The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-28
The. Party AS
the Vanguard
BY ]. STAIN.

Its membership should comprise
the pick of the working class. 1t
should embody the experience of
the finest stalwarts, their revolu-
tionary spirit, their unbounded de-
votion to the cause Of the prole-
tariat. But in order to be an effec-
tive vanguard, the Party must be
armed with revolutionary theory,
with a knowledge of the laws of
the movement, of the laws of revo-
luton. Lacking this, the Party is
not fit to rally the proletariat for
the fight, or to take over the func-
tons of leadership. The Party is
no true Party If it limits its activi-
ties to a mere registration Of the
sufferings and thoughts of the pro-
letariant masses, if it is content to
be dragged along in the wake OF
the Spontaneous movement" OF
the masses, if it cannot overcome
the inertia and the political indif-
ference of the masses, if it cannot
rise superior to the transient in
terests of the proletariat, if 1t is
Incapable of inspiring the masses
with a proletarian class conscious
ness. The Party should march at
the head of the working class, it
should see further than the latter.
it should lead the proletariat, and
not lag in the rear. The parties
af1listed to the Second Internal
ticnal the advocates Of 'Khvostism"
or "tailisln," are the buglemen of
bourgeois policy. Their leadership
condemns the proletariat to becom-
ing a tool in the hands of the
bourgeoisie: Only party which
is conscious of its function as van
guard of the proletariat, which
feels itself able 90 inspire the
masses with a proletarian class
consciousness, only such a party
can lead the workers out of the
narrow path of trade unionism and
consolidate them into an independ-
ent political force. Such a party
is the political leader of the work
inr class.
outlined above some of the
difficulties of the proletarian class
struggle. and some Of the complica-
tions arising therefrom; I spoke OF
strategy and tactics, of reserves and
OF maneuvering, of offensive war
fare and of retreat. The circum-
sscoces arising from the proletarian
c'ors struggle are just as COM
phcated, if not more so, than were
tl,o.e arising out of the great war.
Who can find a way out of the
lae rinth of these complexities?
Who is competent to guide the mil
lionfold masses OF the proletarit?
No army can venture forth to bat
tic without an experienced general
staff to direct its actions. If 1t
tries to dispense with a general
staff it is foredoomed to defeat. To
e greater extent, if possible, does
this apply in the case of the pro-
letarit 1t, too. must possess a gen
eral staff it is to avoid being handed
over to the tender mercies of its
enemies. Where shall we find such
a General staff? In their revolu-
t,onary party Of the proletariat.
TIE working class without a revo-
lutionary party is an armv with
t''t a general staff. Our Party Is
the war staff of the proletarian
army.
The Party is rot only the
vnnerard Of the working class. If
Tho Party is to function as the
genuine leader in the class strug-
gle, it must likewise be the organ
lied detachment Of the working
class Under the bourgeois regime,
tie tasks confronting the Party are
manifold and of the utmost impor-
ta~cN The Party has to guide the
prc'atariat in its struggle, and has
to DO so, everywhere, under extra
ordinarily difficult conditions; it
he's to lead the proletariat to as
sun1e the offensive when events
wo-rant an attack, and it has to
withdraw the proletariat from the
o~0'aught upon the foe when the
re4~eat is indicated; it has to in
s'ill into the minds of the masses
O. ulorganized workers a sense of
iisr'nline, of method in the fight,