The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-26
THE PARTY DISCUSSION CONTINUED
CRITICISM ABOUT THE PRACTICAL
ACTIVITIES OF THE PARTY

possibility for the formation Of a big
farmer-labor party, at present time,
but that they wish to carry on pro-
paganda work according to some feat
ures Of the united front. The major
ity also advocates propaganda work
among poor farmers and farm work
ers and in this respect they are COM
PEELED to work sometimes and in GER
tain districts according to the tactics
Of the united front. The majority
repudiates the slogan 'for the farmer
labor party" because the latter has
thoroughly merged into the LaFollette
movement. The majority claims that
the last named movement will re-
present the same as the radical gov
ernments do in European countries.
1t may be SO, but it may be different
too. 1t is wrong to compare thought
lessly the political movements of this
country, such as the LaFollette move
ment with certain movements of
European countries, that have history,
political experience and the develop
ment Of decades behind them. We
should not depend too much on pre-
dictions and presumptions, because
these may collapse. Still less should
we build the party tactics according
these lines. We remember very we'll
how Comrade Pepper in his flaming
articles, when McAdoo was exposed in
the oil scandals, told, that only a
miracle" can prevent the creation Of
third party. And according to this
prediction-which was alone mirac-
e--the boasting and noisy campaign
was started for building up farmer
labor party, campaign which ate
up energy and funds. This campaign
lasted over two years, but suddenly
a meeting of officials is called and all
the previously accomplished organizing
work Is repudiated and our own can.
didates are put in the field of cleo
ton. And after all this, we get theses
and statements, in which the idea
about the creation of farmer-labor
party is still more fundamentally re-
pudiated as useless and unsuccessful.
This has been done too hastily. Such
politics creates confusion and no one
outside the G.. E. c. has energy en-
ough to find out what is going on at
each time.
Now the members of the G. E. G.
accuse each other for the mistakes
that have been made in propagating
and building up the farmer-labor move
ment. The fact is all the leaders of
our party at one time oyerestimated
the. possibilities ON this field of &C.
ton. The whole c. e. @. talked about
federated farmer-labor party, its sig
nificance and it's power too enthusiasts
ideally basing it's estimation on mere
illusions. Now, when those great hopes
have not been realized, some of them
again begin to overestimate, that the
coming of LaFollette has wholly
destroyed and eaten up the farmer.
labor movement. This is no more true
than the assumption of a year ago
The conditions, looked at from the
viewpoint of propaganda from which
our party must direct its work and
movements at present, have not
changed very much within two OF
three years in this country. We, and
the Finnish membership in general
have always emphasized the building
up of our party, we have always been
very unwilling to follow the too fligh.
ty maneuvers and movements of the
party in it's agitation for the farmer
labor movement, because it has been
plain to us, that our party is unable
to build up such an enormous move.
ment in day. We have emphasized
the Strengthening of the party by car.
rying systematical agitation, by in
creasing the membership, etc. And in
this respect we are in accord with
the majority of G. E. c. But at the
same time we are Of the opinion, that
also the minority has tendencies in
the same direction. We cannot accept
such one-sided declaration, that the
farmer-labor agitation has now be-
come wholly hopeless, when It has
hitherto had so great possibilities. In
short, the viewpoints of both groups
have some sound points. Disagree
ments are very small and can be made
big only by political dabbling, by in
triguing and by writing separate
theses. This is only doing harm to
our cause. The unity Of our move
ment should be build on the fundamen-
tai point that at last. after numerous
mistakes and incorrect estimates OF
conditions, we must give our main
strength for building up our party.