The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-06-20

lIl!l1GoblCIlS IL C4ANS pN- OlA - - 49,
clearly expressed, but none the less
effective. That very grave error OF
the minority theses, Of concentration
upon proving an immediate economic
crisis by means of the monthly fluc-
tuations of production figures, was
an indirect expression of the theory
OF exceptionalism, of the idea that
the understanding Of the American
situation was to be derived from sur
face facts and appearances, and
without placing these problems ia
their international setting.
Similarly, the minority, while in.
sisting upon the primacy OF the innet
contradictions of capitalism, found
itself unable to develop properly the
dialectical inter-relation of the in
ller and outer contradictions, with
the inevitable result Of weakness in
development of the struggle against
the danger of war. This error, also,
was directly related to the theory
of eXceptionalism which had per-
meated the entire Party and condi-
toned all its intellectual life.
On the Question of Trotskyism.
1t was not only the pressure of
fractional needs" that caused the
former minority to make errors in
the struggle against Trotskyism.
The incorrect imputation of factional
opponents that the minority was
Trotskyist in tendency, doubtless
helped, as did the whole fractional
condition of the Party, to accentuatc
these errors, but do not explain
them. And above all the minority
was in error in failing to draw
sharply the conclusions that must
flow from the fact that the largest
part of the Trotskyists had been
aligned with the minority. 1t was
demonstration of fundamental
political weakness that the minority
was unable to expose the unsound-
ness of Cannon until he had openly
gone over to Trotskyism; and this
weakness was carried over in a GER
tain hesitation in making the sharp,
drastic break with and struggle
against the Trotskyist adventures,
which was only the more necessary
ON account of the conditions in the
Party.
The minority was further weak in
this struggle in its failure to develop
adequately the political kinship of
the American brand of Trotskyism
with the more open nd obvious
forms of oppotrunism. In it correct
insistence upon the necessity OF
struggle on two fronts, against the
Right danger and against Trotsky-
ism, it fell into serious error in fail
ing to concretely demonstrate by
anlysis, and to emphasize in it's
proper proportions, the opportunist
nature, implications and associations
of Trotskyism.
Speculation On Differences in the
c. P. S. u.
The Comintern Address declares
that "the minority specialized in the
version as if it were the only group
in the American Communist Party
sharing the attitude of the Commu-
mist Party of the Soviet Union in
its struggle against right devia-
tons" This statement should be
carefully studied and understood by
those formerly of the minority. Let
there be no misunderstanding on
this; the error of the minority was
by no means in wishing to support
with all its strength the line of the
c. P. S. u, for quickening the tempo
of ndustrialization and socialist
construction, and meeting the newt
able sharpening of the class stfug-
gle in the village and with the Nep
| elements by intensified Party life