The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-20

and the farmers with the domination
of big capital But these insurgents
and their policies can in no way be
taken as representative of the class
interests of the workers and the poor
farmers, or as in any way effectively
defending the interests of these
classes.
"a working class party must under
no circumstances permit the insur-
gents in the old capitalist parties to
sidetrack the movement towards a la
Dor party into the channels of the old
political parties or into the channels
of some liberal bourgeois third party
movement.
"There is no doubt that the insur-
gents of the old capitalist parties are
cultivating illusions among the masses
of the possibility of utilizing those
parties in the interests Of the masses.
In fact, the agents of the insurgents
are engaged in undermining the eff
forts of the workers and farmers to
initiate an independent political move
ment of their own. This must be
combatted The position of work
ing class party with regard to the in
surgent elements and to the tendencies
known as third party movement tend
encies, must be as follows:
Stop Weakening of Movement.
awe must not hamper but rather en-
courage the activities of the insur-
gents in so far as these are directed
against the domination of big capital
in the government, but at the same
time we must resolutely fight against
any attempt to represent the insur-
gents as speaking in the name of la
Dor and the farmers and to combat
their efforts to weaken the movement
for Labor Party and an alliance
with the poor farmers.
Must Formulate Position.
"The approaching national elections
make it necessary for every political
organization speaking in the name of
labor to formulate its position clearly
on the question of the labor party.
The position of the Workers (Com-
munist) Party is definite. We are
for labor party to take the field in
the coming national elections. What
is the position of the Socialist Party?
S. p. Expressions Unsatisfactory.
Leading members and organs of
the Socialist Party have in recent
months given expression in the mat
ter. These expressions are unsatis-
factory from the point Of view of a
clear working class policy. Victor l..
Berger, in a recent statement in New
York, declared: "The nation needs a
new party and needs it badly. The
two old parties are now one. There
is nothing to distinguish one from the
other The democracy to revive, it is
necessary to have big, strong OPP
position party, founded upon prin-
ciple.D
This Statement is vague and bears
the earmarks of middle-class liberal
ism.
-.... What Does Berger Mean?
"The question which we are conf
PEELED to ask is the following: Does
Victor Berger mean a new party of
labor, labor party based upon the
trade unions and including the exist
ing political workingclass organiza-
tions, or does he mean a middle class
liberal party? Does Victor Berger
project the idea Of an anti-capitalist
Party, or does he want a capitalist
liberal opposition to the existing par
ties, of the kind that the insurgents
are striving towards? This is a
basic question, which the Socialist
Party must answer. Since the Ma
tional Executive Committee of the
Socialist Party declared in its appeal
on the Debs Memorials that the time
is ripe for "a third party political revo-
luton the American labor movement
is entitled to know what kind of a
third party the leadership of the So
cialist Party is speaking of. The rank
and file of the Socialist Party is also
entitled to received clear answer on
this question. Us it a LaFollette
middle-class party or working class
party that the Socialist Party leader
ship desires?
The New Leaders Statements.
con the other hand, we find in the
New Leader Of New York, another
Socialist Party paper, expressions of
opinion which would indicate .opposi-
ton to any kind of political alignment
in the labor movement on a united
front basis. Speaking on the results
of the recent elections in New York,
Reading, Buffalo, ETC., the New
Leader declares that "There is now
no doubt that the Party (The Social
list Party will be the chief standard
bearer of the workers in the national
campaign next year" This position
implies that the Socialist Party could
serve as the rallying center for the
American working class on the polit-
ical field, that the Socialist Party is
in fact the labor party. This is ride
ulous and harmful, because a labor
party must be based on the trade
unions and must include the existing