The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-23
A Communist catechism
More Questions and Answers

| method. When the FOSter-Cannon
group talks of a labor party it speaks
not Of labor party but Of the labor
party. To this majority the campaign
for a farmer-labor party is not proc.
ess contingent upon numerous factors,
! like the stage of the class struggle,
leadership, etc. They cannot see the
possibility Of revolutionary working
class emerging from this process.
The Foster-Cannon group looks upon
the whole farmer-labor united front
campaign as only incidental to the
general attempt Of establishing Ia
real all-inclusive labor party. We
maintain that the formation of farm
ers-labor party is only incidental
while the whole campaign is in our
opinion the decisive object to be ex-
plotted by the Communists. We want
to reap the benefits of the campaign
for farmer-labor united front while
the majority of the central executive
committee in a thoroly un-Marxian
fashion sets the goal Of the labor
party above everything elst and sacri-
fees all advantages of the campaign
to the achievement of their goal.
In other words, we propose to enter
the farmer-labor party movement to
exploit the process of the development
of the political consciousness Of the
masses for the Strengthening of our
party and the establishment Of our
party's leadership over the masses.
We work on the basis Of sacrificing
the farmer-labor party at any and all
times for the immediate advantage
of the Workers Party. For the CEN
trail executive committee majority on
the other hand. the farmer-labor party
Organization is the sole object and the
immediate advantages of such cam
paign for the party are sacrificed to
the goal Of the all-embracing labor
party in which, according to Fosters
statement at st. Paul, the Workers
Party will take its rightful position as
a hopeless minority.
The difference between the Foster
Cannon misconception and our Com
munist conception Of this question is
this: Foster and Cannon say that the
formation of labor party, the all.
inclusive brand Of theirs, is the goal
Of all farmer-labor party movements.
They go on to say that if such a
movement exists amongst the working
masses, then it is the duty of the
Communists to assist it, but always
with view of helping to accomplish
the task for the formation of farmer.
labor party. They wind up their poor
case with declaration that If there
is no movement for the formation of
their trade marked all-inclusive farm.
er-labor party the Communists should
not bother about it.
We, the minority of the central ex-
ecutive committee, maintain that the
American working class. still so large.
ly under the domination of bourgeois
theology and leadership, must develop
the idea Of separate political interests
of their class. Until a large section
of the working class in the United
States develops this idea the question
of Communist leadership over the
working class will not be a mass ques-
Ition. The slogan for a farmer-labor
party best expresses this elementary
basic need Of political Independence
of the great masses Of the workers
from the capitalists.
AS Communists, we, the minority
members of the central executive
committee, do not seek the establish
ment of a labor party Irrespective OF
situations and possibilities. II is.
however, the aim Of the minority Of
the central executive committee that
the party should gain the leadership
OF the working masyes during the very
process OF their breaking away from
capitalist theology and domination.
The kind Of labor party that viii
grow out Of this process will BIO de-
cided by the conditions and not BY
the desires of the Workers Party.
Foster and Cannon say the workers
don't want farmer-labor party now.
therefore, II is impossible to form one.
IL is our Communist understanding
that the workers need Independent
political action and the slogan and
campaign for a farmer.labor party
tend to develop this political indie
pendence, and irrespective OF whether
or what kind Of farmer.labor party
results from this the Workers Party
will benefit from such campaign.