The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-07
Norman Thomas
SurrenderS

AT THE Detroit convention Of the So
"A cialist Party, Norman Thomas ap-
peared as a bold, fearless 'left-winger,"
If and when capitalism collapsed, said
Thomas, the Socialists would not hesitate
to seize political power whether or not
they were a majority. His language was
SO radical" so revolutionary that Socialists" like
Louis Waldman were said to have suspected Mr.
Thomas OF turning Communist.
The Communist Party, of course, never had such
Illusions We stated at the outset that Mr. Thomas
was talking radical only with the aim of holding
back the workers who were really moving to the
left, who really moving toward Communism
To keep them out of the Communist Party,
Norman Thomas hoped to convince the workers
that if and when capitalism collapsed" the So
cialist Party and none other would lead the work
ers to the goal, to the seizure of political power
That capitalism would never merely collapse"
was of no consequence to Mr.. Thomas. That CAPT
talism, left alone to work out its own problems
without interference from the workers. could get
out of eSy difaculties-no matter how severe-was
convently ignored.
Mr.. Thomas's aims were best served by brush
sons about the possible automatic collapse of CAPT
talism only to prevent the workers. through militant
class struggle policies from furthering that collapse
At the same time he seemed to meet the growing
appreciation of the workers that only with power
in their own hands could they solve the burning
problems of security for themselves and their fam
lilies. Clearly his talk of an "if" and when" col
lapse was designed both to hamper the workers in
their struggles for wages, hours, working conditions
efc for IF tails
FROM day TO day, the huge wind-bag of "radi-
L car phrases set up by Thomas at Detroit col
lapses more and more.
And in deeds, he has already shown beyond the
shadow of doubt that he is working in the fullest
harmony with the Socialist Party "Old Guard"
group so outspokenIy reactionary that writer in
the New York Evening Post writes sarcastcaly
that it would be difficult for them to join the
Democratic Party since they would be rejected as
being too conservative.
Thomas has not only backed down from his
clustering statements of the Convention. He has
not only explained carefully to the capitalist press
that they need have no fears that he has become
a fighter for the overthrow of capitalism or that
he will fight American imperialism in the next
war
In deeds, Norman Thomas has already ac-
cepted the official stamp of approval of those
very opponents" whom he claimed to be fight
ing, the Waldmans, the O'NeaIs, etc. Thomas ac-
cepted the Senatorial nomination from the New
York State Convention, convention that re-
iected his Declaration of Principles, At this Con-
vention Thomas praised candidate for Gov
ernor Charles Solomon, leading opponent of
the Declaration of Principles.
THOMAS and his colleagues of the left wing"
will no doubt find new ways in the near future
OF attempting to make the rank and file believe
that he has real differences with the outspokenly
reformist leadership of the "Old Guard"