The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-01-20
BY LEON PLOTT.
Continued
Loyegtone's Social-Democratic Conception of
Inner Party Democracy

Inner Party Democracy
The history of the revolutionary labor move
ment has proven that every opportunist who
was politically defeated n the Party, whose
platform was rejected by the Party mem
bership and the authoritative organs OF the
PARTY has raised, as means of covering up
his anti-P Party activities the cry of freedom
of criticism" against the destruction OF
PARTY democracy" against the oppression Of
the Party leadership ETC. Lenin, on num-
erous occasions, found hurled against him the
charge of being a bureaucrat suppresslng IN
ner Party democracy, of not permitting crlti-
cism, etc. AS far back as 1901, Lenln IN his
famous Brochur, what is to be done," ex-
posed the opportunistic character of the slogan
of freedom of criticism" advanced by the
economists in their paper, "Rabotchlye Dyelo."
After the second congress of the Russian So
cial Democratic Party in 1908, Lenin again
exposed the meaning of the charges of the
Mensheviks and Trotsky of the destruction
of inner Party democracy" of the reign OF
martial law in the Party" He again ex-
posed the opportunistic cloak of freedom of
criticism and fought again the social demo-
cratic conception of inner Party democracy
advanced by the so-called Workers Opposi-
tion." at the Tenth Congress of the c. P. S. U.
in 1921. 1t is therefore nothing new when
Lovestone writes
Every attept at independent acti-
witty and thought is suppressed, every ven-
ture at self-initative is frowned upon
The Party leaderships openly con-
ceived as rubber stamps and organs of
factional support go the ruling (Stalin)
group in the leading Party" (Revolu-
tonary Age No. 81.
Lovestone resorts to this demagogy because
the Party membership and leadership did
not permit him to advocate in our ranks anti
Party views an dto undermine the feminist
foundation of our Party which would in
evitably lead us to social democracy.
During the struggle of the Russian Com
munst Party against Trotskyism, Trotsky, too,
resorted to demagogy in order to mislead the
working class and the Russian Party, Trotsky
wrote:
I'm the last few years there is taking
place systematic destruction of inner
Party demOcracy-cOntrary to che past
traditions of the Bolshevik Party, in spite
of the many decisions of the various
Party congresses the rank and file
member of the Party cannot openly ex-
press his views.
"The mass worker in the Party is being
suppressed. The mass worker keeps quiet,
the rank and file member is shut up. :"
(Trotsky's Platform submitted to the XIV
Congress of the C. P. S. W.
The striking similarity of views of Trotsky
and Lovestone flows from an idendity of pur-
pose. Both of them put themselves above
the decisions and opinions of the Party. Both
IF them, tho at different periods, try to turn
The Party into what Lenn called "a debating
:lub,' and were consequently met with the
same resistance and determination of
Party membership to defend the Party and
uphold the Communist International. To Love-
stone the Party Therefore said, in the words
If Lenin: Don't speak of freedom and
equality when you mean freedom not to
carry out the decisions of the Communist In
.ernational." Lenin, VOL 25, False Speeches
On Freedom, Rus. ED.
When. at the XIV Congress of the c. P
). u, Trotsky raised the cry for more Party
democracy the answer of Comrade Stain