The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-10

mate the organization The result
was that thousands Of the best rank
land file militants left the /. w. w. in
disgust at its propaganda against Sow
let Russia. The full effects of the
favorable reaction towards the Rus
STA revolution on the part of the /.
W. w. membership thus failed to OBJ
Tain expression in the organization as
UGH
Most profound was the effect upon
the Socialist Party of the Bolshevik
upheavaI. The split which took place
| in 1919, the formation Of the various
Communist Parties and groups, and
heir later indignation under the in
fuence of the Communist Information
tal, brought a profound change into
the left-wing conception of trade
union strategy and tactics. At the
same time this split eliminated the
Socialist Party as even the shadow of
an Independent factor. Since 1919
the S. P. has steadily and consistent
| ly gone to the right, abandoned all
lpretense even of opposition to Comp
ersism, and today suffer silently from
the insults which "the Grand Old
Man" heaps upon them the while he
orders them about.
The Birth of the American Left-Wing
Movement.
, Within the trade unions there had
for years been a small group of revo-
lutionists attempting to develop a
revolutionary wing therein. In 1912
this group organized the Syndicalist
League of North America, which ex-
pressed the general tendency of syn
dicalism but in fiat opposition to dual
organization, opposing thereto the
idea of revolutionary nuclei in the
mass unions. This movement after
short but active life, subsidized, to
appear again in 1915 as the Inter-
national Trade Union Educational
League, which, however, soon expired
in the war atmosphere of the time.
In 1920 the Trade Union Educational
League was formed, marking time for
the most part, while it endeavored to
bring about unity of program among
all the left-wing elements.
1t was at this time that the full
effects of the Russian revolution upon
the American labor movement gener-
ally began to show themselves. I'm
der the leadership OF the Communist
international and later also of the
Red international Of Labor Unions,
the revolutionists of America were
freeing themselves from the peculiar
ly American dogma of dual unionism
which had rendered their efforts
sterile for a generation. The result
was the coming together in a great
campaign Of left-wing organization
and the Qualification of program, in
the Trade Union Educational League.
From the mass trade unions came
hundreds of militants hitherto unat-
tached to any revolutionary body on
account of the old dual union notions.
From the l. w. w. came a group of
workers who embodied all the fine
traditions of the best revolutionary
days of that organization. From the
Communist groups that split away
from the Socialist Party and were
later unified in the Workers Party
of America, came the full current of
revolutionary experience
and theology. In the Trade Union
Educational League all these ele-
ments, comprising every healthy
American left-wing tendency, were
fused together into the first effective
left-wing trade union movement in
this country, the American section
of the Red International of Labor I'm
ions.
The Red international in America.
In the brief years of its work the
Trade Union Educational League has
wrought a profound Qualification in
the entire labor movement. Starting
out with great campaign from coast
to coast and in every labor union, for
ne,Ier ant4x -