The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-12-02
Do Communists Participate in
Election Campaigns?
TO Be Concluded.)

by these rulers supposedly "democraEcal1y"
elected. AS long this continues, the laws of
the capitalists will be put over on the workers.
Participation in the election campaign is to
mobilize the workers against capitalism, against
the capitalist class and their candidates. 1t is
in order to register the sentiment and will of
the workers to fight against the proposals and
practices of the capitalist class. 1t is in order
to mobilize them for the revolutionary struggle
against the system that the Communist Party
carries on the election campaign The Commu-
nists never put forward the idea that capitalism
win be overthrow by means of the ballot. On
the contrary, the Communists stoutly expose the
absurd and counter revolutionary idea o: the
socialists that when the majority of the work
ers and farmers arc in favor OF changing the
system, 1t will be changed. The Communists
tell the workers clearly that the CAPITALISTS will
rot give ND power without resort TO fierce. and
that the workers win have to meet this armed
force. But the workers have to be convinced of
TIE necessity of this procedure. They have to
be convinced that capitalism cannot be reformed
but must be destroyed. They must learn through
experience what the capitalist state is and then
they will be ready to act. Participation of the
Communist Party does not strengthen any illu-
sfons In democracy" but DESTROYS them.
But it is not merely in the election campaign
that the Communist Party carries on its work
that is during the period of the campaign itself
The Communist Party endeayors to get its can
didates elected for the purpose OF having them
in the halls Of Congress, the state legislature
and city councils carry on the fight Of exposure
of capitalism, of presenting the demands of the
working class and uniting the struggles in the
shops and streets with the fight inside the halls
OF parliament. is this revolutionary practice?
otin I,,yt te Iot,er I21IeI
viks, it is practiced by the Communists in all
countries, even in those countries in which the
Communist Party Is Illegal Therefore, the Com
nlunists must give up this anti -parlismentarian
attitude since it makes it impossible for the
Party to register the sentiment of the workers
unless the Party throws all energy into the CAM
paign, with fun understanding OF its reyolu-
tionary significance.
AS a matter of secondary Importance it may
be stated that the workers gain more confidence
in the Party when they see it growing in sup
port-also in the election campaign. But failure
of the Party membership to understand the i'm
portance OF revolutionary parliamentarism forces
the weak, vacllating workers to "try the next
best"-or as in New York, where the Party did
not connect UP the election campaign with
struggle, to be the victims of fascisn-the Tam
many Hall machine-or Of social fascism.
There is another reason why the Party menu
bers and the revolutionary workers do not par
ticipate in the election campaign. 1t is well
known fact that the Party is the leader Of far
larger masses than register their position in the
election campaign. .lie Negro, foreign-bcrn, mi
sratory and most oppressed workers are sup
porters Of the Communist Party-but are non
voters The Party finds support in the shops,
nong the unemployed and Negro masses. BIT
the Party continues to fail to link up the cleo
ton campaign with the struggles that it con-
ducts In New York. where the Party has led
many important strikes, where the Trade Union
Unity League Is steadily growing, the vote for
The Party declined this year. The Party Is con-
Quoting work in the shops. but II failed COM
plsbsSy 10 ink UP the struggle In the shops with
the election campaign. The strike struggles
we're not poiiticalhed-the Party did not enter
officially into the struggles, the Communist lead
ers Of the unions and leagues did not bring the
Party into TIE struggles. This is to be noted
particularly in the fact that in all the note
worthy strikes that have taken place in New
Susk IN SSoert months. recruiting for the Party
- - 4nitlasHs 81 dn1ite IN sru11nnad