The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-25
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BoIsheVik Reorganization

the basis which conforms to the lines
of concentration of the working class
IF the reorganization of the party
were undertaken with the idea that
it is a purely organizational mat
ter" the reorganization would be a
complete failure. No mechanical
change can Bolshevize a party. A
menshevik party could also exist on
the basis, mechanically, of shop nu-
clei.
But the shop nucleus system lays
the basis upon which the political
Bolshevization of the party becomes
possible. The structural reorganiz-
alton must be conceived asa part of
the process Of political Transformation
of the party
Correctly conceived and executed,
the reorganization to the shop nu.
cleus basis accelerates, and is a part
of, a deep-going political change. The
G. E. c. deliberately plans that the
theology of the party shall be "reor-
ganized" no less than the party struc-
ture. The two tasks are inseparable.
The Communist international does
not disguise the fact that it seeks de-
lliberately to throw the weight of con-
troll of each of its sections into the
hands of the Communist workers in
the basic industries. This alone gives
the basis for a change in the poll
teal theology 'of the party. One does
not have to solve mystery to know
that if there were a party with the
Communist name but with its center
Of gravity among a membership of
small merchants, doctors, lawyers and
independent artisans, it would not re-
spond to the same theology as would
party whose major anad dominant
composition is of wage workers in
large industry. To go step further,
party whose center of gravity lay
in the stratum of highly skilled work
ers enjoying a standard of living
equal to that of the petty bourgeoisie,
would not react in exactly the same
way as would party having it's cen
ter of gravity among a membership
the heavy industries OF course, the
raw, Spontaneous" reaction of the
workers of whatever stratum, I'M
touched with Communist training, are
not Communism; nor do we mean to
slacken in the slightest degree the
effort to win the most highly skilled
workers to the Communist Party. But
! the masses of the unprivileged stra-
tum of the working class are the
absolutely necessary soil for the tap
roots of Communist Party.
The shop nucleus system shifts the
center of gravity of the party toward
the party membership composed of
proletarians in the workshops, parti-
cularly those who are concentrated
in the heavy industries.
1t is not too much to say that this
structural" change constitutes the
basis for a political change-the Boil
shevization of the party. "A flash OF
light has already been thrown upon
this fact by the experience we have
had even at this early stage of the
beginning of the organization of shop
nuclei. When the work had only pro
crossed to an infinitessimal degree
| (previous to the party convention)
we already had a chance to see the
different reactions of the shop nuclei
as compared to the reactions of the
membership in the most, typical OF
the old forms of party units. The
overwhelming majority of the shop nu
clei reflected the Communist outlook
that was to be found in the party
rejecting sectarianism and opportun
ism alike.
The shop nucleus is not a cure-all
We cannot say of it, as is said of a
famous patent medicine, ut works
while you Sleep" The Bolshevik form
of party structure is a powerful in
strument only if its is in the hands
of energetic, resourceful Bolsheviks,
who drive the instrument into effec-
tive action.