The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-06
sy WALTER T. FRANK.

BY WALTER T. FRANK.
l(oMRADE BITTELMAN in the Dec.
~ 2 issue of the DAILY WORKER
severely criticizes the nature of the
speech delivered by Comrade Amter
to the Hungarian convention. He also
attacks Amter for having delivered
this speech, undoubtedly because it
has seriously weakened the argument
Of the majority. Comrade Bittelman
asks on what ground will Comrade
Amter and the minority justify the
raising of this issue in the party.
Comrade Bittelman further says, FAC
tionalism as rule, is most rampant
in pre-convention periods but 1t would
seem that there would be limit to it
somewhere"
Minnesota majority" Putseh.
Comrade Bittelman undoubtedly
hints that the minority in defending
their position have overstepped the
limit. Does Comrade Bittelman not
know the Gompers tactics used by the
majority as a means of forcing their
views down the throat of the rank and
file Of the party. For an example the
reorganization of the English branch
in Minneapolis.
The English branch meets every
Thursday night. Previous-to the meet
ing on Thanksgiving day, notice was
sent to the members of the branch,
that inasmuch as the meeting was on
Thanksgiving day it would be held in
the morning, instead of in the eve
ming. Nothing was said about the con-
templated reorganization of the
branch. The meeting was opened by
the statement that the English branch
had not functioned and therefore
should be recognized. A chairman
and secretary supporting the major
ity views" were elected. The writer
asked the chairman if it was not I'M
Communistic to reorganize a unit of
the party, without having notified its
members to that effect. One of the
majority then answered that the con-
stitution of the party had been care
fully examined and they had found no
such provision. In replying to this 1t
was pointed out that in a Communist
Organization there should be no need
of inserting such provisions. That
any sincere member of the party
should know that such tactics are non
Communistic and the insertian of such
provisions in the constitution would be
admitting the existence of a lack OF
understanding of the elementary prin-
ciple of Communism in the party.
But it was unheeded, too much oil
had been poured on the machinery
Then, Chairman ]. o. Johnson having
made an unfathomable discovery, the
constitution Of the party did not pre-
vent one member of the branch from
submitting a slate Of candidates (of
the majority for the G. G. c. and
various committees. Such slate was
then presented by Comrade Fineman.
Since the machine was well oiled,
members who generally do not attend
regularly were present and in my opin'
ion a special effort was made by the
majority to control the meeting. AS
result those supporting the majority
rule were elected and those support
ing the minority views were elimin-
ated.
Membership Repudlates majority"
was retained as delegate to the G.
G. G. for the following reasons: ~ /
had not then definitely determined
which OF the two theses were, in my
opinion, correct. (2) The majority
figured that there was a possibility Of
me supporting the majority.
AT the following meeting OF the
English branch, the dirty tactics EN-.
ployed by the @. Il. G. majority group
was exposed, with the result that the
branch became very indignant over
what had been pulled on them at the
previous meeting.
The discussion brot out that Com.
rade Braden who had been eliminated
from the @. @. G. at this infamous
Gompers meeting on Thanksgiving
day, not because he had not been ac-
tive or not attended the meetings regu
larly, but because the majority group
feared him. The writer insisted upor
! lack Bradon beinR reIoct0d deleRate