The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-20
PRE-PLENUM DISCUSSION
UO1U We Work

piled and carried out. Accepting criticism and
then proceeding not to carry out the lessons
which we have learned is nothing short of OPP
portunism in practise
Then there are comrades who definitely
resist criticism. Some comrades at the begin
ming of the Shock Plan resisted an estima-
nation of the situation of our League as
Extremely critical" These comrades wished
to have it stated that There are shortcom-
ings. But we have progress" No iron base
in the factories. Where is progress? New
members not kept. Where is progress?
Few young Negro workers in the League.
Please define this progress. The comrades
perhaps were afraid that fearless discus
sion of our shortcomings and mistakes would
give the reactionaries, the counter-revou-
tionists such as the Trotskyites and the
Lovestonites, room for attack. The fight
against Trotskyism, against Lovestonsm has
consolidated the Party and the League and
has cleared the deck for real mass work
We need have no fear for bold criticism of
all our mistakes. really revolutionary or
ganization openly critcizes itself before the
working class We will grow strong precisely
because we are able to criticize ourselves
and correct ourselves.
Fractional Hang-Overs
Old fractional traditions still influence
some reactions of our comrades. An exam
pie. A directive comes to some comrade
This comrade does not look to see how the
directive be put into effect so as to de-
Yelop the work of the League But the COM
rade looks to see who wrote the directive,
when it was written, how it was written.
And to be one whom the comrade does not
like means to put the directive aside.
Sometimes the comrade says: ooh, | know
Ha'S Az /;
reaction to the directive will be 81 don't
like it." What is the natural result of such
a reaction? The comrade doesn't like it.
He doesn't carry it out. The work is not
done. We are no "lovers" of our work We
are Communist workers. We are serious
League workers. Whether we like one COM
rade or the other-or whether we like one
directive the other doesn't matter Our
immediate reaction must be How can
help carry this work out" How can | get
others to carry this work out" The 81
don't like it" attitude-this subjective at
titude leads to direct sabotage of the work
of the League. We must do away with
this method Of work.
Today the League is starting to make
progress. Real basic changes are taking
place. But only through determined, fear
less self-criticism and correct estimation of
the failures, the shortcomings and the tasks
Of the League, will we be able to build. Our
job today is to complete the shock plan. We
must insist upon every member of the Lea
que carrying out simple, concrete day to day
tasks. The membership of the League must
criticize, control the leadership. Real collec-
tive leadership must be developed. One or
two comrades who are active in the work
canot build a mass organizations Every COM
rade must be drawn into concrete activity
Checkup and investigation of all our activi-
ties. Particular stress on new methods of
work in connection with our factory work
The Plenum will really discuss vital con-
crete problems of our League. The districts
and the units must make themselves respon-
sible for bringing these points to the Plenum
in the form of concrete experiences and les
sons. The Pre-Plenum discussion must be a
real serious discussion of all our taks. Every
unit, every ditrct must be represented in
this discussion Our activity must be freely
and fearleSsly diseased. And by the time of
the National Convention of our League we
will be able to say that we have basicaly
changed our League into real mass organ
ization of the young workers.