The daily worker., 1929-02-25
The Reverend Muste's Social Reformism

capitalist society," with the accompanying increase in the
class consciousness of the workersthere is invariably an
upcroppng of petbourgeos supporters of the capitalist
system ready with pseudoadca slogans intended to hold
the masses in support of the reactonary system.
Recent months have seen attempts to up with
called progressive phrases the reactionary antworkng
class policies the bureaucracy of the American Federation
of Labor These efforts have been led mainly by the Rev.
erend A. ]. Music and a corps of associates.
The Music group is now trying take independent
organizaona form 1t is left social reforms group,
with political as well as trade union character.
No intelligent worker afford to let himself be de-
ceved as to the real nature of this among sup
porters of the employer class and its capitalist system 1t
is necessary understand the origin of this group It's for
nation arises of the sharpening of class relationships in
this country at this time with the narrowing down of the
A. F. of L. the increasing importance of the unskied
and seisled workers the decisive factor in the labor
movement the development of unions under Communist
influence and the growing influence of the Communist Party
Here is widening market for the wares of such as
little Mr. Music. Neat packages of social reormsm, done
up in pink paper-guaranteed 'just good class
struggle!
Against what is the movement of this pettybourgeos
group directed?
It's composition and its program make 1t an instrument
directed chiefly against the Communist movement The
late the Communist influence among the masses. The
Reverend Music and his associates attempt only to steer the
discomfort of the masses into the channels of capitalism
The workers who seeking the path to break from
reaconary trade union bureaucracy from the influence
of treacherous social reorsm this Music would
seize upon and lead back into the camp of soceform
illusions into the camp of capitalism.
The Music group is now engaged in an effort to unite
the various socareforms groups and parties into party
directed against the Communist movement.
The real aims and the dangerous role of this group the
labor movement must be made known to- and thoroughly
derstood by the working class It's liberal pettybourgeos
theology and Left slogans most dangerous to the masses
precisely because the Music group having already fought
against all genuine Left aims will in the future quite
sistently betray every real Left slogan in action
An examination of the social character and activities of
the group surrounding the Reverend Music shows naked
the close and intricate connections with the yellow socialist
party and the bureaucracy of the F. of Ii with the
corrupt and active eutenants of big capital
in the labor movement.
And the pacfst face of the Music group sufficient
guarantee that in the fastdeveopng imperias sit
uation will play role of leading the workers into the
shambes with pretty words of peace Imperiaist
not without its pacs servants and the associates of
Mr. Music quite clearly applying for post pacfist
camouflage for the imperiast war makers.
This group takes what position in the class struggle?
Certainly not position in favor of class struggle the part
of the workers against the capitalist class fights against
the Workers (Communis Party. 1t fights and maneuvers
against the Trade Union Educational League against the
new militant trade unions and against their against
every organzaona expressonal of struggle against cap
taism.
impossible to let this group of adventures off with
the estimate that is harmless merely playing
tive part mot participating in the class struggle The
socialdemocrac parties and groups like the tradeunion
bureaucracy do not play negative role Their crime is not
that they do not participate in the class struggle but that
do in
dangerous forces for the employing class and state The
cast party today wedeveoped party of the police and
skebreakers The Music group democratic at base
but playing wouldbe ambiguous role pretendedy ito the
Left of the pocesocass and the strikebreaker trade
union bureaucrats in fact merely foooose type of
socia-democrats, dyedn-the-woo yelows who at every
test in the past have betrayed the workers and who at
test in the future will do the
The narrowing base of the A. F. of L.. the grow
ing decisiveness of the unskied proetaran in
the labor movement the increasing influence of the Com
munst Party which has played the leading role in
struggle of the workers and which nuures and guides
into the channels of class struggle the growing rehabilitation
Of the workershese the phenomena which the
raising of the yellow flag of the Music group inscribed with
Left phrases intended to draw the dscontented working