The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-09


"A thing Louis B. Boudin says about
the Communists in the July issue of
THE American Labor Monthly" is
correct. Assume further that his
facts, premises, reasoning and conclu-
sions are all faultless. Remember
also that in doing SO you will have as
sumed the following:
1. That the Workers Party has been
willing to accept LaFollette as the
leader of the American labor move
ment provided he breaks with the Re
publican Party.
2. The G. E. c. of the Workers Par
ty has definitely assumed the position
of the old reformists that whatever is
not Big Capital, or "Wall Street."
is not capitalist. And with that theo-
retical position of the old reformists
it has also adopted the policies of
those reformists: the policy of ALI
ances with small capital against Big
Capital
Then we say to Boudin . Alright!
The Workers Party and its G. E. c..
are absolutely no good. They are re-
formists of the old school, new school
and all future schools put together
They are a hopeless bunch. Now
what shall we do? What have yor
got to propose? The intellectual gym
nastics of 1.-THE American Labor
Monthly" are at times quite enjoyable
When we have nothing eles to do, an
your worthy magazine happens t
fall across our field of vision, we dom
blink but look into it and see whats
doing. As a rule, we find what
Meaningless glances, skeptical smiles,
derisive gestures, pompous preten
sions, and hatred-bitter, burning, UNI
disguised hatred towards the Com
munists and the militant workers of
America generally.
For the moment we might be will
ing to disregard even this. We would
be ready to approach you in the
spirit of genuine Christian humanity
and speak to you thus:
Louis B. Boudinl
Our land is big and fertile, but there
is no order in it.; come and rule over
us.
We offer you, not LaFollette, the
crown of leadership, but tell us, pray,
tell us, what is your program? Where
do you stand in the struggle between
International Reformism and Interna-
tional Communism? What have you
got to say regarding the immediate
problems of the American workers?
You are Marxist. of course. We
know it from your own mouth, also
from history" But so is, or was,
Kautsky, Hilferding and Plechanov.
You are an old-timer, a veteran,
so to speak. We see it from your ar
ticle in "The American Labor Month
ly" where you relate battles of long
ago between reformism and Marxism
in the Socialist Party of America.
All this is very nice, indeed, but
somehow we cannot forget the fact
that Kautsky too, and Plechanov, had
fought reformism and "revisionism"
in the pre-war Second International
Didn't they? And yet, you know
what became of them when confront
ed with the real test.
Give Us Something Constructive.
Yes. sir, give us something con-
structive. something positive. some
thing that we can build on. We are
real sick Of the sort of political wis
dom whose highest and ripest mani
festation is disdainful look and a
sour face. Speak out in concrete,
positive terms il you really have
something to say.
Now, as to your criticisms.
The Workers Party, you say, was
viking to offer LaFollette the crown
of leadership IL he breaks with the
Republican Party. You even go as
far back as the year 1852, the begin
ming Of Russian history, to find a