8 NEW MASSES Decay of the Socialist Party PAUL NOVICK

Since the national convention of the Social­ 1: The party must disclaim any attempt to set Krueger and the other S.P. majority delegates ist Party in Detroit, last month, there have up a "working-class dictatorship." to the Paris International Socialist Confer­ been important developments in the party. 2: It must repudiate any pledge that would hind the party to support any member who com­ ence in August, 1933. (There, they were part Among these was the formation of a Commit­ mitted an illegal act in resisting war. of a minority of 18, whereas the two S.P. tee for the Preservation of the Socialist Party. 3: It must declare against the policy of minority delegates were part of the huge ma- Its purpose was to oppose final ratification by "massed resistance" to war—must repudiate this pority of 291.) This group devotes most of the membership nationally of the Declaration phrase as having no place in its principles. its attention to international matters, which of Principles adopted by the majority at the 4: It must declare against any seizure of power by the Socialist Party through other than "legal" is an indication of the resentment of the rank Detroit convention. Supporting the Detroit means. and file Socialists against the treacheries of the Declaration of Principles (a "leftist" stand) German Social Democracy. Very conven­ were Norman Thomas, Mayor Daniel Hoan, Thomas replied to these arguments thdt he iently, however, Krueger and the others are of Milwaukee, and Leo Krzycki, of the A.F. was willing to arrange for verbal changes to much less engaged in criticizing Roosevelt than of L. Opposed, mere Louis Waldman, Charles meet the objections raised, before the docu­ Otto Wels, and are still less bothered with Solomon, former Judge Panken, the "Old ment—the Declaration of Principles—is sub­ the treacheries of Messrs. Green and Well, Guard" carrying on the policies of the late mitted to a scheduled ndtional referendum of Lewis and Hillman. Like the Thomas group, Morris Hillquit. The Jewish Daily Forward the party. He even was willing, he said, to it yields to the pressure of the rank and file by contributed heavily to the fund of the Com­ permit a resolution modifying the "disputed" using phrases about working class unity—ex­ mittee for the Preservation of the Socialist parts of the declaration. Under these circum­ pelling from the party, however, those elements Party. At the New York State convention, stances he received the nomination for United who in deeds stand for unity, as the Krueger held the past week, Thomas suffered a decided States Senator, Thus "harmony" was achieved machine did in Chicago. setback, despite his nomination for the Senate in New York. Even the spurious revolutionism 4. The "Revolutionary Policy Committee" —a "harmony" move. All candidates and of Detroit favored by the shrewder dema­ which in its "Appeal to the Membership of resolutions that he was regarded as favoring gogue, Thomas, was too much for the Old the S.P." issued before the convention went to were defeated by an average vote of two to Guard, Waldman stated he was opposed the extent of actually mentioning "Dictator­ one. Leading his opponents was Louis Wald­ to the Declaration because "it makes us less ship of the Proletariat," and called to the de­ man, state chairman. Waldman's thesis, en­ effective." His peroration was: "I will try to fense of the U.S.S.R., "land of proletarian dorsed by the state convention and condemn­ make the party the kind of party I think it dictatorship" where ("there only") the work­ ing the Detroit Declaration, boiled down to ought to be." The following article describes ers are in power "constructing a socialist so­ this: the kind of party it ».—THE EDITORS. ciety." We shall presently see how this group toned down at the convention, tamely swal­ lowing reactionary action and a counter-rev­ HE GENERAL confusion of bour­ ham Cahan, who at a mass meeting of the olutionary attack on the Soviet Union. geois society with its sharpened nation­ New York dressmakers in October, 1933, at 5. The National Socialists of the openly T alism, the confusion prevailing among Madison Square Garden declared that Roose­ fascist brand. This element exposed itself in the petty bourgeois reformist elements, as well velt could become a full-fledged member of the speeches of Joseph W. Sharts, Ohio state- as the pressure of the rank and file for a revo­ the Socialist Party. This organ expresses the chairman of the S.P., and Daniel W. Hoan, lutionary program, were reflected in the six­ views of the old guard on the Soviet Union notwithstanding the support the latter gave to teenth convention of the Socialist Party held through its vicious crusade, which by far ex­ the "revolutionary" Declaration of Principles. June 1-3 in Detroit. The convention was a ceeds the anti-Soviet attacks of the Hearst The sharpened nationalism and the war prep­ spectacle of political decomposition. press or any other bourgeois newspaper in the arations of the bourgeoisie which is already The official organ of the Socialist Party, the United States.* dividing the parties of the Second International New Leader, testifies to the fact that there 2. The Norman Thomas group, which is along national lines was another cause for di­ were six different factions among the 150 odd essentially the same as the Old Guard, but vision within the ranks of the American S.P. delegates assembled in Detroit. It was ob­ differs as to methods and—mainly—language. just as it is occurring within all parties of the vious, however, that each faction was itself This group realizes that the open reactionary Second Internationale divided on most questions so that not one methods and language of the former, the white 6. The Milwaukee and other delegates. of them represented a unit on any basic prob­ guardist rowdyism of the Forward, the corrup­ Whether because of its municipal "socialism," lem. tion and racketeering of "Socialist" officials or because its "socialism" expresses itself in a Disregarding the various subdivisions and in the A.F. of L. unions, exposes the Socialist pacifism reminiscent of its pro-Germanism dur­ streamlets the lines were roughly drawn as Party's true character before the masses. The ing the World War, this group was a faction follows: Thomas group stands for a more "gentle­ by itself. The pacifism of this grOup will ex­ I. The "Old Guard" (or the Hillquitites, manly" attitude towards—and sometimes ex­ plain why Hoan, mayor of Milwaukee, whose or the diehards). Out and out reactionaries presses "interest" in—the Soviet "experiment." police are splitting the heads of the unemployed who work hand in hand with Green and Again, essentially there is little difference be­ and of anti-Hitler demonstrators, switched WoU, directly, or through the officials of the tween the Thomas group and the old guard over to the "left" during the debate on the American Federation of Labor connected with as exemplified by Thomas' "original" stand on Declaration, whereas two days before he the machinery of the N.R.A., trusted servants the N.R.A. and by his liberal-reformist atti­ fought and voted against the "left" report of of Roosevelt and the various city heads like tude generally. group No. 3 on the Paris conference. LaGuardia in New York. This group is best 3. The group led by Professor Maynard This rough outline can give some idea of represented by one of the biggest (and the the composition and decomposition of the S.P. most prosperous) daily organ of the Second * Incidentally, the Forward bought the rights convention and the S.P. itself. In the words to reprint T. Tshernavina's counter revolutionary of one of its "theoreticisms," the "leftist" International, The New York Jewish Daily book Escape From The Soviets, the first instalment Forward and its $20,000 a year editor, Abra- of which appeared immediately after the Convention. Haim Kantorovitch:

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In the Socialist Party, as constituted now, there "left," with a mass of A.F. of L. and S.P. revolutionary appetite," as Louis Waldman, are people who really belong to the bourgeois bureaucrats. Forward agents and various pro­ leader of the old guard, so brutally expressed liberals and people who in fact should belong to fessionals in between. There were but two it in the Forward of June 5. the Communist Party. At the very same meeting The "left" report of the majority of the [of the S. P.] one proclaims Russia as the hope Negroes at the convention. of the world, another—as a fortress of world re­ S.P. delegation to Paris (Krueger, Felix, Lev- action; that socialism without Dictatorship of the enson. Senior) was rejected by a vote of 8,344 Proletariat is unthinkable, and that Dictatorship, 2. "IF" and "NOT NOW" to 7,831, while the minority report by Panken even proletarian, is a calamity for socialism; that One must feel that it would be an insult to was not even considered for adoption. No the American Federation of Labor is a fascist report was adopted. No stand was taken on organization and that the A.F. of L. is the most compare such elements with the fearless rank progressive organization in the world. * and file fighters from all fronts of the class affairs in Germany, on Fascism in general, on struggles, the workers and farmers, the Negro Democracy and Dictatorship, on the danger of This is an ample, though crude, estimate of miners and share-croppers, who constituted the attack on the Soviet Union. The convention the political degeneracy of the S.P. In Detroit voting strength of the Eighth Communist Party both could not make up its mind and was this degeneracy came sharply to the fore. At convention at Cleveland in April. In addition, afraid to commit itself. These in turn are the end, some of the conflicting factions united, one can scarcely draw a step-by-step compari­ some of the reasons why the Declaration of producing the "revolutionary" Declaration of son of the proceedings of the two conventions. Principles which was adopted is so muddled Principles, a synthesis of reactionary policy and There was no report at Detroit, exhaustive or and so generously studded with "ifs" at stra­ leftist phrases. Whatever else the convention otherwise, no analysis of the present general tegic points. did, however, was out and out reactionary. In situation of capitalist society, of the class strug­ The Declaration contains no survey, no their division of labor the various wings of gle, of Fascism, of the role of the labor move­ analysis. After a few meaningless and hack­ the convention followed in the main the course ment, of the Soviet Union, Nothing! There neyed paragraphs about "the privileged mi­ of the multitude of wings in the various parties was a most shallow "keynote speech" by Leo nority" and socialization of industry, the Dec­ of the second international, as aptly formulated Krzycki, of Milwaukee national chairman of laration, without even as much as mentioning by V. Knorin in his speech before the 13th the S.P., wherein it was declared that "the the present forces making for the coming im­ Plenum of the Executive Committee of the country has passed through a year of novel perialist war, launches into an obscure state­ Communist International: experiments" and that "the attitude of large ment against war, the pacifist character of masses of workers towards the New Deal is which cannot be hidden by such phrases as Every social-democratic party contains various changing." Krzycki was "proud to say" that "massed war resistance," or "a united effort" factions which reflect the ideological collapse of the S.P. recognized "from the first that the "to convert the capitalist war crisis into a vic­ social democracy but it is the rights who act. They are openly coming to Fascism, openly har­ N.R.A. was a class instrument for the purpose tory for socialism." nessing themselves to the chariot of nationalism. of repairing and preserving capitalism." Here The Declaration does not say how. It does The "lefts" remain passive and can only chatter he completely lost his memory, forgetting not say anything about "defensive" imperialist holding back the masses from going over to Com­ about the statements by Norman Thomas that wars. It does not mention anywhere U.S. munism. The "rights" act and organize; the the "labor clauses of the [N.R.A.] bill as in­ "lefts" write "left" resolutions.** imperialism. There is nothing about class troduced into Congress rightly used will give war, civil war. What a far cry this "revolu­ The Detroit convention truly reflected the the workers an enormously powerful weapon tionary" declaration is from the resolution the general collapse of social-democracy, the col­ for progress toward genuine socialism (New Socialist Party, under pressure of the then left lapse of the entire Second International. The Leader, June 10, 1933—My emphasis, P.N.); wing led by Charles E. Ruthenberg, adopted American Socialist Party, though it was always or the super-patriotic N.R.A. ballyhoo of his at the St. Louis convention, in 1917. That among the more unprincipled and loose parties (Krzycki's) Milwaukee Leader, as well as of resolution stated: of that "International," is this time in the the Forward; or the collaboration of socialists in the N.R.A. apparatus, or the doings of his The only struggle which would justify the same boat, let us say, with the Socialist Party workers in taking up arms is the great struggle of France, which at its recent convention held own colleague, Hillman, member of Roose­ of the working class of the world to free itself in Toulouse at the end of May, was divided velt's National Labor Board and Industrial from economic exploitation and political oppres­ into eight factions, with eight different resolu­ Labor Advisory Board against whom the val­ sion, and we particularly warn the workers iant chairman of the S.P., Krzycki, vice-presi­ against the snare and delusion of so-called de­ tions on the most important issues . . . The fensive warfare. spectacle at Toulouse prompted one of its dele­ dent of the Hillman controlled Amalgamated gates (De-Philipon) to cry out in despair: "A Clothing Workers' Union, never uttered a The anti-war paragraph of the Declaration party which wants to organize the means of sound . . . This did not prevent him from ex­ is a jumble of phrases torn out of the St. Louis production and distribution ought to at least pressing his pious resentment against those resolution, qualifying its "strongest" slogan of be able to organize its own collective activity." European Socialists who considered "holding "massed war resistance" as follows: of office more important" that "building edu­ But it could not, just as the bourgeoisie They (the Socialists) will meet war and the with whom it is connected cannot organize the cational propaganda machines"! At the end of detailed plans for war already mapped out by means of production. What is true of the this insipid and hypocritical "keynote" came a the war-making arms of the government by French S.P., which still has some proletarian quotation from one of the most reactionary massed war resistance, organized so far as prac­ bourgeois servants, Grover Cleveland, to the ticable in. a general strike of labor unions and following, is still more true of the American professional groups in a united effort to make Socialist Party which has no broad proletarian effect that "it is a condition, not a theory, the waging of war a practical impossibility and basis. The important role the petty-bourgeois which confronts us." to convert the capitalist war crisis into a victory for socialism. (My emphasis.) elements are playing in the S.P. was sharply Typical petty-bourgeois fear of a theoretical demonstrated in Detroit. The "lawyers' bri­ analysis of conditions! There was fear of fur­ This is a step back from the resolutions gade" was the leading spirit on the right, while ther exposing the decomposition of the S.P., adopted by the Second International at its the professors and "young clergymen" (in the fear of exposing its reactionary character. The special congress in Basle, in 1912. The Social­ terms of the Forward) were at the head of the convention could not, however, avoid a dis­ ist leadership betrayed the Basle resolution cussion on the report of the Paris conference with its direct call for a general strike just as • March issue of the monthly Zukunft, published and on the Declaration of Principles intro­ the S.P. leadership here betrayed the St. Louis by the Forward. This did not prevent the same Mr. duced by the "left" wing. There is too much resolution. It seems as if the "lefts" in De­ Kantorovitch, as spokesman for the "left" in New York, from calling for unity of the S. P. after the pressure from below. The rank and file mem­ troit had this in mind and, to make the coming convention. . . . bership is in a state of ferment. There is a betrayal more convenient, were already doubt­ •*V. Knorin: Fascism, Social-Democracy, and demand for revolutionary action. The con­ ing the practicability of a general strike in the the Communists, Workers Library Publishers. XOc. vention could not help but try to "pacify the event of war ("objective conditions" of

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Messrs. Green and Woll, etc.). The legacy of Morris Hillqiiit, who in 1917 declared "Socialism in the United States will not han­ dicap the United States government by strikes" (Times, Feb. Ii, 1917) was not forgotten in Detroit. However, it is in the final and most impor­ tant paragraph of the Declaration where the "left" wing exposes its treacherous content. Prefacing the fight against Fascism with the words "In its struggle for a new society, the Socialist Party seeks to attain its objectives by peaceful and orderly means" the Declaration winds up:

The Socialist Party proclaims anew its faith in economic and political democracy, but it un­ hesitatingly applies itself to the task of replacing the bogus democracy of capitalist parliamentarism by a genuine workers' democracy. Capitalism is doomed. IF it can be superseded by majority vote, the Socialist Party will rejoice. IF the crisis comes through the denial of majority rights AFTER THE ELECTORATE HAS GIVEN US A MANDATE, we shall not hesitate to crush by our labor solidarity the reckless forces of re­ action and to consolidate the Socialist state. IF the capitalist system should collapse in a general chaos and confusion, which cannot permit of orderly procedure, the Socialist Party, whether or not in such a case it is a majority, will not shrink from the responsibility of organizing and maintaining a government under the workers' rule. True democracy is a worthy means to progress; but true democracy must be created by the workers of the world. (My emphasis.)

The final and most important paragraph of the Declaration is not merely muddled, and non-committal on a number of most essential points. "IF" capitalism can be superseded by a parliamentary majority. Can it be? Will it be? The Socialist "leaders" who want the workers to follow them do not themselves know. Nay, over and over again they pro­ claim their faith in democracy, still creating illusions as to the possibility of changing the system by parliamentary majority. "If" the electorate will give the Socialists a majority and "if" the capitalists will refuse to recognize such majority. The Socialist "leaders" do not know how it is going to turn out. Some of them even are convinced that if they make their socialism a little more harm­ MILWAUKEE STREET SCENE Thomas Funk less than the "socialism" of Wels and Bauer— the way the Socialists of Scandinavia and hour. It is a process upon which we have ports, Norman Thomas declared during the Tzechoslovakia are doing now—the capitalists already entered. But this is precisely what turbulent debate: "It (the Declaration) is a will not only keep them in parliament, but the declaration denies. The whole thing is calm, eloquent statement of what to do^not even trust them with the government. put forward as something lying way in the now—but in event of war, or in the event of But the "ifs" of the Declaration betray distance. SOME day in the future we may, the collapse of the capitalist government." (In­ much more than that. The final "if" be­ possibly, perhaps, have to do this and that. cidentally, this is the same gentleman who in trays the whole meaning of the "revolution­ Which is precisely how the Second Interna­ an interview in the same newspaper of June ary" talk of the left wing. "If" the capitalist tional has always been talking about socialism. I stated: "It is childish to blab about what you state should collapse! Whereas the old SOME day! Meanwhile—class collaboration, might do in some tomorrow" . . . ) guardist Oneal allowed himself to state (New united front with the bourgeoisie against the N'ot now. Here is the crux of the problem. Leader, June 2) that "the delegates meet forces working for revolution NOW. Fight war, preparedness — not now. Fight while the capitalist world is still (sic!) in col­ "Not now," emphasized the new leader against Fascism, for socialism—not now. How lapse," "militants" and "revolutionists" in De­ of the "left," Norman Thomas, in his familiar this must sound to the workers of troit did not know whether it is going to col­ speech for the support of the Declaration. Vienna and Linz, even though the Declara­ lapse—in an orderly manner, or in "chaos and According to the Detroit News, which on June tion of the Detroit S.P. convention, with its confusion" . . . This is not merely a case of 7 printed a letter of thanks of Dr. W. G. Berg­ muddled phrases about "consolidating" social­ chaos and confusion in the minds of the S.P. man, general chairman of the S.P. convention, ism "under" the "workers' rule," may be but a leaders. Clearly, the collapse of the capitalist expressing his appreciation of the accuracy crude and less "revolutionary" copy of some system is not a matter of a certain day, or and understanding of its convention news re- of the numerous declarations of Otto Bauer.

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gates. At this conference the Jim Crow policy S.P. could hardly select a better "leader" than 3. Go Left—Turn Right of keeping Negroes in the South in separate this weasel-worded multi-faced gentleman. The Detroit convention of the S.P. was branches was upheld. An attempt was made But Thomas was unnecessarily perturbed, since aptly characterized by the Forward on June 4 to raise the Scottsboro issue on the convention the Times had already stated in its editorial on in the following words: floor, but it was immediately squashed. Not June 5—while Thomas was still in Detroit— even a formal resolution demanding the libera­ that the "IFS" of the Declaration meant a At the convention of the Socialist Party the tion of the Scottsboro boys was passed by the good deal for the bourgeoisie. Here is how lefts suffered complete defeat on a question "left" resolutions committee! succinctly the Times put it: which is of practical, substantial and immediate significance and attained a victory -with regard In its resolutions on "Pan-American Social­ ist Relations" and in the attached proposal for There is always much virtue in your "if" and to a question of a principled, abstract and abso­ there may be a good deal of it in this particular lutely non-substantial character. a congress of "Ibero-American Democracy" one. Doubtless the resolution will undergo a lot (i) there is not a word on Cuba, not a hint of metaphysical explanation until it seems not to The most important organ of the S.P. can­ at U.S. imperialistic aggression in Latin- amount to much. not make a single statement without betraying America* its lack of principle, its vulgarity and oppor­ The crowning glory of this record of a As for Thomas, the Times editorial had the tunism. Nevertheless (or because of that) "socialist" convention (a "left" convention, if following to say: this estimation of the S.P. convention is a cor­ you please!) was the speech of that "Bonze" One understands the pressure to which Mr. rect one, both as to the non-substantiality of (which is the German workers' equivalent for the "abstract" matter, the Declaration, and Thomas was subjected. There has been a steady a fat bureaucrat). Max Winter, former So­ push of the younger and more radical elements as to the substantiality of the decisions pertain­ cialist vice-mayor of Vienna who ran away in the Socialist Party against what they think to ing to immediate action. before the ship went down. This gentleman be the obsolete "ideology" of its older leaders. When it appeared that the impatient and short­ The Detroit convention which adopted the who helped pave the way for DoUfuss tried "revolutionary" Declaration rejected the fol­ cut Socialists had won a majority of the Socialist to justify the treacheries of the Austrian So­ convention, Mr. Thomas apparently felt com­ lowing paragraph in the resolution on the cial-Democratic leaders in the following man­ pelled to go along with them. N.R.A.: ner. Winter said: The understanding displayed by the organ The N.R.A. has also shown fundamental weak­ Only on the short piece of our frontier against of Wall Street is both touching and based on ness in the American labor movement. It has Czechoslovakia and against Switzerland did we cold facts. The Times can hardly forget how shown up more clearly than any other event the have democratic neighbors—16 million all told; Hillquit and the entire S.P. leadership sabo­ obsolete ideology of the A.F. of L. The many but behind Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Jugo­ instances in which leaders have counselled work­ slavia are the two Fascist countries, Poland and taged and betrayed the St. Louis resolution, ers against striking or even ordered them back Rumania with nearly 50 million inhabitants and although it was Hillquit who reported the to work in the face of an overwhelming indica­ (also in the majority Fascist) the border states resolution to the convention on behalf of the tion by the membership of a desire to strike, has on the East Sea, and the newest fascist state: sub-committee which drafted it (Charles E. indicated their abandonment of the belief that Bulgaria. And behind the approximately 180 unions are fighting organizations. It has shown million Fascist-ruled people are the 140 million Ruthenberg and Algernon Lee were the other the inadequacy of the A.F. of L. structure in or­ Russian people under Stalin's dictatorship. The two members). It depends a great deal on ganizational work and the positive harm of the small democratic Austria was surrounded by who is going to execute the new policy even craft form of organization. more than 300 millions under dictatorship. One when there is a turn to the left. against fifty! (From the oificially released copy This paragraph was considered an attack of his speech.) The seventh of the 21 conditions for ad­ on the S.P. "The S.P. is in the same boat mission to the Communist International with the A.F. of L.," cried the $17,500 man­ And there were the "revolutionists" who in adopted by the Second Congress of the C.I. in ager of the Forward, B. C. Vladeck. The their "Appeal" called the U.S.S.R. the "land 1920 called not only for a complete break paragraph was stricken out. Instead, the con­ of proletarian dictatorship" where "the work­ with the reformists, but for the expulsion of vention unanimously adopted the resolution on ers in power" are "constructing a Socialist so­ the Hillquits, Kautskys and MacDonalds as the farm problem and other decisions of the ciety," listening to this counter-revolutionary well. (The American S.P. at that time asked convention followed closely the line of the babble and not a voice was raised from the for admission; Hillquit was "ready" to "lead" old guard resolutions of the New York City convention platform! This was just another the party on the "new road.") Events have S.P. pre-convention conference. So was the glaring proof of the content of the "revolu­ proved, again and again, the correctness of the resolution adopted by the "left" resolutions tionary" phraseology of the "lefts" and of the stand of the Communist Intenational, At the committee on the United Front which de­ true reactionary character of the S.P. conven­ beginning of this year there was much talk nounced "Communist disruptions and in­ tion. among the "left" Socialists in Europe about trigue" and called for action only by agree­ The New Deal of the S.P. is the old deal a "new turn" in Belgium (the De Man ment between the Communist and the Second clumsily covered up. The petty-bourgeois re­ "Plan"), which "turn" was demonstrated by Internationals (New Leader, June 9). former, Norman Thomas, who on the first day the spectacle of Vandervelde (head of the Sec­ The problems of the unemployed and of of the convention fought together with the ond International) and his colleagues at the unemployment insurance were not even dis­ old guard against the "left" Paris report death of King Albert and the coronation of cussed at the convention. Likewise, the con­ (which was defeated, as shown above, by a King Leopold. The same "new turn" prompted vention ignored the demands of the rank and narrow margin), on the third day stood at the Vandervelde to appeal to the League of Na­ file membership for the support of the Soviet head of the "left" front, fighting for the Dec­ tions for the rescue of "socialist" Vienna. Not Union in case of an attack. laration of Principles. However, at the first much happier was the ending of the "new The convention of a party which maintains session of the newly elected national commit­ turn" of the Socialists of Poland who at their Jim Crow branches for its Negro members (as tee (which contains not one worker! not one convention held in February passed a resolu­ many as there are) in the South could do Negro!) it was decided, at the suggestion of tion wherein it was stated that "under certain nothing but treat the Negro problem the way Thomas, to ask the advice of a cornmittee of conditions" the Dictatorship of the Proletariat it did.* At a conference on this problem held lawyers as to the legality of the language of is inevitable. Under the onslaught of Fascism, between regular sessions, there appeared six the Declaration. In his statement in the New immediately after the collapse of the German delegates in addition to the two Negro dele- York Times of June 7, Thomas hastens to Social Democracy, left phrases were in the assure the bourgeoisie that the S.P. will seek vogue among the various socialist leaders. * According to the Forward of June 7, there are power "by the ballot" and "by methods which Even Wels began using them. Now the lead­ three S.P. members in the state of South Carolina, ers of the Polish S.P. again proclaim their 58 in Texas, 64 in Tennessee. There are 112 mem­ do not compel a resort to wholesale violence bers in Oklahoma, 15 in Kansas. or dictatorship." The politically degenerated faith in democracy, while the avowed purpose

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of Wels' "revolution" is for the restoration tion, still sharper, still more stupid, still crazier But even the vilest attacks of the old guard of democracy. However, true to American and more dangerous than the ST. LOUIS "CON­ cannot give revolutionary content to the mis­ COCTION" was passed by the extremists in tempo Thomas, Hoan, Krzycki and the others Detroit, (My emphasis.) leading and counter-revolutionary Declaration, began modifying their "left" phrases as soon just as the attacks of the Republican old guard as the convention adjourned. The S.P. must Space does not allow me to quote at length on the N.R.A. cannot make the Roosevelt maintain its name as a "decent" and "legiti­ the article of this man Cahan, one of the lead­ New Deal an instrument for socialism. Like­ mate" political party! ers of the American S.P., the editor of the wise, the attack on Thomas cannot blind any­ The old guard is sore, and not for nothing. most important Socialist daily in the country body to the misleading, unprincipled, and dem­ Its attitude to the Declaration of Principles and one of the most important organs of the agogic role he is playing. is a criminalistic one, that of the courts, the Second International (Kautsky, Abramovitch, There may be a split in the S.P. and there police, the bomb squad. Union-bureaucracy Bauer and others are among its contributors). may not be one. The Declaration, which goes and its host of Socialist lawyers, the bourgeoisi- The lack of principles and the political vul­ to a referendum before the membership, will fied Forward crowd, stand to lose a great deal. garity of this man, his methods, his white- most probably be purged of its "provocative, Their profitable undertaking are placed in guardist attacks on the Soviet Union are il­ anarchistic, Communistic, and illegal" word­ danger by a "provocative, anarchistic, illegal luminating. (For instance, in the same article ing. Some of the old guard may leave the and Communist doctrine," in the words of Cahan states: The Daily Worker is campaign­ party when it is adopted (the "left" will stay Louis Waldman (New Leader, June 9). The ing for Thomas . . . Thomas is being helped at any rate!). old guard remembers well the "trouble" caused "by the millions Soviet Russia is spending in Of course, all this is immaterial. Even if by the St. Louis resolution which the bour­ America for publicity" . . . The "picnic" of such openly national Socialist elements as geoisie did not like. In the words of Abra­ workers' democracy is good only where there Sharts of Ohio leave the S.P. it will have as ham Cahan (Forward, June 10): is a G.P.U. and where "millions of people can little effect on that party as resulted from be banished from their homes without any the secession of the openly fascist Neo-Social- This (St. Louis) resolution inflicted on our reason." This Socialist paper always comes ists (Renaudel, Marquet, Dea, etc.) from the party very much harm. The party delegates who forward with its provocations against the S.P. of France. voted for that resolution felt very sorry after­ Soviet Union at the most "opportune" mo­ For the truly revolutionary elements in the ward. They considered the resolution A DAN­ ment. This time, Cahan did some agent-pro­ Socialist Party—and there is no doubt there GEROUS STUPIDITY, LUNACY. At that vocateur work for the McCormick-Dickstein many members left the party, and some of are such among the rank and file—there is the delegates who voted for the resolution were Congressional committee investigating Soviet no alternative but to turn to the Communist amongst them. A similar "revolutionary" resolu­ "publicity-propaganda"). Party.

Jersey Justice for Pickets CORLISS LAMONT

HIS is the story of what happened to At about 9:45 Wednesday morning I start­ orders. Wirin thought that perhaps Jersey an orderly and law-abiding American ed picketing in front of the Miller Company, City had changed its policy regarding pickets Tcitizen who went to Jersey City, on I wore a sign reading: "The American Civil and decided we ought to go to the nearest Wednesday, June 27, to carry on peaceful Liberties Union Tests the Right to Peacefully station house in order to have the police de­ picketing before the Miller Parlor Furniture Picket in Jersey City." In a nearby automo­ partment definitely commit itself. This we Company at 261 Orient Avenue. bile, A. L. Wirin, counsel to the Civil Liber­ did, but the lieutenant in charge stoutly denied First, let me give you some of the back­ ties Union, sat as an observer. Since the there had been any alteration in policy and ground. During the last few years the finan­ police have been arresting observers as well said pickets would be arrested as usual. He cial situation of Jersey City has become more as pickets and had only the day before jailed was very surly and remarked, "You people are and more precarious. Mayor Hague's city Alfred Hirsch of the National Committee for carrying this thing too far." I want to make government has been striving desperately to the Defense of Political Prisoners for being clear here that Wirin and I would have been find new resources. And the versatile Hague an observer, Wirin's strategy of insulating only too glad to establish the principle of conceived the bright idea of attracting to the himself by means of an automiobile was most peaceful picketing without my going to the city new business, which would yield much- wise. Even as it was the police tried to haul trouble, energy, and expense of arrest, jailing, needed revenues through taxation, by promis­ him in on some pretext or other, but failed. I and trial. The New York Herald Tribune, ing employers that he would cut their labor walked quietly and alone up and down the which wrote a most malicious account of the troubles down to a minimum by preventing sidewalk. Four or five persons gathered at affair, tried to make out that I was just de­ picketing and other such activities on the part the end of the block and watched me. There termined to be a martyr, yearning deeply for of workers. The Miller Furniture Company was also a lady on a nearby porch who seemed arrest as a "milestone" in my "career." This was one of the corporations which took ad­ to take some interest. I did not say a word was the Tribune's oh so subtle way of attempt­ vantage of Boss Hague's offer. This spring to anyone. Finally a man, who I think was ing to cover up the basic labor issues involved. it moved to Jersey City from Brooklyn, break­ an official of the factory, came around the Of course, after what the lieutenant said, the ing its agreement with the Furniture Workers corner and walked by me, muttering, "One only thing to do was to go back and continue Industrial Union, refusing to pay $2,200 in of these days I am going to beat up one of picketing. We figured that the police radio car back wages, and locking out all union mem­ these bastards." I merely smiled, but will in had not been available during my first spell. bers. Accordingly, the Union began to picket all prabability be accused at my trial of insult­ As soon as I began picketing the second time the factory. At the same time Hague and his po­ ing this fellow. a police runabout drove up with two officers licemen proceeded to keep their promise to the At the end of ten minutes nothing had in it. I was still alone on the sidewalk. The employers, arresting all pickets on trumped-up happened, though there was a policeman roam­ police car drove up to the other end of the charges and throwing them into jail. I was ing around. He kept dashing in and out of block and one of the officers got out and talked the sixteenth picket to have this honor. the factory and I judge he was getting his to someone out of my sight around the corner.

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