The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-25
ARTICLE VII.
BY ROBERT MINOR

/
4 Party constitutes a change from
the organizational basis of the old
American socialist party to the or
ganizational basis on which the Rus
sian Communist Party is built.
The present structural form of our
party is basically the same as that of
the old socialist party. The basic
unit is the branch composed of those
members speaking the same language
and residing within the same general
residence neighborhood. The pecu-
liarity of the residence basis of or
ganization is two-fold:
1. 1t conforms to the basis of the
parliamentary elections.
2. 1t (the structural FORM has no
relation to the proletarian class ma
ture of the party.
The present form of our organiza-
tion is more or less sufficient to par
ticipate in the elections without any
particular attention to the question
of class lines. The division into IS
language sections is good for purpos-
es of abstract educational activities
and social entertainments. The whole
form was evolved in certain his
torical period to meet what were then
conceived to be the needs of the work
ing class party.
This organizational form was and
remains in accord with the political
theories of the socialist party Edu-
cation would bring the working class
land the petty bourgeoisie) to a be-
lief in socialism, and the parliament
airy elections would bring the coop
erative commonwealth into existence.
Political conditions in which the
American and Western European par
ties grew up illegal existence, demo
cratic" forms, the franchise, etc. led
to the development of the type of par
ty conforming to the political system
of the capitalist state.
Different political conditions in
which the Russian party developed
(the prohibition of all working class
gether every day in the factory at
their employment. The formation of
the working class revolutionary party
in Russia inevitably took the outline
of the workshop as the outline of the
basic unit of the party-the shop nu-
cleus.
Necessity had brought the Russian
party to the best type of organization,
while the rest of the parties Jagged
behind with an inferior form.
THE development of history in this
L period of the decay of capitalist
organization, lack of political fran
! chise, etc. led to a different basis of
organization. Workers could not hold
meetings in public halls; yet the same
workers were of necessity drawn to-
democratic" institutions and of the
proletarian revolution, has created in
all industrial countries of the world
the essential conditions which now
compel the reorganization of all sec
lions of the revolutionary party in the
higher form, on the basis of shop
nuclei.
| 1t is not a question of exact copy
ing of the detail of a party form
which evolved in another country at
another time, not the blind effort to
do something only because our Rus
sian comrades did it. The reasons
compelling the adoption of the shop
nucleus form are as compelling for
America today as the somewhat diff
ferent reasons were for the Russians.
The Russian experience produced a
form of organization which present
circumstances prove to be necessary
for the American party. (Also for
all of the other sections of the Inter-
nationally In this period it becomes
glaringly clear that an organizational
structure which serves only for abb
stract educational activities, for as
sembling mass meetings in a ponder