The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-02
BY JAMES P. CANNON.
Assistant Executive Secretary,
Workers Party.

W SPCCSH OClNcTcu dt the TdFty
Conference of Coal Miners at ST.
Louis, Mo-, July 9th, 1e24.)
COMRADES:
~ These conferences Of Party mem
bers in the important trade unions IN
which representatives of the Central
Executive Committee take part are be-
coming frequent occurrences. We
must regard this as a healthy sign.
1t indicates that we are maturing as a
Party Of theoretical and practical revo-
lutionists, and getting q firm grip on
our basic tasks. The close collabora-
ton between the active comrades in
the field and the leading organ of the
Party has a beneficial result all the
way round.
The close and intimate contact with
the practical problems Of the daily
struggle and with the comrades who
directly face them, serves as an un-
erring corrective to any tendency
there might be in the Party to deal
with these problems in an abstract or
purely doctrinaire fashion. On the
other hand, the participation of the
Party representatives insures that the
fundamental political aspect of the
trade union struggle will be brought
to the front in these trade union con-
ferences. The Importance Of this can
not be over-estimated. Otherwise
there is constant danger Of the work
Of our trade union comrades being in
fuenced too much by expediency and
so-called practically. One-sided con-
ceptions, purely trade union points of
view, take the upper hand and the
general class issues of the struggle
are pushed into the background. Such
a state of affairs must be guarded
against. We know too well that it
leads to reformism and futility.
We are meeting here today to con-
slider the problems Of the particular
trade union you belong to, from the
standpoint of the Party, which is the
standpoint of all Communists. And /
think I will be proceeding in the
proper order II 1 put forward as a
premise the revolutionary aims of our
Party and propose that we weigh and
judge every trade union question that
comes before us, no matter how small
or practical it may appear to be, in
the light of our final aims.
A Revolutionary Party.
Our Party is party of the probe
tartan revolution and the dictatorship
Of the proletariat. The proletarian
revolution is the only solution of the
labor problem and all our work must
lead to this goal. This is our starting
point in the trade unions, as in every
other field of activity in the class
struggle. 1t is this fundamental con-
ception that distinguishes us from all
other parties and groups in the labor
movement. 1t is the band of steel
that binds us together into one Party.
Our revolutionary goal shapes our
policy in the daily struggle. The revo-
lutionary aspirations of our Party.
comrades generates the enthusiasm
and self-sacrifice that give the Party
its driving power. Woe to us if we
become so practical as to forget
this for one moment. All our work
must lead toward the proletarian
revolution. If we keep this always
in mind and measure all our daily
work by this standard we will keep
on the right road. The revolutionary
principles to which we are committed
put upon us responsibilities and du-
ties which cannot be shifted or
evaded if we are to live up to our
conception of the Party as the van
guard of the workers. We have to
stand up and fight for the true inter-
ests of the working class as whole,
at every turn of the road.
With the Masses, But Leading Them.
We want to be with the masses,
but we must also go ahead of the 1
masses, and not be afraid 10 take an /
unpopular stand, when it is necessary /
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