The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-05

into believing that the S. P.
is truly a revolutionary party
and will fight militantly for
their interests,
The adoption of the declaration
Of principles came after three hours
Of the most bitter discussion Of the
s- entire convention. during which
the workers in the audience booed
the leader of the openly reaction
ny AIRY Old Guard, Louis Waldman Of
New York, as well as the semi
fascist, fiag-waying speech Of
Joseph STARTS of Ohio.
..'o~ Delegates put the finishing
touches to the convention when
they voted to shelve three of the
most important resolutions, on the
'' Soviet Union, on working class
unity and on Fascisrn. The incom-
ing N. E. c. which meets today,
80 is supposed to act on these resolu-
-'D tons. Not single member of the
militant" or r. p. @. groups op-
posed the burying of these three
basic resolutions,
The new left" maneuvers of the
S. P. are reflected in the voting
for the National Executive Com
mittee when, out Of eleven members,
seven "n1ilitants" were elected, in
~ GLIDING Thomas and Kr2ycki who,
os,o while not organizationally part Of
"militants," work with them.
Threaten Split
For the second time in the con-
'.'' vention, Waldman threatened to
7s split the Party, the first time on
Friday in discussion on the reso-
luton supporting the idea of pro-
i4' letarian dictatorship, and in debate
on the declaration of principles
yesterday he repeated the threat
and was echoed by Judge Jacob
Psnken. Whether the old guard
will actually carry through the
threat remains to be seen, since the
declaration was finally adopted by
a vote 70 about two to one Even
the ambiguous words of the docu-
ment and the numerous loopholes
which allow for all sorts Of back
sliding and betrayal didn't satisfy
the Old Guard, who correctly
feared that the workers might in
..- terpret it in q revolutionary way
,,o- However, the necessary twenty-fi
per cent of the delegates voted to
hold National referendum Of the
y party on the declaration.
Waldman and his supporters
,.- objected particularly to the pas
sage calling for "massed war re-
T~,' sistance" and to the statement
hat "if the capitalist system
----- should collapse in general chaos
and confusion. which cannot
permit of orderly procedure, the
1850 Socialist Party, whether or not in
such case it Is majority, will
not shrink from the responsibility
~ organizing and maintaining a
government under the workers
uIe."
"Dhis means the end Of the
Socialist Party" WaIdman
shouted. ct is anarchistic, IL
-, egal and Communist doctrine"
....., Loud boos) IF this passage
about massed resistance does
not imply extra-legal means
what else can 1t mean? No party
committed to lawful and peace
full methods can subscribe to this
declaration of principles" More
boos.)
Later when speaking again, in an
effort to prevent the working class
,--.- visitors sitting far back in the hall
--.- from booing, Waldnan, as well as
e, Algernon Lee, another member of
the Old Guard, refused to talk
through the nicrophone, Lee saying
80 contemptuously: I'm not speak
49, ing for the gallery"
-. Makes Fascist Speech
The reactionary Old Guard was,
So however, outdone by Joseph Sharts
Ohio State Chairman of Party and
'---7 leader of seni-fascist New America
group. STARTS began by saying it
- would probably be the last time he
would address an S. P. convention
as he could not remain in the party
If the document was adopted He
then launched into a patriotic
3i~ speech which would have made the
Daughters of the American Revo-
luton turn green with envy.
We are meeting here" he said
-" without police interference, in per-
feet freedom Of discussion. without
any danger Of being flung into Jail.
We have every right in this bour-
geois republic, this bogus demo-
cracy, as some Of you call 1t, to win
80 the majority in our favor. And
we're not even good sportsmen; we
haven't the gallantry to accept the
- freedom which this bourgeois demo-
80 cracv givs US
Il was born in Amrica and
take pride in 1t. There is some
Thing beautiful in the spirit of
America. / served under the
- American flag in the Spanish
= War and it didn't seem to me
such bad flag to serve under.
-.- My father and grandfather be-
fore me served under the flag.
49, If You place in the declaration
of principles the statement that l
49, shall be compelled in case of war
TO be disloyal to my country, then
: II declare as an American, loving
America loud boos), that I will
defend my country as 1 see fit
ss-, and not be guided by the red in
y ternaticnalists who framed this
document"
That STARTS was merely express
sing openly what the reactionary
Old Guard actually believed, but
ie didn't dare to say, became clear
- from the speech of Charles Solo
s,15. L.