The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-17
BY ARNE sWA5EcK.

N T the height of our farmer-labor
n maneuvers, we organized the
Illinois labor party. 1t was made to
order like most of such parties were.
Altho, even at time when there was
a movement making toward the form
alton of such party, the Illinois labor
party never succeeded in rallying
great masses of workers despite the
sincere efforts for united front dis
played by our comrades. Neverthe-
less, it became recorded in our annals
as another Conquest"
To our party the dangers were great
in this experiment; the advantages
were nil. Farmer-labor parties with
out mass support do not offer field
for maneuvering to broaden and deep
en- the struggles Of the workers and
our participation therein tends to
seriously obscure the Communist aim
in the class struggle, even from the
view of our own comrades.
The Illinois labor party had to be
extremely carefully nursed for fear
that it would remain still-born. The
provisional committee launched to
form the party invited all labor and
fraternal organizations of the state to
participate. Some 5000 local organic
atoms were invited. About 80 local
unions responded, of which 25 were
Of the United Mine Workers, some
workmen's circle branches and other
fraternal groups. With few excep-
tons the delegates who attended the
Peoria convention, at which the party
was formed, and who had also fought
in their locals to put the response
across, were either Workers Party
members or close sympathizers. The
fact that this convention was arrang-
ed simultaneously with, and in the
same city as the convention Of the
United Mine Workers. District IL,
helped to bring the delegates there.
And naturally, great care had to be
used to retain these few non-sympa.
thizing elements, in order to maintain
the farmer-labor appearance, which
was destined to rally the masses.
Care became so much more neces-
sary because Immediately upon the
issuance Of the call for the formation
of the party, it became branded by
the reactionary trade union officials
as another attempt to split the labor
movement and to form another
branch of the Communist Party"
and one Chicago carpenters local
union even withdrew its elected dele
gates. The situation was delicate.
To really interest the delegates-ex-
ceptions as well as party members
and sympathizers-and the unions
which had responded to the necessity
of the labor party 1t became necessary
TO attribute to it the qualities OF fight
ing the battles Of the workers and
to make 1t appear the real leader in
the class struggle. 1t was a natural
opportunistic outcome OF our general
opportunist method of applying the
united front tactics in this movement.
We were faced with practical
problem. We attempted to form a
state farmer-labor party and the out
come correspondent with the material
conditions available. The program
adopted. altho an improvement over
the many which our party at the time
was manufacturing wholesale, ex-
pressed not only the dangerous illu-
sion OF a parliamentary emancipation
OF the workers, but also the possibility
OF the farmer-labor party leading the
struggle for emancipation.
One delegate at the convention
made the statement In committee
that, in considering the program. one
vital point was overlooked, namely,
that Of proposing an amendment to
the United States constitution which
would provide for the enactment OF
the laws demanded. Undoubtedly, this
delegate, with many other workers,
was led TO believe, helped along by
our policies. that emancipation by
way OF parliamentary activities thru