The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 8, 1926, Page 4

| ) 4 Page Four > ares “THE. DAILY WORKER ’ Workers (Communist) Party ‘The Plenum of the Central Committee. of the ewe ih ~~ / iWhat The Daily Worker Is--- By Cc. E, RUTHENBERG, General Secretary Workers (Communist) Party \ of America HE} plenary session of the central committee of the Workers (Com- munist) Party, held on May 26, 27, and 28, marked the beginning of the development of a new stage in the life of the party. The party has over- come the crisis which developed thru the inner party struggle. This inner party struggle developed with in- creasing sharpness during @ period of two years, The party has now turned its face away from this struggle and towards constructive work among the masses for building the party in- fluence and organized strength. There were in attendance at the sessions of the central committee, not only,the members of the central com- mittee, candidates and alternates, but the district organizers, representatives of the language fractions, members of the national executive committee of the Young Workers League and com- tades active in leading the trade union work of the party thruout the country. In thg number of leading and respon- sible gcomrades present, the plenum exceefjed the national convention of the patty. ThefMplenary session of the central comm@Mee was called principally to hear t{™® report of the delegates to the enjar: executive committee of the Soman ist International to act upon the resolution of the factional contro- yersy in the party and to work out a Tesolution on the trade union work of the party. Other questions which were on the agenda, were the develop- ment of The DAILY WORKER into @ mass paper, the work among the masses thru non-party organizations, the Young Workers League and the composition of the committees of the central committee. The C. |. Decision. FTER listening to the report on the enlarged executive committee of the Communist International by ‘Comrades Ruthenberg, Bittleman and Dunne and adopting a unanimous res- olution expressing endorsement of the work of the enlarged executive committee, the decision of the Com- ist International in regard to the situation in the party and the tasks Ofte party in the light of this deci- sion was taireq up. In contrast to the experiences of the party in past discussions on such a question, there was no factional ap- proach to the question, The resolu- tion (already printed in The DAILY WORKER), which has been unani- mously adopted by the political com- mittee, received a similar unanimous vote from the central committee. The approach made by the political committee in discussing this resolu- tion was that of finding a basis for harmonious work of all the members and leading comrades in the party. The effort was to make a reality in the party life the spirit of the decision of the Communist International which called for an immediate cessation of the faction struggle in our party, The resolution did not seek to emphasize points of difference which may still exist, or to make factional capital out of the situation, but find the point of agreement, as the basis of co-opera- tion in carrying on the work of the party. The attitude of the leadership of the party, expressed in this resolution, was the dominating spirit of the ple- num of the central committee. The warning of the Communist Interna- tional that a continuance of factional struggle held great danger for the fu- ture of the party has gone home. There is a growing determination to eliminate factional strife and to con- solidate the party strentgh for its work in the labor movement of this country, . The Trade Union Question. The question of policy and tactics of the party on the trade union field presented the most serious danger so far as elimination of group struggles within the party were concerned. This question had been the principal issue in the last appeal before the Commu- nist International. On this question the widest differences of opinion as to how the party should proceed had existed, The decision of the Communist In- ternational, while laying down a gen- eral line, left many questions open The political committee conducted dis- vussion on these questions before the plenum in an effort to frame a resolu- tion which could be unanimously ac- cepted. The fact that such a unani mous resolution was drafted and sub- mitted to the central committee for approval and accepted by it by the same unanimous vote is the best evi- dence that the party is turning from the inner struggle toward consolidat- ing itself for the struggle for leader- ‘ship in the labor movement. The trade union work of the party took first place in the discussions in the central committee. The report and the discussion showed that the party has come to realize the impor- tance of its work in this field and that the greater part of the strength of the organization is going into this work. The resolution adopted .by the ple- num lays down clear guiding lines for the future development of the trade union work. The policies and tactics to be pursued will be conveyed to the party units in instructions giving di- rections for the guidance of the work in the concrete situations as they de- velop. The DAILY WORKER. The third point on the agenda was the question of The DAILY WORKER. The political committee had come to the conclusion that The DAILY WORKER, in its old editorial form, was not the kind of paper which could be developed into a mass labor paper in the United States. A resolution pointing out the character of The DAILY WORKER was drafted by the editors and approved by the political committee for submission to the cen- tral committee. This resolution, which makes cer- tain criticisms of the defects of The What It Must Become ‘ Article 3 By WILLIAM F. DUNNE. THE Communist is pictured invar- fably by the capitalist press as an individual who always is frothing at the mouth. Even the term “radical” in the United States is construed by the popular mind to mean a person who is slightly unbalanced, tremen- dously wrought up continually and therefore more or less unreliable. This is not a good situation for us as Communists but it is a fact and certainly it is unwise for us to give aid and comfort to this mistaken im- pression. BRB" if one looks over a file of The DAILY WORKER covering any length of time, he will be struck by the constant repetition of such words as “labor faker,” “fink,” “traitor,” “terrorism,” “tools of the bosse “white guard,” “counter-revolutionis: “fascist,” “black treachery,” “degen- erate: scoundrels,” “crooks,” “be- trayal.” The labor officials and their actions described by such phrases are prob- ably everything we say about them and more. As a matter of fact, even we Communists do not appreciate fully the depth of the black pit into which the labor leadership has pulled the labor movement. HIS, however, is beside the ques- tion. It is not what we think and know but what we are able to con- vince the masses of on the basis of their actual, experiences, We proys nothing by hurling such terms ii the ranks of the masses at pr t but we do weaken our own case, It is my opinion, formed after some experience in the labor movement, and careful consideration of the matter, that the so-called labor fakers are damaged very little by such abuse but that it actually aids them in that it gives them a chance to shift the is- sue, i, e., to talk about our abuse of them rather than the concrete de- mands we put forward. The history of every struggle of the left wing has shown that personal abuse in The DAILY WORKER has been used very effectively to rally wavering elements to the support of the machine. ° ede all the trade unions howe their traditions, even tho we may pay little attention to them, and one of those traditions is that one must be proved guilty by something more than phrases. If we ask ourselves what the reason is for our high-power phrasing and give a little thot to the question we discover that by such methods we are catering to our Communist vanity, We get a certain amount of satisfaction from publicly branding our enemies, who are also the enemies of the work- ing class, It is very noticeable and enlighten- jing, however, that as the strength of the left wing in the labor unions has decreased, the heat of our utterances concerning the iniquitous practices of the labor officialdom has increased until our general approach and criti- cism can be described as a sort of venemous futility, To anyone outside our party the im- pression is given that we are shout- Ing loudly to conceal our disappoint- ment. There are other methods by which we cater to our Communist vanity and in dealing with them, I repeat, the whole party must take the blame, Workers (Communist) Party DAILY WORKER,/Will be printed in The DAILY WORKER for the infor- mation of the party members, The fact that such a resolution could be drafted and accepted unanimously in the political committee and the central committee speaks volumes for the new atmosphere which is develop- ing in the party. If the spirit of the last two years prevailed such a reso- lution wotild have been viewed in the light of a factional attack and opposed from the standpoint of factional de- fense. There was no such atmosphere in considering the question. The atti- tude and approach was that of approv- ing and bettering The DAILY WORKER and making it a stronger weapon for the movement. In addition to these main questions, there came before the plenum a re- port on the Young Workers’ League, a report on the reorganization of the party and a discussion on work among the masses thru non-party organiza- tions, alf of which evoked constructive discussion. The C. E. C. Committee. NE question on which difference of opinion developed in the Pienum of the central committee was the ques- tion of the composition of the political committee and the acting representa- tive to the comintern, Under the decision of the comintern, the political committee of the party had been reorganized to consist of Ruthenberg, . Lovestone, Foster, Can- non, Bittleman, Bedacht and Gitlow with Comrades Minor, Engdah!, Dunne and Johnstone as candidates. A mo- tion was proposed by Comrade Cannon to substitute Comrade Dunne for Com- rade Minor, who is seated in the com- mittee as candidate for Comrade Be- dacht. ‘The voting on this motion resulted in six in favor and eleven op- posed, with five members of the com- mittee not voting. On the question of the action of the political committee in electing an act- ing representative to the executive committee of the comintern during the illness of the regular representative, Comrades Pepper, Hathaway and Browder were nominated, and the vote resulted in eleven for Pepper, five for Hathaway and six for Browder. While the voting on this question still expressed the previous groupings in the party, there was n® factional spirit in connection with the question in the plenum of the central commit- tee. The votes were tak®n without discussion and the vote may ‘be con- sidered as a hangover from the past, which in no way dissipated or de- stroyed the spirit of moving away from fatcional gtruggle, which was the keynote of the plenum. The Party and the Plenum. The chief task now before the party is to transfer the spirit which nated the plenum of the central of the party must turn their faces way from the factional spinit which as been such a great detriment to our party during the past years and to- wards the constructive work among the masses. The party as a whole must be impressed with the fact which guided the leadership of the party in this plenum,’ that the party cannot stand further inner strife, but must turn from this strife and with all its strength take up its work in the labor movement. The spirit of common work for the upbuilding of the revolutionary mass movement and the strengthening of our party must become the keynote of the party life. Our efforts must be noi to create and emphasize differences but to develop and complete the uni- fication of all the party forces for work in the class struggle. It will not be possible for the party to achieve a miracle. All the struggle and bitterness of the last two year: cannot be wiped out with a wave o the hand,“but the party must earnestly take up the task of eliminating the remnants of factionalism. Just as the central committee was able to make great achievements in arriving at this goal the party as a whole can imme- diately take great strides forward in this respect and create a new atmos- phere of unity and work. The plenum of the central commit- tee has given the party the lead in the right direction. It has transformed into the actualities of party life the spirit of the decision of the Commu- nist International. The spirit of this decision and that of the ‘central com- mittee in carrying it into effect must express itself in every party unit and in every party member, “Unity and Work” is the slogan of the party. Under that slogan th ty will go forward to big achievements in the class struggle in the United States. Chicago Workers Sesqui-Centennial Celebration July 5 Chicago workers will celebrate the Sesqui-Centennial on the legal holiday Monday, July 6, at Chernauskas Grove, Justice Park, Ill. , It 1s the fifth annual Workers (Com- munist) Party July Fourth picnic, Tickets are now available. The ad- mission is 60 cents. BOSSES HATE PASSAIG STRIKE RELHEF WORK Strikers Determined to Win Fight (Special to The Dally Worker? PASSAIC, N. J., June 4.—The splen- did way in which labor has supported the textile workers-of Passaic has enabled the creation of a relief ma- chinery that has spread consternation among the bosses and giyen hope and inspiration to the strikers. Workers Aid Strikers. The response from labor has been wide and generous. Help has been forthcoming from labor“imions and workers’ fraternal organizations of all sorts; from workers’ political parties and-a number of churches, All this money sent in has beenwmit to very good use—has been spent judiciously and economically to achieyé the great- est possible amount of relief. The relief committee issues food cards on the basis of the size of the family, the highest. denomination be- ing $10. Each applicatign for relief is investigated. Only those families having absolutely no Tegources re- ceive strike aid. Four Food Stations, There are four food stations issuing food to the strikers. i The committee has five picket line lunch counters, where coffee and sand- wiches are served to strikers on picket duty. There are two children’s kitchen that feed 1,000 children a day and one garment store where considerable worn apparel is dispensed. Barbers Donate Time. In addition to this, the spirit of la- bor solidarity which has.featured this strike has brought groups, of barbers from New York City to give free hair- cuts to the textile strikers. Groups of New York shoe workers have re- paired shoes of the workers, thus keeping them fit for the work of pick- eting. Free fuel and medical atten- tion has also been dispensed. ' Several landlords, in sympathy withthe just demands of the strikers, have offered the use of apartments for those suffer- ing eviction, * ’ Strict Economy. ° Making: for economy in ‘thé conduct of the relief machinery is the fact that 125 gtrikers themselves carry on the relief work, giving their services with- out remuneration ang managing the food and clothes stores, doing the diffi- cult work of buying (and doing it ef4 fectively), making investigations of the applications for relief, etc. Longshoremen’s Bill for Compensation in Accidents Advanced WASHINGTON, June ‘6\—Carrying a schedule of compensation tates iden- tical with that now established in the federal employes’ compensation act, the longshoremen’s industrial accident compensation bill has been, ordered favorably reported by the senate ju- diciary committee. This’ measure, backed by the International Long- shoremen’s Association, the American Federation of Labor and the American Association for Labor . Legislation, seeks to bring men employed on ships tied up-at dock in Ameri¢an harbors under the provisions of workmen's compensation, If the bill becomes law it will affect longshoremen, ship repairers and other men engaged in tasks on ships at dock and alongside such ships. It prohibits deductions from employes’ wages for benefit funds; it bars waiv- ers of liability, assignments of benefits to creditors or attachment of any pay- ments made ufder the act, It prescribes that insurance against ability shall be taken out by em- ployers, in lieu of proof furnished to he U. S, employes com: ition com nission that such employers are re- sponsible for any possfble payments. Stevedoring firms would have to far- 1ish to the shipowner a Certificate of ompliance with the insurance clause. he bill does not apply to men pro- tected by the compensa ion laws of states or by the seamen’s act. The house judiciary committee has re- ported a similar bill. ” os * Minister to che * Silent on ite » ays Guard Barbarities WASHINGTON, June committed on Chinese king by. the White Gu cenaries of Chang Tso- two weeks following t! that tity have not yet bi to the state department by Minister MacMurray. Press dispatches giving the outline of the horrible fate of Chinese women and girls at the hands of these saddistic remnants of the Kol- chak, Semenoff and Ungern forces were not doubted by department of- ficlals who have been in the Far East. They offer no explanation of MacMur- ilence. 4d China of Bolshevism” was the slogan under which the anti-Commu- nist Russians marched to Peking with , British and American ap- taking of in mentioned proval, __— SENDINAguB! " Re v7 panini a ‘<n Heads Direct Sellers Robt. L. Simons, who appears here, is none e<.er than the newly elected president of the “National Association of Direct Sellers” who just finished their convention in Washington. This particular group of butter and egg men work under the revolutionary slogan, “from factory to you.” CALGARY |. W. W. JOINS PROTEST OVER FRAME-UP Demands Release of Sacco and Vanzetti CALGARY, Alta., (By Mail.)— The Calgary branch of the Industrial Workers of the World called a meet- ing to protest the action of the Massa- chusetts court in the Sacco-Vanzetti case, / This meeting was attended by a large crowd which represented the workers of every shade of opinion in Calgary. Fellow worker, Sam Scar- lett addressed the meeting and pointed out that only thru working class solid- arity could we expect to free our fel- low workers, then read the following resolution: “To the Governor of-the State of Massachusetts: “We, the workers and citizens ot Calgary, Alberta, in mass meeting as- sembled, do hereby resolve: “Whereas, our fellow workers Sacco and Vanzetti, have been imprisoned and their lives placed in continual jeopardy, for the past six years, “And whereas, there 18 a,confession in the hands of the ‘aetetaa by one Celectine Mederies, that he and not Sacco and Vanzetti committed the crime for which these men were con- victed and that said conviction was secured when war hysteria and the so-called red menace was rampant. “Therefore, we the workers of Cal- gary, demand and join in protest with all international labor, that this hor- rible miscarriage of justice shall not be permitted and that these innocent victims of political and class hatred shall be unconditionally released.” The resolution was carried unani- mously. We are sending the above to the governor of Massachusetts and to all working class papers in Canada and the United. States. James Sharp, Branch Secretary. You do the job twice as well— when you distribute a bundle of The DAILY WORKER with your story in it. ~ | MMTITHEY. jCONDUCTED = BY TH How About Another Youth Award at Sesqui-Centennial? Much publicity is given to thé American Youth Award of the Sesqui- Centennial International Exposition taking place at present in Philadel- phia, The- pictures of full-cheeked young boys and girls are printed in some of the boiler plate sheets. May we make a suggestion for a youth exhibit which would typify the country which rdnks as the second biggest child exploiter in the world? Suppose we send to Philadelphia the most typical child laborer as an ex- ample of the rottenness of the Wall Street dictatorship. Hark! The pay- triots cry “No!” KUOMINTANG AND UNIONS GREET YOUNG WORKERS HARTFORD, Conn., June 4.—The Young Workers’ League of Hartford held its- second anniversary celebra- tion tonight at the Lyceum Hall. Delegates from various organiza- tions were seated around tables in a brilliantly lighted hall, whose walls were covered with slogans, To the strains of the International, sung by the Pioneers, who were the attraction of the celebration, the affair was-called to order by the chairman, Comrade Davis. He briefly reviewed the growth of the local unit of the League and then gave the floor to delegates from the organizations present. The president of Machinists’ Union, the local lodge, speaking in behalf of his organization, expressed admiration and praise at the spirit shown by the League members. Pointing to the Pioneers, he said that they are start= ing right, getting early experience \in the class struggle which will make them efficient fighters for the working class. The Kuo Min Tang, represented by two delegates, presented the League with a bouquet of roses, and said the Young Workers’ League is the only youth organization which does not dis- criminate against races and which is actively fighting imperlalsm, the bug- bear of the enslaved Chinese masses. The Metal Polishers’ Union, Moth- ers’ League, Workers, Party, Pioneers followed with greetings. In between the Pioneers furnished the entertainment. Clarence Miller of New York briefly discussed the fu- ture work of the League. Recitations, piano and violin solos and dancing completed the program. SEND IN A SUB! Put Doxp IN SPOKANE, WASH. You can buy The Daily Worker and The Workers meee at the cigar store to) S. P. JACOY, N. 230 Stevens. Drop over for a paper and a smoke! MING WORKERS LEAGUE © New London Youth Describe Conditions NEW LONDON, Conn., June 4.—I am a young weaver 17 years old. I have been working for the Edwart Bloom Co. for about a year and a half. I was making $13 a week and had to work 55 hours to make it. We went on strike because our wages were cut about 25 per cent. We will not go back without a union, because if we do Mr. Bloom will: fire our leaders and treat us like dogs. By F. A. ane I am a young weaver 16 years old and ‘have been working for the Ed, Bloom Co. for nearly two years. As soon as I was 14 I had to go to work to help support the ‘family of eight. My sister also went to work at 14, When I started to work I was get- ting $9 for 44 hours. After two years I was getting $16 for 48 hours a week. Iam working on three looms and have to stand on my feet all day. After work my feet hurt, By N. Vv. se. 8 At the R. & J. Waist Co., which makes children’s underwear, we have to work 9 hours a day and 50 hours a week. On day’ work we get $10 a week. The conditions are very un- healthy. The toilets smell so bad that the girls do not use them. They must think that we are fishes, because the water tastes that way, The foreman drives the girls as hard ashe can. The work is very tiresome and eVen the machines are no good. If we had a union conditions would not be so rotten. By Y. W. C. For a Mass Organ Thru Worker Correspondents Plumbers Helpers’ Club of Brooklyn, ~ New York calls on all helpers to join the club. Meetings every FRIDAY night, 8:30 p. m., at 7 Thatford Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. 100°, » By UPTON SINCLAIR. A splendid propaganda story of a Labor spy—written by a master propagandist. . The kind of a book to hand to your shop-mate after you have read it. 25 CENTS Order from THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO, EVERY POINT COUNTS FOR * A TRIP TO MOSCOW A year’s subscription to The Daily Worker © counts for 100 points. yet ~ bo tes tad witn't RATES: In Chica er year ot |x mont! THE DAILY WORKER, 1113 W. Washington Blvd., Chic: for CIRY. srcosessanorosesccecoreonsoosoreentnesennes sdpepstesnnsenense BRAD ..,.ssssococeereserrnsneseoennssednssssnecesssberscersonns perro or cers or rome rrr cco. Bump the Boss » Right on the Nose with this blank!