The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-07
FIGHTING THELQFOLLETTE THIRD PARTY
BY WILLIAM WEINsroNE.
Clearing the Ground.

8AOulu VI many Illus nC1HE VI QOCCU-
tive arguments piled up by the major
ity to catch the imaginations of COM
rades who were disappointed by the
actual organizational accomplish
ments resulting from the labor party
campaign. In the branch discussions,
the motto of the majority seems to be
zone reference to the +. f. L. P. and
st. Paul is worth dozen arguments"
This group of arguments about the
alleged premature efforts to form Ia
Dor party, blinds many comrades to
the actual situation now confronting
the party. It settles for them the en-
tire question. These comrades say,
"July and June II! What vain and
futile efforts! Why should we try it
again? Why spend our energy and
money upon such work?"
These arguments tho they are mat
ters for consideration in future under
takings Of a similar nature, are not
valid arguments for the present dis
cussion. Only comrades opposed on
primo iple to the advocacy of a labor
party can propose them as decisive
arguments against the utilization Of
the "farmer-labor party" slogan at
present. If they apply to the minor
ity, they likewise apply to the major
ity. The majority maintains that the
campaign for L. P. produced bene-
fetal results in the Strengthening of
our party. The majority agrees to
participate in the movement for L.
?. should sentiment for it again arise.
It is an undialectic method to judge
the campaigns for the united fronts
by whether an actual, lasting united
front is achieved. The Communist In
ternational is not engaged in the unit
ed front for the purpose of forming al
liances with the social democrats and
labor bureaucrats. 1t is interested in
arousing the workers, in breaking
their lethargy in divorcing them from
their petty-bourgeois leadership.
Judged by the number of united
fronts actually formed, the Commun-
list International ould not have very
much to boast about. Judged by the
success gained thru the united front
tactics in winning the masses, the
Communist International has every
thing to boast about. The united front
has turned the Communist Parties
from sects into mass parties. The
united front is a method Of revolu-
tionary "auItatIon and mobilization of
the masses" Nothing more.
Keeping the w. p. In the Foreground.
The second group of deceptive ar
gument centers about the declaration
I'VE must at all times keep the
Workers Party in the foreground" If
this is an argument against the labor
party slogan at the present time; it
is an argument against 1t for all time.
What does keeping the Workers Par
ty in the foreground mean? In the
foreground of the class struggle, Of
the everyday activities of the mass
es. And it does not mean, merely
keeping the name Of the party before
the masses. This is the way of the
propaganda societies-of the S. L. p,
which confines its activities to the is
suance of a leafiet bearing the S. L.
P. emblem. A fighting Communist
organization must have a program for
the immediate activities-it must en-
gage in united fronts; it must be the
heart and soul of every movement
against the capitalists. These tactics
keep the party in the center and in
the foreground Of things. The united
front substitutes the name Of bloc
of organizations for the Workers
Party in a given instance, but it
brings the party into the heart of the
masses, into leadership Of their strug-
gle. This is what we must accomplish.
If this argument were valid for the
present discussion, it would apply to
the majority as well as minority. The
majority maintains that during the
election period, where the masses are
immature, the united front will be
employed in the form Of labor con-
crosses, councils Of action and labor
parties. In other words, of organiza-
lions other than the party ITSELF
II the growth of the Workers Party
depends upon its ability to find ways
and means to reach the broad masses
Of workers and IL it confined itself to
winning the masses thru an S. L. p.
orthodoxy and rigid formulation
II would wait until doomsday.
The Point at Issue.
The real point at issue is not touch
cd. upon by the above objections to
the minority position. The issue is
how to combat the LaFollette illu-
sion. How TO prevent the masses
from going over into the third party
camp. How to prevent the workers
who are ready to break away from
the old parties from going into the
new bourgeois third party.
The election showed that politically
the party was isolated from the great
masses Of the workers. It obtained
the support Of the party membership
and It's close circle of sympathizers.
The change in the election policy was
a necessary change. The election