The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-28

election Will only mean Cne cOnIlnu-
alton of Zausnerism. Such faker
may make a thousand promises, -
but his record shows that he means
oppression of the workers.
The way to bring the master
himself back to direct control of
the organization is to elect and keep
in office the pupil. The experience
of the workers in the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers brings this out
very clearly. The united front with
fake progressives has meant de-
moralization for the workers and
has meant the consolidation Of the
forces of the Beckermans and Hill
mans. The painters themselves can
relate similar experiences. The price
which the left wing pays for such
unity is too clear to be paid again.
Question of Tactics.
Occasionally some special situa-
ton may dictate the formation OF
a bloc with some rather insure ele-
ments who indicate a willingness tC
struggle but the conditions must be
carefully examined and the bloc or
ganized so that he leadership is
surely in the hands of reliable and
tested workers and the bloc contin-
ued only as long as it serves the
interests of struggle against the
bosses. Such conditions however Go
not exist at the present time ir
the painters union.
The writer has pointed out time
and again that the chief task of the
left wing in the painters union
under present conditions is to es-
tablish itself clearly in the eyes Of
the workers as the only real cham
pion of the interests of the masses,
and the only force that can really
be relied upon under all circum-
stances to carry out a determined
struggle against class collaboration.
For that purpose organizationally
and ideologically they must differ
entiate themselves from all other
groups. In forming united fronts
for specific issues, they must de-
finitely guard against becoming the
tail of the kite of some fake pro-
gressives Of which there are only
too many before elections, and
where progressive blocs are estab-
/ lished of which the left wing is a
part, the latter must not lose its
identity as a left wing and must
stand out clearly as the leader. This
is the only way by which the bloc
can serve its purpose and lead wild
err masses into struggle against the
bosses and their agents. The left
wing has not always maintained this
policy in the united fronts.
Untenable Position.
1t has not always understood that
the real basis of the united front is
the masses and that its real pur-
pose is to win the masses for strug-
gle. The writer has pointed out
repeatedly that the united front
against the Zausner machine was
tending to weaken the left wing and
place the left wing in a wrong light
before the masses because It was
not developing into an instrument
Of struggle along the entire line of
fight against Zausnerism and
Brindellism and because the left
wing was not fighting energetically
enough against the tendency of
some of those who call themselves
progressives to utilize the united
front to become mere office holders
with policies and purposes little diff
ferent from that of the reactionary
officials.
The opinion Of some left wingers
was so strongly for the continue
ton of the united front with those
progressives favoring Shapiro
against Mcnamara that the writer
must admit that even he himself at
one time was for at least a short
moment under the impression that
the time was not appropriate, as
those left wingers claimed, for put
ting up a third left wing indepen-
dent candidate. This only proves
that the left wing has exposed
Zausner but did not completely
crouch bring out before the masseq
the real issues Of struggle = for the