The daily worker., 1924-07-29

honey, one OF the outstanding pioneers
in the Labor Party movement of the
Northwest, swore allegiance to La
Toilette and to the movement that
would not admit him as a delegate
Sidney Hillman was on the LaFollette
band wagon. Even the Socialist
Party, with Eugene v. Debs, surren.
dered unconditionally to LaFollette
the petty-bourgeois politician, and
cravenly gave up the fight for Labor
Party. Our hopes for left wing at
Cleveland which would fight for a
Labor Party and join hands with the
st. Paul Convention Committee on
that issue did not materialize.
2. A large section even of the ele.
ments which took part in the st. Paul
Convention were unable to stand IN
against the tremendous pressure OF
the LaFollette forces and capitulated
to them. Even such pronounced
Farmer-Laborites as William Mahoney
of Minnesota, Kidwell of Cali.
fornia, and many others who
could be mentioned, found it
easier to betray the interests of the
working class and the principles of
the Labor Party than to fight against
the permeation of the poisonous doc
trine Of LaFolletteism into the class
movement. They were afraid to take
an unpopular stand, although the in
terests of the working class clearly
demanded it.
We discussed the situation for many
days and considered it from all angles.
We took up the state of affairs in
every single state and discussed them
in detail
Taking the principle Of the United
Front, as briefly outlined above, as
our basis, we put the question to our
selves this way: If we can see a
substantial United Front mass move
ment that can be organized on a
national scale under the banner of
the Farmer-Labor Party, we will par
ticipate in it and go through the cam
paign as part of the United Front;
maintaining, of course, the right of
independent criticism and agitation.
On the other hand, if there is no
United Front and no mass movement,
if the Farmer-Labor Party represents
in reality nothing but the Communists
and circle of close sympathizers,
then the very foundation for our par
ticipation in the movement on a
United Front basis is taken away.
Under such circumstances, we are
duty bound to raise our own revolu-
tionary standard and fight in our own
name in order that we may not be
hampered in making the most out of
the campaign for the Communist
Party and the Communist principles,
which, in the final analysis, is the
objective of all our work. Our fight
is fight for Communism. All our
activity must lead to this.
The conclusion we finally arrived
at, on the basis Of the facts staring us
in the face, was that the Farmer-La.
Dor United Front in the present cam
paign does not exist. With the pos
sible exception of few states such as
Minnesota, Montana and Washington,
there is no appearance of a Farmer
Labor mass movement, able to stand
up against the LaFollette wave. And
even in these places the movement is
gravely endangered by enemies from
within.
This judgment Of the Central Exc
cutive Committee was confirmed by a
special Party conference of District
Organizers, Federation Secretaries
Party editors, and number of other
leading comrades from various sec.
tions of the country. Events which
have transpired since this decision
only pile up the evidence mountain
high, to prove the accuracy of our esti
mate of the situation.
In view Of these facts, to have con,
Quoted the campaign under the banner
of the Farmer-Labor Party, would not
have been to the best interests of our
Party, which are one and the same
thing as the interests or the working
class. 1t would have meant that the
whole burden of the campaign on a ma.
tional scale would have fallen on the
shoulders of our Party. We would
have been obliged to do practically all
the work for the Farmer-Labor Party
and pay most of the expenses. With
the exception of circle of close sym
pathizers, who will support the Com
munist candidates just as readily as
Farmer Labor candidates in most
cases, there would have been no one
to help us, no United Front, no mass
movement.
Moreover, to conduct such a cam
paign under the name of the Farmer
Labor Party, would have meant tc
moderate the propaganda and tone
down the whole campign. We would
not have been able to utilize the cam
paign meetings to the best advantage
to promote our Party and it's press
We would have been operating under
a form Of oamoufage when the politi