The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-10-02
struggle.
Saskatoon, Sask.
July 81, 1881

SASKATOON, SaSk.
July 81 1881
Central Executive Committee,
Communist Party of Canada
Dear Conrades:-
In submitting to you my application for men,
bership in the Communist Party of Canada,
wish to make the following statement:
From 1911 to 1926 I was a member Of the
I. W. w and while member of that organi-
cation opposed the line of the Communist Party.
No one will question the militancy of the Wobb-
lies in the days of the early revolutionary de-
velopment of their organization nor deny that
it had place in the struggle OF the workers
against their exploters. It is now equally un-
deniable that the I. w. w has degenerated into
counter-revolutionar organization.
Lack of self-criticism and inability to alter the
opinions of yesterday on the basis of the facts of
today led to fossilization and degeneracy The
organization itself and its history of militant
struggle becomes fetish with the leaders
These political and structural weaknesses and
errors have resulted in complete degeneration
OF the 1. w. w 1t suffces here to mention one
example reported from Seattle, of a one-time
militant leader, whose head had been more than
once in contact with the policemans club in the
old days, assuring the workers they would be
quite safe from the attacks of the bulls when
they met in the I. w. W. hall The police pro-
tected them while busily engaging in smashing
up Communist meetings in the same city. If
another example were needed it could be found
In Sudbury, where the Communist controlled
halls were closed down by the police and the
workers notified that if they wished to assem-
Die they were quite free to do SO in the Wobbly
Hail.
My opposition to the stand of the Communist
mon with the formal "Marxsts" of the /. w. w.
the Importance. of industrial development in
creating the basis for successful proletarian re-
volution Although Marx had pointed out that
social revolution tends to develop in highly in
dustrlalized countries and as result of the con-
ditions arising from industrial development. we
magnitied that tendency into an absolutely n
despensable condition, and scoffed at the idea
that successful revolution was possible in
Russia, most backward in industrial development
OF all capitalist countries. Although we hailed
the Russian Revolution with the greatest joy
as the decisive defeat of the ruling class of that
country, we underestimate the role of the pro-
letarian dictatorship, and maintained our
anarcho-syndicalist opposition to all forms of
government, capitalist or proletarian
1t was the stubborn and unacceptable fact of
the success of the proletarian revolution in the
ooVlet Union winch persuaded me that my at
utude was wrong. AS saw the amazing pro-
gress of industrialization, the transformation of
the country from the most backward to one OF
the most advanced, realized that the proletariat
had within it the power to transform the reyo-
luton from the "haystack' to the "smokestack"
stage. The rising smokestacks of the Five Year
Plan convinced me of my errors.
For the last two years have without reserya-
ton supported the Communist Party and have
done my utmost to build up the confidence OF
the workers in that Party now wish to become
member and to take part in the struggle of
the workers under the banner of the PARTY the
only Party OF the workers and poor farmers today
The political line of the Communist Party
is correct 1t is necessary to build Socialism in
territory which is industrially and politically
backward The dictatorship of the proletariat
is the power of the workers and poor farmers
over the former and the means for successful
socialist construction
Out OF the present crisis of capitalism out OF
the miseries inflicted on the toiling masses the
Communist International will lead us to the
overthrow Of capitalist dictatorship and to the
building of a new order of society
Long live the Communist International! Long
live the Workers and Farmers Government
Forward to world revolutionl
ConTadely yours, y,m.r,>-, 1880.