The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-08

these branches the left wing Socialist
established their socialist nuclei and
started to work to revolutionize them,
AS ! have already stated, In 1909, at
the Hibbing convention they finally
won their fight A new organization,
our federation was formed there.
That was our first fight on principles
of revolutionary socialism. In this
controversy we fought for revolution
airy socialism and against the petty
bourgeois and their theology and right
wingers of all kinds.
In 1912 and 1913 a new controversy
arose in our federation. Then we had
the Workers College at Shmithville,
Mimi, maintained by our federation.
Around that institution developed a
strong anarcho-syndicalisti group, led
by Leo Laukki. He and his follow
ers wanted to make our federation a
syndicalist organization and lead us
away from revolutionary socialism.
They were determined and had well
organized their forces. Their weapons
against us were the opportunistic ten
denotes of the socialist party OF which
our federation was part of. We ad-
nitted that there were undesirable
features about the socialist party, but
still that was just then, with all its
weaknesses, the only political party
With some membership, which, with
patient work could be trained to revo-
lutionary ways of thinking. At least
in theory it advocated the class strug
gle and an uncompromising fight
against the capitalist class. Our syn
dicalistic comrades attacked the prin-
ciple of political action and wanted
direct action, industrial action and
complete abandonment OF all political
activity. We claimed that the politi-
cal action is needed in the class strug-
gle and that we must work with the
politically organized workers in Am
erica. This group of radicals, Laukki
and others, told us that they were
revolutionary, that only they were
genuine Marxians. that they were
seientife Socialists and all that kind
of talk They were everything in
their opinion and we, our federation,
was nothing but incapable and ineffi-
cient politicians. They wanted to
lead our federation out of bondage to
the pastures of peace and plenty thru
direct short cuts.
We refused to believe that. We saw
that they had syndicalistic tendencies
and the leadership fever Of very
high degree. And finally in 1914 an
other split occurred. About 1900
members were expelled and with
drawn from the federation.
Radicals grouped themselves indie
pendently and started to fight among
themselves on the issue: "Who is the
greatest among u.s." Now this group
is almost completely wiped out. Hon.
est workers have come back to our
federation and the others, the rem
nants are now fighting the comintern,
and Profintern.
Again, in this second controversy
our federation upheld the banner of
revolutionary socialism. Anarchists,
syndicalists, leftists, the left Com
mounist who were stricken with in
fantile sickness, left us and we con-
tinued our work as usual. During
this controversy the most thoro dis
cussion on principles and tactics of
revolutionary socialism was held. Our
critics in some extent put up intelli-
gent arguments and we profited much
by them. OF course we made many
mistakes, which every progressive la
Dor organization VIII do. but they were
corrected at once.
The socialist party was not salts
factory to US, but we tried to revolu-
tionize 1t and we hoped that with the
aid Of other revolutionary comrades
we would finally succeed. However,
other comrades chose to go different
way. They organized themselves into
a left wing organization, thereby Civ.