The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-06-28

1ufCnef emphasize IHe correctness Oh
the C. /. criticism in this respect.
Thus for example in the former
Minority, sharp group differences
developed over the questions of the
apex theory, the reservations, the
"No more cruisers" slogan, etc, but
the comrades holding these different
views instead of bringing them open
ly before the Party, yielded to fac
tional tendencies and kept them
within the group. Typically, such
bridging over of political differences
which make our real struggle against
the right deviation impossible, were
made under the slogan of fight
against the right danger. Charac-
teristically, in the faction the ten
dency was not to see right errors
in ones group, but only in the OPP
posing group. Such practices, deep
ly-engrained in the groups as re-
suit of the long inner Party strug-
gle, constitute unprincipled faction
alism. They are the negation of self
criticism and stand as deadly bar
rier in the way of the Bolshevik
development of the Party.
The Question Of. Self Criticism.
In order to unite the Party on the
line of the G. |. Address by the
liquidation of the fractional walls
within the Party and also to liqui-
date whatever opposition there may
be, open or concealed, to the c. l.
line, it is fundamentally necessary
that the practice of self-criticism be
introduced fully in our Party. The
C. l. Address skaters politically the
old fractional groupings. The task
now develops upon us to follow up
this heavy blow by wiping out the
old fractional practices and thereby
really unifying the Party. For this
purpose the frankest Bolshevik self
criticism and the admission and ex-
PLANTATION of errors is fundamentally
necessary. In this way, the double
purpose is served of at once learning
the lessons from these errors and of
removing them as objects of fac
tional controversy in the Party. The
C. I. Address correctly lays the ut
most stress upon the question of
self-criticism, a necessary Bolshevik
principle which has been almost en-
tirely absent in our Party, in the old
Minority groups as we'll as the
Majority.
1t will be no easy task to eradi-
cate deep-seated factionalism in our
Party, despite the devastating at
tack the C. |. decision has made upon
this pernicious system. During the
long years. of inner-Party struggle
many unprincipled practices have
grown up. fractional Royalties, COW
ering up most serious political diff
ferences, have developed. fractional
enmities have separated, as in two
different parties, good Communists
who should be working in closest
harmony; capable comrades had beer
excluded from Party work, etc. These
and many other fractional practices
will require drastic treatment fol
their liquidation, but the central evil
to be attacked is the fractional lack
of self-criticism, the inability or re-
fusal to see the mistakes made by
oneself or ones former group. The
degree of success in applying the
C. I. Address will be measured by
the extent to which we develop self
criticism. The very heart of the En-
lightenment Campaign must be self
criticism. Only in this manner car
the whole import Of the decision be
understood by the Party and the
Comintern accomplish its purpose OF
uniting the Party.
Some Mistakes of the Minority.
In previous paragraphs, | have
dealt with some of the serious err
rors of the Minority, especially with
regard to exceptionalism and un-
principled factionalism. All these
have tended very much to prevent
the development of the Party ano
must be ruthlessly eradicated. Many
more could be cited here. A few Of
these are very important in the pre-.
sent situation and must be dealt
with.
First, there is the error and dan.
ger in claiming a group victory II
the present c. |. decision. There
has been a distinct tendency on the
part of some Minority comrades te
do this. In the case of past C. I
decisions, one of the very worst
manifestations, which did much tt
perpetuate factionalism, was the
practice of both groups to claim
the victory. These factional claims
when they were not put forward fol
the whole decision, were even fig
ured out on the basis of percentages
This deadly practice must be avoid
ed. The line of the Address is no
the line of either group. This mus
be thoroughly understood. 1t criti
cizes the serious errors of botl
groups. It is the line of the Com
intern. 1t does not mean a victory
for either group, but the correction
of the serious mistakes of boil
groups and the liquidation of these
groups into a unified Party. 1t il
the very height Of factionalism tt
consider the decision in the sense
of proun victory. Anv comrade,