The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-05-24
By JAY LOvESTONE, Acting Gen
eral Secretary Workers Communist,
Party


Party
1t is now only a little more than
one month since the various districts
of our Party Organizations have
swung into full activity in the Ruth
enberg enrolment. Already the re-
suits achieved are gratifying evidence
Of the vitality Of our membership.
In the first three weeks of the
Ruthenberg enrolment our Party
members showed their capacity for
work, their ability to meet difficulties
and spirit and devotion of the first
magnitude to respond energetically
to the party's tasks under the
severest hardships~ Here, our leader,
Comrade Ruthenberg, died. A vicious
offensive BY the labor lieutenants of
American Imperialism, the employers
and the government, had been going
on for months against our Party. All
our enemies were busy singing our
requiem. We, the Communist Party,
in America were a thing of the past.
We were no more. And what was
even better for the bourgeoisie and
their socialist lickspittles Of the
species Oneal and other fake histor-
ians, we could be no moreno, no
never-never again.
Some Significant Figures.
Here are some interesting figures
that will make the socialist his
torians of the bourgeois chairs sit up
and be paralyzed with disappoint-
ment
In September 1925 our Party coun-
ted 14,037 dues-paying members. Of
this number there were at least from
three to four thousand who were
counted as members thru the dual
stamp column; that is, they were
wives Of members who purchased
dual stamps-one stamp for husband
and wife. Particularly among the
former language declarations was this
practice in vogue.
In October 1925 the National Or
ganization Department issued its call
for the reorganization of the Party
on the basis Of shop and street
nuclei. We proceeded with great
energy to reorganize the party. We
had just emerged from the most
costly. disastrous factional struggle
our Party had ever experienced.
Practically only half Of our member
ship responded to the reorganization
call To be exact, the dues payments
in October 1925, the first month of
reorganization, were only 1918. By
November Of 1925 the number rose
to 8.064. In December it mounted to
1854. By January 1926 the figure
reached was 1889. In March 1926
we totalled 9,052. This was the high
point for some months to come. The
summer period drew on and our dues
payments naturally shrunk.
Reorganization Difficulties.
No one will deny that due to reor-
ganization our party has been re-
duced in size, numerically, 20 an ex-
tent which some of US did not expect.
But we must keep clearly in mind
that the loss of dues-paying men,
bers is not as great as it would ap-
pear to the superficial observer. First
of all, a minimum of twenty per cent
of our dues payments before reor-
ganization were not dues stamps
sold to individual members
but were only dual stamps-stamps
given away to wives Of comrades who !
were members of the party by grace (
Of their husbands holding member
ship in the party After reorgani-
cation, this social-democratic practice
was dropped. There are no longer
any dual or "by-grace" members.
Furthermore, the newly organized
shop and street nuclei units do not !
all function well enough and regularly |
yet. There are many party members
far more active than many of the
regular dues-payers" in the pre-
days Of our party
who, because their units to which they
are attached do not function as we'll
as they should, are unable to pay dues
We make these remarks,
not by way Of seeking to explain away
or hiding any of our weak
nesses. The case is quite the con-
trary. We are here pointing out one
Of our most serious shortcomings.
Rally to Ruthenberg Enrolment.
The death of our leading cOmmu-
mist fighter, Ruthenberg, was an
loss to the party. This
has been recognized by our sworn
foes as well as by our most loyal
followers. But the party set itself
TO work with a zeal and a determine
ton to make good as much as possible
the loss thus suffered by US. The
Ruthenberg drive to build our Party
was launched under the most trying
The response Of the
exceeded the most sang
line hopes Of the most optimistic in
our ranks. There was a new spirit
in the Party. The inactive, TO a large
extent, became active. The active
members redoubled their efforts. I