The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-05
Ruthenberg Explains the
Criticism of Socialist
Party by the Left Wing
BY j. LOUIS ENGDAHL.


TT inevitable that the death Of comrade and leader
G. E. Ruthenberg should again bring to the fore
front the differences between the Socialist Party of
fcialdom typified in Morris Hillqut and Victor L.
Berger and the Socialist Party's pre-war left wing,
that developed into the American Communist Party
Ruthenberg the standard bearer Of the clash with
the socialist paramentarans He was the leader OF the
struggle to win the Socialist Party membership for
revolutionary position, to conscious struggle
against capitalism It this long effort, through
the years from 1909 to 1919 that fitted him well
for the mante of leadership that fell his shoulders
in the young American Communist movement
1t may be said that of the millions who read of
his death, muttudes will ponder, "Why did Ruthenberg
break with Hiquit and Berger and help build the Com
munist Party?"
Ruthenberg joined the Socialist Party in January,
1900 Within two three months after joining the
party he became of it's officials, serving it in
official capacity up to June, 1917, without pay He be-
came paid employee of the party in the month that
the espionage act went into effect, when conscrp
ton put into force-June, 1917, taking up the
cudgels against and mitarsm actively in
the hours when many socialist officials anxious to
drop dangerous party duties following the adoption of
the st. Louis Anti-War Proclamation.
1t during these months of the American partici-
patton in the war; the months following the Bolshevik
triumph in Russia, that the differences within the So
aist party crysalized and led to the split of 1919
Ruthenerg forth those differences while on the wit
stand in the capitalist court, in New York City,
holdlng
to the American capitalist government
Under direct examination by l. E. Ferguson, also
trial, but who acted of COUNSEL Ruthenberg had
explained that the socialist locals in Ohio
whelmingly left wing.
In the question by Ferguson, "Can you tell
what said by the left wingers with regard the
Socialist Party at that time (early part of 1892"
Ruthenberg replied:
"The criticism was of the platforms of the Socialist
Party which included great number of so-caed i'm
mediate demands These demands dealt with immediate
changes which the party advocated such as, for in
stance the abolition of the senate the limitation of
the hours of work for children industrial insurance
accident insurance and similar reforms The criticism
that the Socialist Party through the advocacy of
such misleading the working class into
belief that they could secure their emancipation from
oppression and exploitation to which they sub
jected under the capitalist system, by achieving the
enactment of such measures The left wing commended
and the criticism that the party should the
position of demanding merely thing and that the
abolition of the capitalist SYSTEM and the first step
toward that end, the transference of political power
from the capitalist class to the working class"
The examination then continued:
90 Did this criticism state opposition to better
ment of conditions of workers now? A. No. it did not
g. Was it then simply opposition to the Socialist
Party doing sort Of thing another? A. 1t
opposition to the Socialist Party laying emphasis in its
propaganda campaign propaganda and educational work
upon these against the ultimate aim for
which the party was supposed to stand"
90 Go on and state other criticisms that you know
that made any, of the official Socialist Party by
the left wng A. Also that the Socialist Party empha-
sized the participation in the elections and the election
of certain officials; that it had become less
vote getting machine to elect certain persons public
Offices rather than organization which sought to
bring about fundamental change in the social system
That, in contradisncton to the emphasis the election
of certain candidates. the left wing believed that emphasis
should be placed upon the industrial organization of
the workers"
20. What do you mean by that? A. The organization
into unions into industrial unions, and of the indus
trial power of the workers in their struggle for change
in the social system 1t the position of the left wing
that under the existing political and social conditions in
the various capitalist countries that with the control
Of the newspapers the control of the educational nst
tutions the control of all the of information in
the hands of the dominant Glass; the capitalist class that
the effort achieve political control through election
campaigns fruitless; that the working class should
rely upon the point at which its could be organized
and used directly through the industrial form of
ganizaton and through such of that power would
develop under the change in the social system and the
social developments"
| 20. What is industrial union you have
used the term? A. The organization Of all the workers
irrespective of craft into union.
20. Of all of what workers? A. All the workers en-
poyed in a certain industry.
20. The organizations of the workers of the par
ticuar industry in the industrial union Of that indus
try? A. Yes, sir and the combinations Of those indus
trial unions into union.
20. And in what sense do you the word indus
trial action? A. In the of using their power
withhold their services to achieve their own ends
% By that you mean strike action? A. Yes.
"By the Court.
60 To achieve what end? A. Those which they
organized to achieve.
Co. And what are those? A. The effort was to
change capitalism into Socialism
"By Ferguson.
| 90 Now, what do you mean by that? A. To change