The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-28
PARTY LIFE
Bmocrocy and OPPOrtunism
Isolate Party from Workers
4 Persistent Struggle Against Seetoriasism
Needed in Trade Union and Mass York
PARTY LIFE

COME experiences in q branch Of
the International Labor Defense
in Cleveland illustrate well how i'm
portant is the task laid down In the
Open Letter, that 1T Is necessary
to carry on persistent struggle
against sectsrisnism which expresses
itself in all Party and trade union
work, which continues to be one Of
the chief obstacles to the establish
ment Of permanent and live con-
facts with the workers"
The death Of one of the mem
bers Of branch of the LID. be-
cause Of insufficient relief, became
the issue around which a new
branch was built in the name Of
the comrade who died.
The new branch from the begin
ming was never made to feel the
responsibility Of solving its prob
lens. The hall was paid for by
the district representative. At the
first meeting she promised printed
invitations for the workers to Join
the branch, to be made by the dis
trtct office. When a social was
planned she promised mimeographed
leaflets and signs. It is, therefore,
not surprising that when the execu-
tive committee Of the branch met,
the members expected the district to
continue to furnish them with what
ever material they wanted ~
At the fourth meeting of the
branch there was a misunderstand-
ing in regard to the rent. No one
knew the price of the rent except
the district representative. She said
the rent was paid although she did
not have receipt with her, and she
refused to discuss the question with
any Of the comrades, telling the
janitor, 1--WE will meet here whether
you like 1t or not" and ordering
the members to take one Of the rooms
in the building. At the next execu-
tive meeting the members reported
that they had mad suggestions to
Comrade B. on this question but
she refused to discuss it. There was
a great deal of dissatisfaction among
| the members Of the committee
(mainlv non-Party members) with
the entire situation. The general
opinion was that II was the most
uncomfortable meeting they had
ever had and they would not go
through another one like that. They
decided to send committee to the
district Office to get definite tnfor-
nation upon the rent situation. 1t
is also significant that at this par
ticular meeting Comrade B. hap
pened to be i'll and the members
thought they would not be able to
have a meeting since they said the
big boss" was not present,
Burocracy Almost DemoraIizes
Organization
This brocracy almost denorslized
the branch. Two of the oldest mem
bers stopped coming to meetings
The branch organizer explained her
dissatisfaction by saying, "Comrsde
B. likes to dictate but not to be
dictated to- and said she would like
to resign as she was an organizer
in name only.
In addition to such burocracy
there we're some serious political err
rors-definite opportunist tenden-
cies.
The tickets printed for the affair
to be held by the branch had a
new name on them. The new mem
bers of the executive explained that
two of them together with Comrade
B. had agreed to this on the word
Of one OF the new members that
our comrade in whose name the
branch was organized had bac
name In the territory and the work
ers would not buy tickets with that
name. Even the branch organizer
was not consulted on this question
Since there had been a struggle
around the P case which in
volved also the church in which she
had been a member (whers the
preacher had insisted that the cha
rites we're not responsible for hei
death but she died from overeatine
on Christmas Day. the name Of the
branch was of special political Inn