The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-26

F~AS ECU W IHe dlfnlgnLy GOV-
eminent of the bosses, by its troops
and injunetions. The workers may
be robbed of the results of a
~ceessful strike, because the increas-
ilg cost of living can nullify higher
wages. MERE ECONOMIC STRUG-
GLE CANNOT FREE THE WORK
Frs FROM EXPLOITATION AND
OPPRESSION. Political struggle is
also necessary. But it must be polit-
zeal struggle in the interests of the
working class and carried on by poll
ttieal organizations of the working
class. Many workers participate in
political struggles but on the side
Of the bosses. Today the bulk of the
workers-even those who economic
ally, in their trade unions, by their
strikes, fight the bosses-sdpport the
political parties Of the same bosses,
the republican and democratic parties.
This is fatal mistake, because it
kneans that the workers themselves
Y aelp the capitalists to hold their grip
on the state power. Those workers
who still remain in the camps of the
republican and democratic parties are
helping the capitalists to be the bosses
of the courts, to use injunctiOns and
armed forces to crash the trade
unions and to parF1yze the strike
movements of the workers.
The workers have made several at
tempts to link up their trade unions
and other labor organizations into
labor party. In certain places farmers
labor parties are now in existence.
The Workers (Communist) Party
supports the formation of those labor
parties which are based on trade
Unions and other organizations of the
working class. 1t is willing to parti-
elpate in the formation of such labor
earties, because it considers this the
first decisive step toward independent
5tical action by the working class,
he first step of the workers to break
away from the parties of the bosses.
At the same time the Communist
Party considers it its duty to tell the
workers frankly that a labor party
has its limitations and that it will
not be able to lead the workers in
their final struggle to their emanci-
patton only Communist Party
can do that. Only under the leader
ship of the Communist Party can the
American working class emancipate
itself from the double yoke of cap
italist exploitation and oppression.
Itais to the interest of the workers
to participate in all election strug-
giles. 1t is necessary to fight for the
election of workers to the various
legislative bodies. 1t is necessary to
run workers candidates for offices.
But it is dangerous illusion to think
that the workers can assume power
by electing more and more members
of congress or executive officials The
workers can never seize power by the
revolution can the working class
swing into power The most import
ant aim of participation in election
campaigns is the mobilization Of tn
working masses for the struggle
against the bosses. The chief use
fulness of representatives in legis-
iative bodies consists in securing a
RNtCAAS blAb0itC 1OI lliS CdQSS OIL LIlC
working class, from whence it is pos
sble to. expose the actions of the
bosses and arouse the militancy of
the masses. The workers must know
that political struggle is much broad
er than mere election struggle. They
must know that political struggle is
IN the interests Of the working class
sN,,lxs 80 -,
Of politically independent working
class party. The notorious "non-par-
tisan" policy of the A. F. of L., which
calls upon the workers 'to punish
the enemies and reward the friends"
within the capitalist parties and cap
talism itself. The policy Of the So
calist party, which promises the
workers that they can assume power,
abolish classes, and control the in
dustries by the intelligent use of
the ballot" is an equally base be-
trayal Of the working class. The l.
w. w, which restricts itself to mere
industrial action" because it is afraid
that through political activities it
will lose its revolutionary integrity,
has actually become a sectarian and
reactionary organization.
Demands.
Independent political action Of
the working class, formation of
labor party on a national, state and
local scale.
2. A genuine Labor Party must be
based on trade unions and other labor
organizations, and on factory, mill.
and mine committees Of the morgan
lied workers. A genuine Labor Party
must exclude all politicians of big
and small business, and must include
as a true federated body all sections
of the working class, without any
discrimination, which accept the gen
eral principle of the class struggle
and are willing to fight for the in
terests of the workers and exploited