The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-13

A "class organization" means u
exactly nothing. The question
what service does the organizati
render to the working class? r
yardstick by which the fighting woI
ingclass character of the organizati
is measured is the value OF that 81
vice to the workingclass. Thus,
instance, the value of a militia
union cannot be measured byAF
degree of its avowal of revolutios
aims. 1t must be measured by
efficiency with which it Junction.
an instrument of struggle for I
solution of immediate problems Of I
workers, such as wages, hours, ire,
ment, general working conditions,
The more efficient a union Is In I
defense Of such immediate tr1tere
of the workers, the more revo1utic
airy will be the effect Of It's fur
tions. On the other hand, the mt
clearly the leadership Of the uni
sees the fundamental revolutions
purpose of all workers struggles,
more efficient will it be in organizi
the immediate struggles.
The International Workers Orr
has as its immediate purpose of {
istence the organization Of mxts
benefits. If we take that purp
away from it, the Order has no bs
for its being. Surely the Two.
not substitute for the political PAL
of the working class, the Commun
Party; it surely is not q substitt
for the revolutionary unions; it Is
substitute for the LID. or for q
OF her proletarian organizatie
Neither is it mere auxiliary to
Of these organizations.
The International Workers Ore
is a proletarian mutual benefit
ciety. It's value for the working ella
class, its class character must
judged:
ID BY the value of the Order 1
the workers as benefit society, /,
ability to organize for the workers
maximum of protection at q n1inirnu
of cost, and
D BY its efforts to help the wor
ers solve those problems which ma
them seek the protection OF membe
ship in mutual benefit societies. 81
The value of the Order as q bene
society stands first because this Is 81
reason for its existence. The effe
tivenesS of the Order in helping
workers to solve those problems "
make them join mutual benefit g
ties, is the yardstick of the c.
character of the Order.
The International Workers Order
a working organization not becau
it does not care about its immedia
benefit features and cares only abo
revolution, but precisely because b
sides organizing benefits for Il
workers it also tries to help the worl
ers solve those problems which pl
them in need of benefits. That
why our Order leads in the strugg
for social insurance. That Is WI
our Order leads in the struggle +
social insurance. That Is why o.
Order propagandizes its n1embersh
to fight for safe and sanitary work.,
conditions. That is why our Ord
shows its members that the econeh 4
insecurity which drives them 10 81,
the protection of mutual benefit II
cieties rests upon the capitalist 81
tenn OF exploitation.
Our Order is a working class n
ternal organization not because 1t b
Titles the Importance and the val
of mutual help, but because 1t o.
proaches the problem of mutual he
from the standpoint of the workil
class. There is therefore no reast
to be ashamed of its function Is
benefit society. On the contrary, q
benefit features of the Order are Il
actual reason for its existence. Tn
are the immediate purpose Of its o
ganization; they are the fundament
base of its effort to organize mass
of workers within its ranks.