What Is the “Left Wing” Movement and Its Purpose? by Edward Lindgren
Lindgren: What is the “Left Wing” Movement? [Feb. 1919] 1 What is the “Left Wing” Movement and Its Purpose? by Edward Lindgren Published in The Class Struggle [Brooklyn, NY], v. 3, no. 1 (Feb. 1919), pp. 111-114. This question is agitating hundreds of mem- Its origin has a more fundamental basis. While for bers of the Socialist Party at this time. years there have been factions in the party no real Since the memorable night when the Cen- line-up was taken until 1912, when half of the tral Committees of the various locals of New York party membership was read out of the party by City held a conference, at which half of the del- the infamous clause known as the “sabotage” sec- egates bolted and adjourned to another hall and tion of the Socialist Party constitution. At that time there organized themselves into a “Left Wing” the reactionaries were left in control, as they be- group of the party, it has been a perplexing ques- lieved for good. But the question was one of prin- tion, and the party machinery, held in control by ciples and could not be killed by official procla- reactionary officials, paid organizers and speakers mations or by expelling members who refused to and other parasites who cling like leeches to the accept it. Logically, one reactionary step must be socialist pie-counter, have endeavored to squelch followed by others, and the party plunged deeper this exhibition of indignation and anger of the rank and deeper into the mire of vacillating policies, of and file by holding private meetings of “good,” opportunism and reforms; compromising the revo- “loyal” comrades, for the purpose of saving the lutionary position it should have occupied as a party from “IWWism,” “anarchy,” and the devil Socialist party, for a vote-catching policy, based knows what.
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