The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-19

ly it would simply be an impossibility
for us to even attract the attention
of any significant group Of those
masses with a slogan For farmer
labor party" let alone to set them in
motion for one. Therefore, our i'm
mediate task in that field should be
to expose the LaFollette movement
and disillusion the working class
masses therein thru the most effec-
tive means now available-thru par
ticipation of the Workers (Commun-
ist) Party in the everyday struggles
of the workers, thru united fronts on
the numerous burning issues of the
class struggle and in such a way we
will most advantageously build a
mass Communist Party.
General distractions For Facts.
Against this unrefutable Communist
analysis Of the situation by the G. E.
G. majority the comrades of the mi
nority cannot put up a single valid
argument. They have as yet to prove
that the working class masses who dis
played sentiment for a farmer-la-
Dor party were not absorbed in the
LaFollette movement. In fact, the
minority have practically admitted
the contention of the C. E. c. on this
point. Nevertheless they are trying
to evade this cardinal question by
shifting the center of gravity of the
discussion and insisting that "the de-
velopment of capitalism brings about
the intensification of the class strug-
gle, that this intensified struggle in
wolves the open use of the state pow
er against the workers and forces the
workers into the political struggle"
and therefore, we have the basis For
q class farmer-labor party" thus
supplying general formulate and alb
stractions instead Of facts that the is
sue demands
Comrade Ruthenberg asks again his
famous question which he corrected
somewhat: as the mass movement
toward class political action, which
has developed in the United States
thru the intensification of the class
struggle since the end of the war.
dead?" Constantly bearing in mind
that the Workers (Communist) Party
represents a definite movement for
class political action, altho not as
yet mass movement, l will say to
the minority on this question that the
mass movement toward class poll
tical action in the sense of "Class
farmer-labor party is not dead for
the simple reason that it never was
born; for what we termed a mass SEN
timent for independent political action
existed and still exists in a rudimen-
tary form ind IN reafity was dominant
ly permeated with LaFollette ideo-
logy. In other words, when LaFol-
lette came out as an independent
presidential candidate he simply took
what was his own. The working class
masses couldn't see clearly the neces-
sity for a Glass farmer-labor party"
and since LaFollette was a much
greater political factor in their eyes,
hey were fully satisfied that the La
Toilette movement is the movement
they wanted. They were, are still to-
day and will be for some time to
come, obsessed with the LaFollette
illusion. So it will be nothing short
of a folly on our part to try now or in
the immediate future to maneuver
those masses with a slogan For a
farmer-labor party"
But Comrade Ruthenberg SAYS:
"The c. P. P. A., the LaFollette move
ment is offering an organizational
capitalization to workers and farm.
ers' organizations in the folds of the
petty bourgeois third party. Shall we
abandon the field and permit this
disqualification to take placer" No, we
shall not abandon that field, we will
fight the LaFollette movement from
below on burning issues of the every
day class struggle, but let's not en-
terrain such inconsistent illusions that
we can prevent the organization of a
movement If the economic political
and social basis for it exists. / think
this extraordinary tendency toward
constant political maneuvering, re-
CARELESS Of objective conditions and
revolutionary practice, is a danger
Gus one and should be stopped.
An Army That Understands How to
Fight.
Recently comrade of the minority
stated that we should make the Work
ers (Communist) Party mass Com.
munist Party and that the member
ship of the party should be an "army
that understands how to fight" Pre-
cisely so. That's another reason why
we should adopt the policy Of the c.
e. G. majority. A mass Communist
Party in name only with an army that
does not know how to fight is not
worth having. The present party dis
cussion proves that we already have
an army, which does not know yet
how to fight. Hence the great i'm
portance Of the slogan. "Bolshevize
the party" Even II the contention
of the minority in regard to the exist