The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 12, 1927, Page 5

Toe New MaGazine Section of THE DAILY WORKER Second Section: This Magazine Section Appears Every Saturday in The DAILY WORKER. SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1927 ALEX BITTELMAN, Editor Charles E. Ruthenberg A= time passes on, and as the American working class acquires more class consciousness and re- volutionary spirit, the life and experiences of Ruth- enberg, founder and foremost leader of our party, will become in ever increasing measure an organic and vital part of the life and struggles of the Amer- ican working class. For Ruthenberg stood for a gieat ideal. He symbolized the aspirations of the oppressed and exploited the world over. He was leader in the struggles of the workers against capi- talism. He was builder of a party which is destined to lead the working class to victory. The loss sustained by our party and the labor movement generally is great indeed. The dynamic power of his personality, his prestige, the long yearz of his experience as leader and organizer of workers’ struggles—these constituted tremendous assets for our party and our movement. Revolutionary leaders of his type and strength were never needed more badly than now. But Ruthenberg is gone and out went of our midst one of our best, most valuable and indispensable comrades. We shall feel the loss for a long, long time. Ruthenberg was a Bolshevik. He was a:true dis- ciple and follower of the principles of Leninism. He was the pioneer in the United States of the cause of the proletarian revolution and international Confmunism. His opposition to capitalism was un- compromising,,.militant and courageous. Every bit of Svs wa ed bo Loge — ee wars ‘ — loved and respected by large masses of workers. His stand against the late imperialist war and the lead he took in the anti-war struggles of the masses will forever remain a source of inspiration for revolutionists and enemies of capitalism the world over. In the mist of war hysteria and asphyxiating capitalist propaganda; despite the regime of naked terror instituted by the “democracy” loving Wilson administration; deserted by most of the official lead- ers of the socialist party-and of the trade unions who had openly or secretly gone over to the capi- talists, Ruthenberg, like the true proletarian fighter that he was, bravely raised the banner of active op- position to the imperialist war rallying the working masses for struggle against it. At this time, particularly, when American im- perialism is running mad with its victories, when American military forces are steadily crushing the national independence of the peoples of South and Central America, the Caribbean, China, etc., when the danger. of a new world war is being made ‘a- creasingly inevitable by the imperialist rivalries of the capitalist power—at this. time more than ever are Ruthenberg’s experiences as leader in the strug- gle against imperialist wars a lesson and inspira- tion to the oppressed and exploited. him was in the fight against the enemies of the working class. And for this he was hated and per- secuted by the capitalists and their government; sew ernggee CM yen } }) By ALEX BITTELMAN True, consistent and genuine working class inter- natipnalism were the very essence of Ruthenberg’s life and struggles. In the United States, where the working class is composed of so many nationalities, languages and colors; where divisions of birth, back- ground and training are so varied and run in 80 many directions; where the capitalist class persis- tently cultivates and artificially inflames these divis- ions and prejudices within the working class—it is in this country. that Ruthenberg’s life and struggles became symbolic of the so much needed unity of the American working class, Unity between the for- eign born and native. Unity between white and Negro. Unity of all workers, regardless of race, color or place of birth, against their class enemy— the capitalists. One of the greatest contributions of Comrade Ruthenberg to the revolutionary struggles of the working class was his masterly exposure and unre- lenting attack against the sham and hypocrisy of American democracy. Applying the theory and method of Marxism-Leninism to the present phase in the development of American capitalism, Ruthen- berg was able to penetrate into the most hidden corners of the governmental machinery of the capt- talist class, demonstrate to the masses the real na- ture of this machinery as the organ°of power by which the capitalist class holds in subjection the overwhelming majority of the population in this country—the workers and poor farmers. iis flam- ing hatred of this capitalist government knew no bounds, His was the clarion call to the workers and poor farmers of America to organize and wage a political struggle against this «overnment. His was the con- sistent advocacy of the burning need of independent political action of the American working class as a class through the formation of a Labor Party. His was the untiring cffort for the crystallization of an alliance between the workers and farmers for a com- mon political struggle against the exploiters of the toiling masses and for the establishment of a Work- ers’ and Farmers’ government in the United States. Ruthenberg was a proletarian revolutionist. He was a firm believer in the inevitability of the social revolution in America and in the victory of the work- ing class. For the achievement of this goal he had given his whole self. Without break-or interruption, except when confined to jail by the enemies of thé workers, without wavering or hesitation, optim- istic, courageous, determined and with solid faith inthe working class, Ruthenberg proceeded along ever forward, educating, organizing and mobilizing the masses for the victory of the revolution and the cstablishment of Communism. He was one of the first to raise the banner of the Communist International in the United States. This banner he held aloft till the last day of his life. All his foree and power and ability, all his energy and leadership were devoted towards rallying the masses to the banner and struggles of the Communist In- ternational. His road to Communism and to the leading ranks of the general staff of the world revolution—the Comraunist International—was the road of persistent struggle in the socialist party of America against opportunism and petty-bourgeois reformism and for revolutionary socialism and proletarian struggle. Like the revolutionary Marxian that he was, he com- batted mercilessly the influences of Bergerism and Hillquitism, influences which were pushing the so- cialist party of America away from class struggle and toward class collaboration. He was struggling steadfastly to maintain the socialist party as a working class party. And in 1919, when the right wing initiated the.canipaign of wholesale expulsions from the party of the revolutionary left wing ele- ments, and when the open betrayal by this right wing of the most basic interests of the working class made no longer possible the existence in one party of the left and right wings, Comrade Ruthen- berg led the way to the organizational solidification of the left wing and the formation of the’ Communist Party. 7 ian elments of the world socialist movement was nearly always close and intimate. It is for this reason that he was one of the very few in the United States who were quick to realize the meaning of the Bolshevist revolution in Russia and its signifi- cance for the labor movement of the world. With boundless energy he proceeded to rally the revolu- tionary workers of America to the support of the (Continued on Pagé Five’