The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-13
Lessons of the 1929 Municipal
Elections

means of controlling their dissatisfaction, and
directing it in the service of finance capital
The Role of the Socialist Party.
In New York City, Reading, Bridgeport,
Buffalo, the Socialist Party was a factor and
given full recognition by the capitalist class.
In other cities, like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia,
Cleveland, where the Socialist Party had candi-
dates, their participation was very weak and
insignificant. However, this does not mean
that the Socialist Party, in line with its pres
ent policies, will not be an important factor in
municipal and national elections. The Socialist
Party did not pretend to mobilize workers on
an anti-capitalst basis. In order to prevent
the Communist Party and the militant trade
unions from gaining the support of the masses
of the unorganized workers against capitalist
domination in all its spheres, the bourgeosie
has begun to make conscious use of the Social
list Party to mislead the workers and misdirect
their rehabilitation and determination to fight.
The Socialist Party used "honest govern
ment, as its central slogan and its entire pro-
gram was such that it was acceptable to the
bourgeosie and labor aristocracy. In the NUM-
cipal elections, the Socialist Party was ready
to give up its name and work under the name
of Labor Party. This was evident in Buffalo
and number of other cities. In the municipal
only endorsed by the capitalist class in New
York but they also received the endorsement
of the bourgeois press and bosses organizations.
Why We Were Not Successful in the Municipal
Elections.
The first criticism that is to be made in con-
nection with our municipal elections, must be-
upon the Central Committee of our Party. The
Central Committee failed completely to give
any central direction and consideration to the
municipal elections in 1929. The Central Com
mittee concerned itself very little with the pro-
grams, candidates, and active participation of
the Party organization in these elections The
Central Committee absolutely failed to point
out the Importance of these municipal elections,
and to mobilize the Party membership behind
them. 1t is true that at time when prepara-
ton for the elections should have taken place,
the Central Committee was faced with the task
of preventing Lovestone and his group from
splitting the Party. The Central Committee
fought for the carrying through the line of the
Communist International and clean the Party
of all corrupt and right-wing elements fighting
the Communist International and the Party.
This no doubt, was the main reason why the
Central Committee did not give due attention
to this important work. In addition to the lack
of attention on the part of national leadership
of the Party, we must now consider the short
comings and mistakes that were made by the
district organizations and by the Party men,
bership:
First, there was a complete lack of under
standing of the Importance of parliamentary
activity by our Party membership. Syndicalist
attitudes are still to be seen in our. Party
membership as far as this work is concerned.
According to reports in number of cities,
the comrades openly expressed their opinions
of the impossibiity of moblizing workers for
the Party platform and Party candidates. In
a number of other cities, strong tendencies
were manifested to capitulate before diff
cultes and petty-bourgeois legalism. In the
Pittsburgh district for example, where the
Party for the first time in its history ran on
an independent ticket, instead of the previous
Labor Party ticket comrades openly expressed
their dissatisfaction with this policy. In Mon
nessen Pa, the Party members actually re-
fused to run candidates. In Portage, Pa, our
comrades put up only partial ticket because
the other parties had candidates on their ticket
who were considered as friends of labor and
who at one time or another protected workers
conventions, like the Miners Convention. In
Yorkville, Ohio our comrades did not expose
two members Of the UsM WA. who styled them
selves as Socialists and who consequently
elected.
ITO BE Continued)