The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-04-12
The Rising Labor Party
By CHARLES E. TAYLOR

There is now evidence of a
growing desire of the masses for
a new political party. There is
nothing new or sensationally uni
que about it, but it is thing that
the final development of capital
ism and the total bankruptcy of
the old parties brings about.
All political parties reflect the
existing economic situation, and
represent the dominant economic
contradictions or conflicts.
The conflicts of these exploiting
groups have also been reflected by
groupings in the two main par
ties, namely the republican and
democratic parties, by factions,
blocs and wings, called progressive
and farm blocs, etc., and also rep
resented by Leagues of many
sorts. But all of these parties and
blocs and groups are and have been
fundamentally capitalistic, and al
most have never proposed anything
but different degrees of reform OF
patching up of the capitalist sys-
tenn, and all emerged and sub
merged back into one or the other
or both, of the two leading cap
itaist parties from which they
come. Even the so-called third
parties-green back, farmers ALI
ance, populist, etc.-that have
come up and faded away after 9
spell, were but reflections of the
conflict of the interests of differ.
ent capitalist groups. Of course
all of these third party movements
had some support of workers anC
farmers who had lost all faith il
the old capitalist parties, ant
hoped that something Fundamental
for the workers might develop ou
of them.
Sham Battles
But with the development O.
capitalism, especially during tn,
days of so-called prosperity, ant
the growth and interlocking of bi.
business, both the democratic ant
republican parties reflected this
and tho struggles between then
were only sham battles for tn,
fooling of the masses, while boil
parties defended Wall Street.
There was, of course, the de
velopment of the Socialist part,
or parties during these days, grow
ing out of the class struggle be
tween the working class and tn
exploiting class, which grew t
mass proportions before and I'D t
the time of the World War, bu
disintegrated rapidly during tina
time as a result of the betrava
of its own principles, its desertio
OF the class struggle, its suppor
OF the war. These parties laugh
the class struggle at one stage O
another, led many militant fights
won numerous victories during tn
days of their militancy.
Out of THESE Socialist partie
after the World War emerged tn
Communist party, which continue
tie teachhing of the class struggl
and the necessity for the oven
throw and abolition of the capt.
alist system.
New Labor Party
AS a result of the World Wa
and the economic crisis of 1872
resulting from capitalism. the i'm
mediate result of the war. ther
arose among the masses a deman
for a class labor party. This tn
capitalists fought to the last ditc
and being unable to strangle it h
means of the labor takers i
their service, they manipulate
the betrayal of it through the L.
Toilette independent movement
which denounced the Nation;
Farmer-Labor party conventio
called in st. Paul in June, 1872
LaFollette, the older, had partici
pated in the calling of the cor
vention, but on the excuse that tn
call committee had invited the pal
tlcipation of the Communist part
as a party had repudiated the cor
vention, and thus betrayed tn
movement. The convention of I'll
League for Independent Politics
Action at Cleveland in July of tn
same summer nominated Senate
Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsi
and Senator Burton K. Wheeler {
Montana, on an avowed IndepenC
ent ticket and on a purely capital
lst reform program. The platforl
declared against the formation G
a new party of any sort at tha
time. LaFollette and Wheeler. be
cause of their war records an
refOrmist battles in the sehat,
had great prestige among tn
masses of the workers who wer
then separating themselves frol
the old capitalist parties.
This defeated that struggle fl
a mass class labor party. TIL
workers thought that LaFolleti
and Wheeler would surely for