The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-29
THE PARTY DISCUSSION CONTINUED
my POSITION TOWARD THE FARMER
LABOR MOVEMENT

lu6uLlLy.
The growth Of the Communist move.
ment in a country whose working
class, like ours, lacks every vestige Of
political interest and understanding
will be slow. The American worker is
an indiivdualist, is incapable Of see!
ing the larger aspects Of any question
Of national Importance. Contrary to
the current impression, the American
has no revolutionary tradition. and the
democratic illusion still holds and will
hold him in it's grip so long as GER
tain degree Of economic success can
still be won by personal and individual
endeavor. He will always be ready to
support reformers, men who like
Roosevelt. Bryan, Hearst or a LaFol.
lette take up the cudgels against big
capital to give the little man a chance
to aspire to place in the sun.
Our work in the labor movement.
therefore, will be, for years to come,
to go hand in hand with the industrial
labor movement in its struggles, to
force 1t to take up a more energetic
fight against the capitalist class, and
in so doing to bring into being the
political class consciousness that must
exist before labor party movement,
in which we can participate, can come
into existence.
In the meantime we will educate the
advance guard in the labor movement
those who will listen to our message
and help us In our work, to a clear
understanding Of the inevitability of
the social revolution and the methods
and weapons with which it can be
successfully brought about.
The Communist movement can do
this, however. only If it understands
that it must participate in all strug-
gles'of the working class; that it must
be the leader in these movements.
The recent decision of the central ex.
ecutive committee to carry on an
active campaign in support of the child
labor amendment, is case in point.
Here our party supports not only the
minimum made possible by the consti-
tutional amendment, but demands state
responsibility for the child's education
and welfare up to the 18th year, as
determined by federal legislation.
The Majority Thesis.
Taken as whole agree with the
majority thesis. The farmer-labor
movement is dead and is not likely to
awaken to new existence for years
to come. My differences with the ma
iority conception on the question of
the farmerlabor party are differences
Of emphasis rather than Of fact. While
! maintain that our support of the
class farmer-labor movement was not
accidental, but part Of our funda-
Mental Communistic conception,
believe that any attempt to resuscitate
ne deceased class farmer-labor move
rent at the present time can and will
ssult in confusion and resentment
-gainst our movement.
The Minority Thesis.
y ~--@O ~-AO AAAhOAAtJ CNdQCo Il0 uu6E~
ton of organizing new edition of the
federated farmer-labor party, it stands
by its own thesis, to this
program. One cannot actively en-
gage in a campaign for a theory and
refuse to put it into practice. There
can be but one alternative. Either we
believe that there is at present in
existence a distinct and numerically
significant movement for the creation
Of a party of labor and farmers along
class lines. If that is the case, it is
the duty Of the Communist movement
to support it and to augment its
growth. II, on the other hand, this
has dwindled into nothing.
ness. it is not our duty artifically to
it.
The experiences of the past year
have shown us the danger of the posi-
lion that the minority is taking. The