The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-21

ing IllS kJetoJ JIllCC VI 4OA4 AASA4pAaS'
The explanation Of these weak
nesses come under one head.
This is the UNDERESTIMATE
OF THE GENERALIZATION OF
THE MASSES, OF THEIR READI-
NESS TO STRUGGLE. RISING
OUT OF THIS, DOUBTS AND
HESITATION ABOUT THE PARTY
LINE, AS EXPRESSED IN TIE
OPEN LETTER, THE FAILURE
TO APPLY THIS LINE BOLDLY
AND UNCOMPRONfTSINGLY, AND
THE TENDENCY no RETREAT
BEFORE OR CAPT. ULATE TO
THE ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE
NRA, TO FAIL TO DEVELOP
STRUGGLE AGAINST 1T AS A
PRFCONDITION FOR ALL
REVOLUTIONARY WORK.
Where this factor is not thoroughly
understood, the result has been stag
nation and the development OF mnu-
merable expressions of right oppor-
tunist tendencies in our movement
The main problem before the Party
now is the struggle against these
weaknesses and deviations, the strug-
ole against deyiatiOnS on two fronts,
the struggles against right oppor-
tunism, which more than ever before
becomes the chief danger and very
pressing danger in all of our practicai
work, and in the struggle against 's
shadow, left sectarianism.
We have in the past weeks gwen
the Party many concrete examina-
tions of specific instances OF this right
danger. in the Daily Worker and IN
the Communist. I do not want 70
take the time to go over these same
grounds again in my report, Wnlcn
T want to make as brief as possible
7 assume that the comrades here have
read my article in the OCTOBER com
nunist. which develops this questlon
in some detail, but want to give
lust enough time to emphasize Gne
points that were made In that arClcle'
and establish this argument as part
of my report. 4,o
T especially want to point out the
extreme Importance for our pracVlcal
work and for the development Oh our
revolutionary line, of q conscious ana
intolerant struggle against the Ten
dency to capitulation shown In tne
hiding of the face Of the Party; tie
fear to bring forward even our Daily
worker among the masses, ana even
ooinp to the length Of hiding the race
If the revolutionary unions, and try
ing to find some way OF WORKING
on,onp the masses that makes us m
distinguishable from the reformlsts.
This tendency shows itseiI Almost
everywhere, in more or less degree
In some places it shows itself IN very
fragrant examples that everyone can
see and that not anyone can DEFEND
But from these examples 1t SHOWS IL
self in all sorts Of fine shadings, all
these attempts to get away from the
struggle, to evade the issues. EVERY
where this tendency shows itself. IL
weakens our work in most every
thing we do and prepares victories
for the Social Fascists and deteats
for the workers and our Party.
We cannot emphasize too nucn
that we can't make single step tor-
ward In leading these mass struggles
of the workers unless we boldly meet
this issue and win the workers on the
basis of our revolutionary program
and not abstractly but concretely
applied to the issues before these
| workers.
It is, of course, not necessary to
argue here to convince the COM
rades that the tactic of going to the
workers, leading them in organiza-
ton under the slogan OF support
our president In his holy war against
the depression" is wrong one. We
know that this has been done. But
It is still necessary in every phase Of
the development Of the strike
struggles to be on guard against the
thousand expressions Of that same
tendency,--tfe fear to challenge the
program Of the Roosevelt admins
tration before the masses.
Our comrades, in many cases, have
conception that the masses arr
very backward. They have no con-
fidence in the ability Of the masses
of workers to understand these u.s.
sues and their readiness to support
a revolutionary approach to thes'
question. We must be on our guarc
against this exaggeration OF thu
backwardness of the American work
ers, for otherwise even the best Of
us will fall victims to these ten
denotes. When we say we have II
struggle against these tendencies al
a struggle against right opportunism
the main danger, that doesn't NEAR
that this can be solved merely b.
Struggle against a few outstanding
struggle Of this tendency who show
themselves here and there in om
work.
We have seen in the silk industry
in the automobile industry and .
dozen industries, the tendency tt
decide for these so-called backward
workers that they are not ready fol-
revolutionary unions and to bring
them local independent union. Sc
that, in some instances, these back.
ward workers have turned away from
us and have gone to the American
Federation of Labor because they
have the impression that not only
are we indistinguishable, but the A
F of L. is something more progress
sive because they stand for larger
union than merely union in one
plant. That does not mean that In
all circumstances we have to and In
all places base ourselves only upon
the tactic of building revolutionary
unions, but especially when we are
dealing with masses Of unorganized
workers beginning to move to
struggle, we can say that in the
overwhelming majority of cases the
sound tactic for LIS is to move ia