The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-12
BY JAMES p. CANNON.

.
The majority and minority groups had
crystallized themselves into the most
rigid formation thruout the party. The
positive aspects of the factional fight
had exhausted themselves and disinte'
grafton was setting in. Party activity
was paralyzed. The authority of party
leadership was becoming undermined
and was being replaced by factionaI
| leadership. In this favorable soil the
right wing danger was growing, and
the struggle against it was being sub
ordinated to the struggle between the
majority and minority. The situation
in Cleveland was warning the party
like an alarm bell Of the danger of a
split.
| TN this desperate crisis the Parity
L Commission was constituted and
commenced its sessions. The party
members, wearied of the factional
fight and fearful of its possible con
sequences, turned their attention to-
ward the Parity Commission. Six years
of party experience had taught the
most responsible comrades in the par.
| ty to fear splits and to guard the
unity of the party at all costs. They
looked with hope to the Parity Com
mission to find a solution which would
turn the party back from the danger
of a split, consolidate the Communist
forces in the fight against Loreism and
put the party on the road to unity.
The most urgent tasks of the Parity
Commission were to save the party
from the danger of split, to unite
all Communist elements in the fight
against Loreism, to lay the foundation
for the liquidation of factionalism, and
to prepare the party to direct it's en-
ergy, which is now being consumed by
factionalism, into constructive work in
all fields.
LOW did the Parity Commission
IL deal with these tasks and to what
extent did it accomplish them? The
best way to answer this question is to
review its proceedings and their re-
suits.
1t was to be expected, in view of
the general situation in the party, that
a somewhat factional atmosphere
should characterize tibet first sessions.
This was accumulated by the fact that
disputes over organizational and fac
tional questions were taken up for
consideration first These conflicts
brot many sharp clashes which made
mutual agreement impossible. 1t was
impossible for the two groups which
! had been engaged in the struggle for
such long period to see organization
al and factional question: from the
same standpoint. The factlonal situa-
ton made solution of these problems.
very difficult.
HOWEVER, consciousness of the
- seriousness in the party and of
the grave responsibility resting upon
us finally made concessions possible.
Unanimity on the disputed factional
and organizational questions was final
ly reached by means of compromises
and concessions when mutual agree
ment was lacking. We believe this
was the best course to follow under
the circumstances. fractional interests
were injured by some of these deci-
sions, but the advantage to the party
of a settlement of all disputes with the
authority of unanimous decisions out
weighed these considerations. The
stabilizing effect on the party of the
organizational decisions of the COM
mission is proof of the correctness of
this view.
WTHILE the settlement of the organi-
w rational questions marked a GER
tain progress in the work of the Par
ity Commission, the crucial test came
when the political resolutions were to
be considered. Serious differences on
these resolutions would have made
unanimity impossible and would have
cancelled much of the practical value
Of the other decisions. Since political
platforms are the only basis on which
fractional groupings can stand for any
length OF time, the consideration of
the political resolutions of the two
groups in the Central Executive Com.
mittee had to determine the question
whether the foundation could be laid
for the liquidation of the factional
fight between the majority and minor.
ity and their unification on a common
platform in the fight against Loreism.
The political resolutions, which were
all unanimously adopted, are the an
swer to this question.
THE discussion over the political res.
olutions was conducted in an at.
mosphere considerably moderated.
Each group brot forward its own reso-
lutions on all the questions. A study
OF the resolutions showed differences
only in construction and phrasing. but
no serious differences in policy. There.
fore 1t became possible in each case.
either by taking one resolution as the
basis and amending it, or by combin.
ing the two resolutions, to reach unan.
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