
! Party capable of determining the policy of the
| Soviet and of leading the Soriets.
| 8. The Communist Party is necessary for the
working class, and not only before the conquest of
governmental authority not only at the time Of the
conquest of governmental authority, but after
| that authority has passed into the hands of the
working class. The history Of the Russian Com
munist Party which has held governmental authority
the huge country for three years, shows that the
role of the Communist Party after the conquest
Of governmental authority by the working class
has not only not decreased but, on the contrary,
has increased to an extraordinary extent.
10. On the day following the seizure of govern
mental authority by the proetarat its party still
remains only part of the working class But it
is precisely that part of the working class which
has organized the victory. The Communist Party
| -