The daily worker., 1924-07-29
BY JAMES p. CANNON,
Assistant Executive Secretary
WorkerS parfv


under its own name? This is the
natural thing to do, and is being done
constantly by Communist parties in
all parts of the world. To follow
another course there must be series
Of special circumstances which offer
decided advantages to the party in
making a joint campaign with other
groups of workers.
The decision of our party to enter
its own candidates in the elections
this year has met with general ap-
proval thruout the party ranks. The
judgment of the Central Executive
Committee and the special party con-
ference in taking this decisive step
has been confirmed by the great ma
jority of the comrades with whom we
have had the opportunity to discuss
the present situation and explain in
detail the reasons for our action.
Some questions, however, are aris-
ing in certain sections of the party.
A number of comrades have come
forward with objections and criti-
cism, and it is necessary to answer
them.
Some comrades fear we have aban-
doned the United Front. They con-
slider that our action represents the
victory of the two extreme wings in
our party, who, strangely enough
have been meeting on common
ground in opposition to our partici-
patton in the Farmer-Labor Party,
altho for quite different reasons. 9th
er comrades who have yet a some
what unclear conception of the pur-
poses of the United Front and who
have been unconsciously falling into
the habit Of regarding the Farmer
Labor Party as an end in itself, have
written to the National Office in re-
cent days, requesting further explain
alton of our action. The bold decision
of our party to stand on its own feet
in the present campaign and enter
its own candidates has taken their
breath away.
1t is necessary to answer both of
these criticisms fully and adequately.
In this article we will take up some
questions raised by party branch
in the west, from the latter stand
point, leaving a discussion of the
tactical significance of our recent
decision for a later article.
We have said a thousand times,
and we repeat it again, that our labor
party policy is based on the united
front tactics laid down by the Com
munist International In order for us
to take part in the labor party, instead
of conducting an election campaign
under our own name, we must be able
/ to see decided advantages in it from
the standpoint Of Communism and the
Communist Party. A first and neces-
sary condition must be the participa-
tion in the movement of large bodies
of other workers who are willing to
make a common fight with us on the
basis of the class struggle. In such
circumstances, we have the advantage
of coming into contact with workers
mass movement, and if we have taken
independence of our party, we can do
fruitful work therein for the principles
Of Communism. We can draw the
masses of workers nearer to the Com
munist position, win them away from
the false leadership of opportunist and
progressive politicians and toward the
leadership of our party. Only when
all these conditions are present is ii
permissible to sacrifice even tenn.
porarily the tremendous advantage OF
putting up our own ticket, as is done
in nearly every country in the world
So much for the general theory un
DERIVING the Labor Party policy we
have followed up to now.
Taking this theory as our basis, we
were and are obliged to consider the
concrete facts confronting us at every
stage in the development of events
The statement of our party printed in
the DAILY WORKER on the day the
candidacy of Foster and Gitlow was
announced correctly set forth the
actual situation in the present cam
paign. Despite all our efforts to
create a United Front political move
ment under the banner of the Farmer,
Labor Party on a national scale, we
were not successful. The reasons foI
this failure are not far to seek. The
basic reason, of course, is the almost
complete domination of the organized
labor movement by reactionary labor
leaders and the labor aristocracy
which are opposed to Independent
political action by labor and to the
class struggle in general. But be
sides this basic reason there were
contributing factors which played ar
important part in killing the Labor
Party in the present campaign. The
treachery and cowardice of Fitzpat
rick and his group in Chicago deal
the movement a heavy blow. The
betrayal of the Labor Party move
ment by the Socialist Party played 9
part. On top of these. the tremendous
sweep OF the LaFollette movement