The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-11-03
Democracy in the Soviet Union

the that mo opposition party permitted Russia
tell the COMMUNISTS" says the delegation chat we
object to this suppression against democracy The
reply of the Communists but the important thing that
the delegation shows that its members believe super
system called democracy which and should be maintained
matter what the status of the class relationships and social
forces
Democracy" conception of arriving at methods and
rules for organizing society be based only the idea that
all persons who up society have privileges
and powers This conception has place for the idea of ruling
class and consequently at complete variance with the realities
of modern capitalist society j. P Morgan has only vote but
only fool will that this puts him on the same footing
a worker.
The for "democracy-the franchise election of of
fcas free expression of opinion etcwas of the r
ing capitalist class against royalty the astoacy and the church
Even then demanded for all sections of the population
The franchise secured by the workers and farmers only after
long and bloody struggles These facts which intelligent
worker knows
today franchise by restrictions the
most democratic countries In the United States the
have only the franchise recently and residential quafica
ton debar millions of the from participation in elections
AS far free expression of opinion concerned is only
the facilities of the ruling class in the
United States and its supporters with those of the labor move
en Freedom of Speech if for the moment grant that
in principle little if the newspapers theatres
magazines movies schools etc. in the hands of the capt.
talist class
comparison of facilities for free expression
to those the disposal of the Communists who alone challenge
whole system capitalism America it becomes clear that
democracy does not freedom of expression for ALL
Finally the ruling class of the United States has the
and has exercised the all expression of opinion
which only opposition to its pocywhch did not
advocate social revolution,
Let forget either that Party
cared illegal in 1919 by the American government long after
the and pointed only method by
which social revolution be aceved-armed struggle against
the ruling establishment of the praran dictator
ship
The Communist Party represents the
terests of the workers and peasants The state in the
Soviet Union is in the hands of the
party which opposes in principle this Comnlun-
list Party and the state be only party which
sents other ineresoher class interests must be there
fore party which hostile the workers and peasants Since
these form majority of the Russian population well
majority of the population of all countries party
represent only the class interests of the old ruling minority
Russia.
But Russia stands proletaran capitalist world
inevitable therefore, that such party would represent not
only the interests of the the nobility
capitalist class but the interests of world capitalism WELL
Those who in the of democracy the are
camong for the freedom to organize opposition parties in the
Soviet Union actually demanding that the class enemies
workers and peasants be allowed backed world capitalism
to have in determining the policies
came to power thru the victory of the Russian CAPT
talism.
"The main question of the revolution said Lenn sis
question of power"
Likewise the question democracy the Soviet Union is
not the question of democracy the abstract question
of democracy for class-the working class
When the report American Trade Union Delega
ton begins to consider the question concretey shows
lingering love for abstract democracy prevent
realities of life in the Soviet Union overcoming its preudces
gade Kautsky" that:
Proetarian democracy million times more democratic
than any bourgeois democracy The Soviet power million
times democratic than the democratic bourgeois
public
Something of this to have been gimpsed by the dele
cation.
THE great of the peoples says the delegation have
infinitely political freedom than they
regime They elect the members of the Soves which are
sponsbe to them They thus influence decisions of the
government to degree formerly impossible"
Here have comparison between past present in
Russia Let what the delegation says compares
conditions for the in Russia with conditions
Western liberals, the delegation says and those opposed
to the Soviet frequently confuse political
is of the
economic freedom it does greatly benefit Russian
workers possess this economic degree enoyed by