The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-12-15
Discussion Of Our Party's Immediate Tasks

Norwegian labor party under the lead
ership of Falk and Traenmel likewise
agreed to proposals and decisions of
the Comintern-whe in Moscow.
Hoeglund up to the Fifth Congress did
the same-when in Moscow. Smeral
of the Czecho- Slovakian party has done
the same. Is the majority of the G.
e. G. following the same course? The
fate of these leaders was decided by
drastic steps on the part of the Com
intern. That should serve as warn
ing.
There is another point in the resolu-
ton of the presidium of the Commun-
ist International The resolution
states that this labor party shall be
composed not of ALL labor, but of
the elements of the working class
willing to conduct policy indepen-
dent of the capitalist class. From this
statement it is clear that only the
more radical elements will be willing
to enter into a united front with the
Communists for the formation of a
labor party. Does the Comintern re-
iect the formation of party, which
doesn't embrace the whole working
class-say, party like the British
Comintern is interested in labor par
ty within which the Communists can
work, for otherwise it would be an or
ganized body under leadership closely
linked up with the bourgeoisie. Hence
he presidium prescribed the nature
Of the elements out of which the Com
munists must form labor party.
This was the nature of the federated
farmer-labor party, even tho Comrade
Manley calls it fake" farmer-labor
party. 1t may have been-but if so,
then Comrade Manley and the present
majority of the c. E. C. sabotaged
the organization of a real farmer-labor
party. Even at that time, the present
majority could not understand the ma
ture of real labor party, for, as they
maintained, it would mean a split in
the trade union movement, a split of
the organized labor forces on the poll
tical field-and that they refused to
support. And yet what did Comrade
Zinoviev ray in the presidium regard
ing the federated farmer-labor party
of course, not knowing that we had
comrades in the American party who
go about forming fake" parties?
Aftor h. III II.
American comrades, after listening to
their analysis of the political condi-
tons in the United States, after hear
ing Comrade Foster declare that there
were between $500 900 and 1,Ooo.oo
workers represented at the CONVEX ton
of the federated farmer-Iabor party
convention, he said: 1--WE must not re-
greet that we formed the federated
farmer-Iabor party" Further he said,
q believe that if we study everything
we will say that in the year 1924
things are not so elementary :.
that we cannot propagate the idea of
an independent labor party. We must
dare to put forth this idea and it must
be realized, namely, separate labor
party. 1T is OUR MAIN DUTY TO
SET THIS IN NOTION"
Comrade Zinoviev recognized that
here might be reaction to the poll
eies that were laid down by the Com
ntern He had keen insight into
he nature of comrades who, pursuing
dangerous course, are withheld
from this course and lose heart. He
said: 'In America there is DANGER
OF OUR FALLING INTO DE LEON.
ISM. That we must state quite open
ly. We must hesitate about follow
ing in his footsteps. We are at the
BEGINNING of a mass labor move
ment which will be independent. The
idea of an independent labor party
will be realized"
To these remarks Comrade Foster
had nothing to say. They were based
upon the analysis that Comrade Eos
ter himself had given. That was very
good in Moscow-but in America II
seems that it no longer applies.
There is one other point that was
dealt with in the Comintern resolu-
ton. The resolution states that we
must build around the Communist
Party a broad CLASS labor party"
Undoubtedly the presidium of the
Comintern is made up of Two-and-a-
Half internationalists who conceive
as the function of the Communists
the building of a party of the Two.
and-a-Half International in the Unit
ed States Undoubtedly. the presidi-
nm is made up of mensheviks who
want to liquidate the Workers Party