The producers news., 1935-08-02

You have asked me some inter
esting questions. Why should / join
the Workers Party? What is the
program Of the w. p? Why was
another" party necessary? Can
we not remove the evils from
which workers now suffer without
revolution?
Workers have every right to ask
these questions Of US. No worker,
indeed, should join the w. P. with
out carefully considering and un-
derstanding our answer to these
question.
l am going to give our answers
to them in straightforward and |
simple a manner as possible. l hope |
you will discuss these letters with
the other workers in the shop and
in your neighborhood about whom
you wrote me. We ask nothing ex-
cept a careful consideration of our
program by honest, class consci-
Gus workers. We believe the re-
suit will be that they join the Wor-
kers Party ranks.
HOW WORKERS PARTY BEGAN
First of all l am going to tell
you briefly how the w. P. came
into existence; for that in itself
tells something very important
about what kind of party the w.
P. is. The w. P. was launched on
December /, 1884. Thus by the
calendar the W.P. is, so to speak,
a baby. But this is the case only
if you judge by the calendar. In
organization, in tradition, in per-
sonell, in program, the w. P. be-
gins its life as a mature party.
For the w. P. did not suddenly
descend from the clouds or spring
up out of the sea. It is not the
result of a "bright idea in the
brain of some individual. The W.P.
came into existence as result of
the merger of two previously exis-
ting organizations, each of which
had an honorable history of some
years in the labor movement, both
nationally and internatioally. One
of these organizations was the Am
erica Workers Party, the other the
Communist League of America,
popularity known as Trotskyists
The C.L.A. was composed of rev.
olutionosts who were expelled from
the Communist party and the Com
munist International. They differ
ed with the line taken by the G..
P. and the C. l. in certain matters
of principle and tactics. They ask
ed for the right to state their
views in the party discussions, be-
ing willing to carry out party pis-
cipline IN action, if this elemen-
tary right of the members of q
revolutionary party were granted
them. They were refused the right
and expelled.
Nevertheless, they continued fol
some years as a faction of the G
P. and C. l., attempting to cor
rect their line, hoping to reform
them and get back in. When the
comrades of the former ella. saw
that the evils to which they haC
pointed were not corrected, but ag
gravated, and when they saw thu
result of these evils in the com
plete collapse e.g. of the Commun
list Party of Germany before Hit
ler Fascism, they decided tha
they would be untrue to the WORK
: ing class if they continued tryini
to reform the C.P. They decides
, that new revolutionary party an
a new internatioal must be foT
med.
The American Workers Party
on its part was the outgrowth o
the Conference for Progressive La
Dor Action. The C.P.L.A. was fol-
: med in 1928-29. It was compose
mainly Of trade unionists, most {
; them in the A. F. of L., some
independent unions. They fougl
against gangsterism, racketeerin
: and autocracy in unions. They ag
4 tated for a militant policy as aga
inst the disqualification, "cool
Grafton with bosses, policy of til
A. F. Of L. officialdom. They sol
4 ght to organize the workers in Il
4 basic industries which were ute,
v ly neglected by the A. F. of L.
! that time. When the depressiC
4 continued, they took leading pa
! in organizing the unemployed
) many states and in building Il
National Unemployed League.
i, FOUND NEED OF NEW PART
II While the leading members
; the former C.P.L.A. carried
i their activities mainly in the &c
d nomic field, they had a revolutio
IT airy outlook. They realized that a
IS tons relating to the immedia
,e needs and grievances Of the wor
IL ers could be carried out effective
and help I'M the eventual emant
patton Of the workers, only If t
Is vanguard elements among t
0e workers had a correct outlook al
y philosophy, and this meant beil
ge organized in a revolutionary wor
TX ing class party. When they look
about for such 9 party to viii
they could belong and bring wor
3 ers, they did not find il in the
P. OF SIP. or any other axistf
mo~Av ~ s.rous. Thma In - fall