The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-15
HUNGARIAN CONVENTION CAPTURED
~ BY FARMER-LABOR PARTY IDEA
By ALExANpER RITTELMAN.

the Convention Of the Hungarian
Section Of the Party.)
If there was any additional proof
/ needed Of the menacing nature of
the minority the convention of the
Hungarian section of the Workers
Party supplied this proof. For nearly
four hours the convention debated
the thesis Of the c. e. G. and
of the minority. Nearly every
one who spoke, with the excep-
ton Of one delegate, seemed to be
dominated by one idea-namely, that
il we drop the farmer-labor party
slogan we thereby sign the death
warrant Of the Communist movement
in America, It seemed as if the farm
er-labor party idea had become an
obsession with the comrades who
cannot imagine the further develop
ment of our movement without this
slogan.
In one Of the resolutions adopted
by the Fifth Congress Of the Comm
tern we find the following idea ex-
pressed: That our struggle against
1.-The petty bourgeois pacifst illu-
sions dominating at present the minds
of large sections of labor thruout the
world, is bound to be successful pro-
vided the Communist parties them
selves do not become contaminated
with these very same illusions. The
impression forced upon me by the
debate at the Hungarian convention
was that at least some sections of
our party are becoming contaminated
with such Illusions. That this is a
menace to our party everyone will
admit.
Some Peculiar Arguments Of the
Minority.
There is no need here for going
into detail of the report of the cen
trail executive committee as we'll as
of the report made in the name Of
the minority by Comrade Gitlow. 1t
is necessary, however, to relate some
Of the features of the arguments used
by Comrade Gitlow. Comrade Gitlow
resentd very much the charge of
opportunism directed by the central
executive committe against the minor
ity for its policy of emasculating the
Workers Party and of building a sub
stitute for it. In reply to this charge
Comrade Gitlow advised the Hungar-
ian convention to examine the per
sonnet of the majority and minority
of the central executive committee.
To assist the convention in this
examination of personal records,
Comrade Gitlow volunteered a bit Of
information. He said the minority is
composed of comrades Of long stand
ing in the labor movement, people
who have sacrificed for the movement,
have served prison terms for their
ideas, and have thereby proven their
fitness for leadership in the American
Communist Party. 1 do not recall
whether Comrade Gitlow volunteered
any information on the record Of the
members of the majority But the
conclusion to be drawn from his state
ment was that the members of the
majority of the central executive COM
mittee do not possess the virtues at
tributed by him to the minority, at
least not in the same measure, and
therefore the contentious of the cen
trail executive committee must not be
taken seriously.
Another very peculiar argument
used by Comrade Gitlow in the debate
was the proposal of the minority to
retain the slogan for class farmer
labor party and carry on an intensive
campaign for such a party also finds
its justification from the experiences
of the Russian Communist Party. He
said the Russian Communist Party
initiated a movement for the organi-
cation Of Soviets. Why did the Rus
sian party do it? Why did the Rus
sian party build non-Communist, non
partisan political bodies, such as
Soviets? The answer is, because the
Russian party knew that by means of
these Soviets it will be able to mobil-
ize large masses of workers and poor
farmers, organize them around itself
for revolutionary struggle against
capitalism. The American party has
the same duty to perform in the
United States. 1t, therefore. must
create non-partisan political bodies in
order to achieve the above end. Con-
sequently, the Workers Party of
America must carry on a campaign
for farmer-labor party.
The above arguments were, of
course, not the only ones used by
Comrade Gitlow. There were many
more of the stock arguments that are
burdening the shelves Of tho minority
archives. When, however. a represen-
tatife of the minority finds it neces-
sary 70 resort to such arguments as
those related above il would prove that
his cause is in very bad way. And so
IL is. But the majority Of the Hun
garlan convention was so obsessed
with the farmer-labor idea and with
many more fears and prejudices which
| am going to touch upon later that
It decided overwhelmingly to support
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