The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-01-10
The New Dues System

fled basis. But taken at its face value, will
it be too much strain on the membership? 1t
will not. First of all, the weekly payment
spreads it over shorter period and makes it
less of strain on the earnings of the COM
rades Secondly, the members of the Party
will be relieved of many other taxes and as
sessments that the Party must place upon
them if the work is to continue
Some Party members declare that they are
willing to make contributions to the Party
from time to time, when an emergency occurs,
but they do not wish their obligation to the
Party to be placed at such high figure. This
is wrong attitude and must be corrected at
once. We are in the Party as dedication to
the revolutionary movement. This means that
in consecrating ourselves to the Party we rec
ognize that the Party has taken control of US,
and that all the work we do is subject to the
discipline of the Party. Must then the Party,
which must direct and be esponsible for all rev.
olutionary work. be dependent on the voluntary,
sef-given response of the membership, must
it be able to carry on it's work, knowing that
the members of the Party belong to the Party?
Surely Party which depends the mo-
mentary response of its members not only will
not be able to carry on financially, but also
will not be able to cope with the emergencies
as they occur. Therefore, greater contribution
to the Party not voluntary gift, but as an
obligation to the revolutionary movement.
1t is also clear that with larger financial
income, the Party first of all will be able to
perform its work more effectively for despite
the cynical remarks of some comrades, much
of the work of the Party remains undone be-
cause of lack of funds as, for instance, the
sending out of organizers, publication of lit
erature, leaflets, etc.. Secondly, the larger
income of the Party will relieve the member
ship of the continental assessments that are
made nationally, in the districts and locals
and even units in order to keep up halls, get
out leaflets, shop bulletins, etc. Thirdly, and
this is most important, it will create more
whOlesomeatt attitude towrad the Party, which
will no longer be the recipient of contributions,
but is the general staff, which both in activity
and in the matter of funds has the right to
call upon the membership to support to
greater degree than hitherto.
AS regards the comrades with high incomes,
they will be especially assessed, for these COM
rades, though willing revolutionists, are not
connected with the masses in the shops, they
have no mass influence, they are not doing
basic work. they are not exposed to periods
of unemployment and to discharge for Com
munist work, which is the situation among
the masses of unskilled and semi-skilled work
ers today. If these latter caegories of work.
are not yet in the Party-our Party has
a large proportion r skilled workers in its
ranks-it is clear that in the present and
coming struggles, it will be particularly the
unskilled and sem-sked workers who will
be drawn into the Party.
Therefore there can be no objection on the
scores raised above. Other objections, however,
are raised, as a warning to the Party. One of
thin takes the line that we will not be able
to win the exploited workers for the Party,
and this will be particularly harmful for the
coming recruiting drive. This is not true.
Workers who wish to join the Party do not
ask what the dues are. Workers coming to
our ranks, want to know what the Party stands
for, what its activities are.
Many of these workers come to us through
the struggle itself, recognizing that every
militant worker belongs in ranks. The
question of dues is the last one these workers
rase--the last one, il at ALL that they men
ion