The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-08

I $4,000 new members; 1919: 100000;
1920: 10000; 1921: 100000; in the
year 1922 we resolved to admit no
new members.
AS you Will see, three-quarters OF
our members Joined us in the year
| 1920 and 1921. Attic we can look
back up a history extending ever 20
years, our membership is composed
to the extent % three-quarters Of
comrades who have only belonged to
the Party for two or three years.
This is most important fact, ana
one which must be accorded due
consideration, if our Party is to be
understood.
To this, the fluctuations in the
Party must be added. Naturally,
every party is subject to fuctua-
ton; members join, others leave. But
in our case the matter is very diff,
ferent; up to the year 1918 we had
about $4,000 members, as stated
above, and then we had a tremen-
dous influx Of nearly million mem
bers. At one time we exceeded the
number of 100000 members. But
after this the necessary purgIhg Of
the Party obliged Us to exclude
about quarter of a million mem
bers again, whilst number Of
others left Of their own accord.
Thus about 100000 comrades were
left in the erd. 1t need not be said
that such an extraordinary Auctua-
ton has never been observed in any
other country. And it has been the
cause of great difficulties to us.
To this must further be added the
division of work in the Party. We
must rule the country. the state an
paratus is in our hands. It is thus
incumbent on US as Party to find:
the Red diplomatist, the Red factory
manager, the co. operative, the econ
omist, the editor, etc. The Party has
to provide all these from amongst
its members.
Our Makeup.
Consider the most important
strata of the Party-here / select
the most important ones only-and
you will find:
1. A stratum, the best, consisting
of the $4,000 to 10000 comrades
working directly in shops ard fac
tories, that is, plain workmen.
2. A stratum, the second best,
composed of peasants; about 10000
peasants with small farms, that is,
.small holders.
3. A third stratum, composed Of
members of the Red Army, number
ing at the present time 40 600 in
the whole army; the majority Of
these are no longer serving actively,
but belong to the reserves, the army
administration, commissariat, etc.
4. A fourth stratum, consisting
Of students, mostly workers, num-
bering about 10000 comrades.
The remainder is distributed
among various small groups, as
trade uniouists, economists, ETC.;
there are about ten such groups,
subdivided again into smaller
groups.
If we analyze the structure of the
Party with regard to the social ori-
gin Of the members, we find that
proletarians form the great major
ity, and that workers still working
today in the factory as plain work.
men are in The minority, numbering
about $4,000 to $4,000.
And this factor must not be over
looked, comrades. this far-reaching
division of labor in the Party, for it
is absolutely unavoidable. Without
this division of labor, lis impossible
to rule the state, and it is thus in
dispensable, tho its strong positive
aspects are opposed by strong mega
tive ones.
Dictatorship: A Necessity.
Thus the state of affairs. And at
the same time you must recollect
that we have in the Party a consid-
cradle group of members who once
belonged to other parties-anarch-
lists, social reyolutionists, Menshe-
wiki. and the like. These comrades
number about $4,000 to 10000, and
many of them played active leading
parts in the parties to which they
formerly belonged. This again Gre
ates a most peculiar situation. To
be sure it is positive phenomenon,
showing that we have beaten all
other parties from the field. and
showing, too, we hope, that we have
won the best elements of these par
ties for our Party But it is none
the less a fact that there are still
elements amongst us to whom some
slight shade of the past still clings,
and who have not yet completely
merged themselves in our Party.
This is factor which must also re-
ceive due attention.
The final factor to be considered
consists Of our monopoly of legality.
Consider for moment the condi-
tons in any other country, in Ger
many for instance, and you will find
three workers parties; in other
countries there are two, in others
again four. Here the parties strug-
gle with one another, that is. every
individual finds his place in that
| party for which he really feels the
greatest sympathy.
In our case the matter is entirely
different. The dictatorship of the
proletariat cannot be realized with