The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-27
BY WILLIAM z. FOSTER, JAMES p
CANNON and A. BITTELMAN.

challenged the leadership of the G.
e. C. majority. The minority charged
us with lack Of initiative and aggres-
siveness. The farmer-labor opportun-
lists of the minority are attempting
to make case against the c. e. c.
majority for its alleged failure to
foresee events and precipitate devel-
opments in the class struggle. This
compels us to make a reply which
viii show the membership the real
achievements of the party under the
leadership Of the present C. e. c.
nmaking our reply, we win be guild
ed by the following considerations
First, truthfulness to facts and real
ity. Second. proper regard for the
history of our party and for the OBJ
jective conditions that were confront
ing cur work during the past year
And. third, feminist objectivity and
mercilessness in the estimation of
past performances. in admitting our
own mistakes and in drawing les
sons therefore for our future work.
Dangerous Initiation.
This article deals with the term of
Office Of the present central executive
committee. i. e., the period between
January and December Of 1924. 1t
was a year full Of difficulties for our
party and its leadership. To men,
ton only a few of these difficulties;
The collapse Of the third party ALI
ance, the big sweep to LaFollette,
the breakdown of the arrangements
perfected by the ST. Paul convention
the change in our election policy. the
bitter war of the reactionaries against
our membership and sympathizers in
trade unions, and, last but not least.
the remnants of the internal factional
struggle with an organized caucus of
the minority functioning thruout the
country and with the main executive
Office of the party, the office of exc
cutive secretary in the hands of the
minority opposition.
It was a difficult year for our par
ty. The split Of July 3. placed us in
a state Of isolation which threatened
for a while to cut off most of our
connections in the labor movement
Then came the LaFollette sweep
which shattered badly the basis Of
our farmer-labor operations. On top
of this, we had to change our major
policy, the third party alliance, and
adjust ourselves quickly to the chang
ed situation.
In addition to all these very serious
obstacles to progress in our work.
we had to be constantly on guard and
at war against peculiar state Of
mind Of our organization which, for
lack Of better name, we shall cali
the spirit of Initiation. BY this we
mean disregard for objective facts
and reality, dangerous self-conceit as
to the strength and abilities of our
party, the worship OF empty phrases.
and a grave lack Of realism, prac-
ticability and feminist cbjectivity.
This inflationist spirit Is the spirit
OF the minority.
Our party was dangerously infiat-
ed with this spirit Of emptiness and
nctitiousness. Conscious Of this dan
ger for quite long time. we knew
that no greater service could be rend-
cred to our party than to debate the
party from the non-realistic. non-crf
teal and non-C Communist notions cul-
tivated by the minority, to bring the
party back to earth. making 1t real.
effective instrument in the class
struggle. To this vital task the cen
trail executive committee devoted. H.
self in all earnestness. and today, we
claim. our party Is much more real
istic, much more practical and. conse-
uuently, much more effective in its
work than It has ever been before.
The period OF wild maneuvers based
exclusively upon a policy OF blur. the
practice Of initiating campaigns and
movements having no other result
than an increased production Of par