The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-26
PARTY LIFE
Conducted by the Org. Dept Central Com
nnittee, Communist Party, q. S. A.
Face to the Shops-The Best
Elements in the Ranks of the
Communist Party
BY J. L. P.

ny DE- LIE IL
I'VE can not speak OF really carrying on an eff
" fective struggle against wage-cutS without
building the guiding force of these struggles
the Communist Party Ideologically our Party
has tremendous influence among broad Sec
tons Of the working class, but this is not re-
Elected organizationally. We have learned how
to organize demonstrative forms of activities but
have not yet found the link of how to draw these
masses of workers into the revolutionary move
ment, particularly the Communist Party. In the
strike struggles conducted by the revolutionary
unions the workers accepted the leadership and
guidance OF the Communists who participated
in and led these struggles. The revolutionary
trade unions have shown a marked growth in the
campaigns conducted by the revolutionary trade
unions but this growth is not reflected in the
Communist Party.
What is wrong? One OF the main reasons for
the lack of growth is the fact that we haven't
up to today made the turn to the shops and we
haven't learned how to systematically recruit
the best elements in the shops and trade unions
into the ranks Of the Communist Party. Our
former methods of recruiting at street corners
only and at mass meetings must be changed to
lay the emphasis upon recruiting in the shop
where the comrades work and from the shop
where the section or unit is concentrating. In
stead of collecting application cards, we must
draw in new fighting elements that will ener-
getically carry through the line and campaigns
OF our Party.
The Party recruiting drive for which tire pre-
paratons are now being made must be stimulus
for drawing in new fresh proletarian elements
into the ranks. The whole machinery of our
Party must be modified to close the gap be-
tween the influence and the organizational
strength of our Party.
What is mir haS tsskP OfIr hac taet DC m
entrench ourselves in the heavy industries which
play an important role in the economic life Of
the country. This means that with our forces
we must attack this problem in such manner
that new nuclei are built and Party members are
recruited from these large shops We must also
overcome one of the major shortcomings that
few Negro proletarians are in the ranks of the
Communist Party Our problem is to draw these
elements primarily from the shops and trade
union5 into the ranks of our Party. We must
overcome the fear of showing the face Of the
Party in the campaigns conducted by our revo-
iutionary organizations and by the Party itself.
In addition, one of our central tasks is the ques
ton Of building the Young Communist League
alongside the Communist Party.
Our Party, through various organizations, trade
unions, through the election campaign, unem-
ployment campaign, ETC.. has contact with thou
sands of workers whose place Is in the ranks OF
the Party, but 1t seldom daWns upon our Party
membership to draw these workers into the
Party. Why? We set too high a standard for
membership in our Party. There is concep-
ton that unless worker has a thorough un-
Outstanding of Marxisrn- Leninism and approves
without any enlightenment on our part) the 81
points for admission to the Comintern in spite
Of the fact that worker has shown his metal
in struggle, he Is not eligible for admission to
the Communist Party. Such line is the Grass
est form of sectariansm and must be bitterly
fought.
This tendency can be found in a very sharp
form when We consider the fact that over 5000
members were recruited by the Needle Trades
Union among the furriers and only three joined
the Party large section of these splendid
fighters have their place in the Party. This
example Of the furTiers Is not an isolated Incl
dent but can be repeated ten-fold
Our Party fractions in the mass organza-
tons and trade unions must set theselves quotas
on the basis of possibilities of new recruits
These workers must be visited acquainted with
our Party literature and brought to open meet
ings of the Party units Special meetings Of
these workers in various industries and mass or
CARNATIONS should be arranged where leading
Party member in this mass organization shall
raise the question Of joining the Party.
Individual recruiting by our comrAAes in their
own shop must be important feature Of the
campaign. 1t is there where the greatest posi-
bilities present themselves 1t is there where the
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