--I

NATIONAL CONVENTION

SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY

>fay 5-10, 1920.

REPORTS, RESOLUTIONS, PLATFORM., ETC.

Published 1921 . National Executi,ve Commitlee, Socialist Labor Party, 45 Rose Street New York

NATIONAL CONVENTION

SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY

Mag 5-10, 1920.

REPORTS, RESOLUTIONS, PLATFORM’, ETC.

Published 1921 National Executi,ve Committee, Socialist Labor Party, 45 Rose Street New York : ‘., . .

The modem revolutionist knows find the revolutionist putting himself full well. that man is not superior to above the organization. The opposite principle, that principle is superior to conduct is an unmstakable earmark man, but ‘he does not fly off the han- of reformers. dle with the maxim, and thus turn the The revolutionist recognizes that maxim into absurdity. He firmly the present machinery and methods couples the maxim with this other, of production render impossible-and that no principle is superior to the well it is they do-the individual free- movement or organization that puts dom of man such as our savage an- it and upholds it in the field.. . .He cestors knew the thing; that, today, knows that in the revolution demand- the highest individual freedom must ed by our age, Organization must be go hand in hand with collective free- the incarnation of Principle. Just the ,dom; and none such is possible with- reverse of the reformer, who will ever out a central directing authority. be seen mocking at science, the revo- ‘Standing upon this vigor-imparting lutionist will not make a distinction high plane of civilization, the revolu- between the Organization and the tionist is virile and selfreliant, in Principle. He will say: “The Prin- striking contrast with the mentally ciple and the Organization are one.” sickly, and, therefore, suspicious re- former. Hence the cry of “Bossism!” Again, the modem revolutionist is as absent from the revolutionist’s knows that in order to accomplish re- lips as it is a feature on those of the sults or promote principle, there must reformer. !be unity of action. ‘He knows that, if we do not go in a body and hang to- No organization will inspire the gether, we are bound to hang separate. outside masses with respect that will He&e, you will ever see the revolu- not insist upon and enforce discipline tionist submit to thewillof the major- within its own ranks. If you allow ity: you will always see him readiest your own members to play monkey- to obey; he recognizes that obedience shines with the Party, the lookers-on, is the badge of civilized man. The who belong in this camp, will justly savage does not know the word. The believe that you will at some critical word “obedience” does not exist in the moment allow capitalism to play mon- vocabulary of any language until its keyshines with you; they will not re- people got beyond the stage of sav- spect you, and their accession to your wery. Hence, also, you will never ranks will be delayed. f CONTENTS. h

Report of the National Executive Committee- ...... 1 Report of the Editor of the Weekly People ...... 31 Resolutions Adopted ...... 38 National Platform Adopted ...... 45 RFports of Committees Adopted ...... 47 Amendments to the Party Constitution Adopted and Approved by Referendum ...... 51

Appendix ...... 55

Report of the National Executive Committee to the 15th National Convention of the Socialist Labor Party, May 1920

Greetings: the submerged weorking class, which Looking back over the four years so far (outside of Russia) in vain has that have elapsed since the last con- sought to overcome the monster. vention of the Party, one is impressed In America, the final stronghold, with the fact that changes have taken the backbone of Capitalist Imperial- place that none could have anticipated ism, a like condition exists, with the within that short space of time, a pe- difference that actual war does not riod which in importance transcends exist, and the masses, though on the any period of that duration in the verge of starvation, have as,yet not world’s history. The entire civilized gone through that agony of hunger world has been convulsed as if by an and misery which has fallen to the earthquake. The savage war, finally lot of the working classes elsewhere. extending to the remotest corners of The American Plutocracy, true to the the earth, has so affected the com- ideals of imperialism, has, however, plexion of the prevailing system, has introduced a reign of terror among so clianged its processes, or rather dissentients, which goes further than it has so intensified and hastened the in most of the old oountries. Being d ilec- t’on* of these processes, as :o “illiterates” in all matters pertaining render it impossible ever to return to to the social sciences, economics, the conditions prevailing prior to etc., the Imperialists of this country 1911. It has become clear by this stand bewildered at the sight of the time that capitalism proper, capital- yawning abyss before them. Choking ism in its‘ n,ormal aspects, has gone with wealth wrung from as exploited forever. In its place there has been a slave class as ever existed, they reared a system of society which, tremble with fear and wonder at the though essentially capitalist in so far rumblings already heard, even in this as its relation to th,e working class benighted country of untram~melled is concerned, differs as much from capitalism and labor fakerism. In su- the capitalism of pre-war days as the perstitious awe they. strike blindly rotten ripe fruit differs from the about them, attacking in their despair ripening fruit. Oeath and pestilence, the very foundation of that form of hunger and misery ravage Europe as government which they never tireof a direct result of the war, the foul holding up to the world as the last social atmosphere being surcharged word in governmental arrangements. with the putrid smell of the decaying, The war and its aftermath have fast decaying capitalist system. On produced a darkness that has filled the other hand, Capitalist Imperial- many with despair, and many others ism, or nascent Industrial Feudalism, (formerly clear) with confusion. T,hat towers apparently supreme above the which formerly, in the distance, was social misery and social decay of the or seemed clear to them has now be- old world, holding in its iron grip oome a fog, though within grasp and realization. Many of those groups 1,osing their grip on the workers- and individuals who formerly pre- m.ore and more are these parties and tend,ed to be opponents of capitalism their organs revealed as the hand- ,have not only dropped the pretence, maids of the vested interests, of nas- but have become in fact the last bar- cent Industrial Feudalism. The time ricades, the final support and chief is fast coming, in short, when we may hope of the Imperialists. In the name expect to be called upon to lead of Socialism these unspeakalbmle .that working class to final victory. wretches have slaughtered the work- dne of the important acts of the ers, as witness Germany during the last Party convention was the adop- last one and a half years. tion of a statement on the question In all th’is darkness there has arisen of unity between the S. L. P. and the a pillar of flame, a piercing ray of S. P. The document adopted by the hope, a voice in the wilderness ring- convention was endorsed by the ref- ing around the world. Russia, czar- erendum, and after much discussion ridden and exploited, with a popula- and correspondence the proposed tion groping in thraldom andmisery, Unity Conference took place in Janu- suddenly arose, Phoenix-like, from ary, 1917, in New York City. Five the ashes. Young Russia, shaking delegates from the S. L. P. and four the’ shackles of centuries from off its from the S. P. (one of their delegates strong limbs, stands today as that being unable to attend) attended th.is pillar of flame, as that piercing ray conference, which, by the way, was of hope. initiated by the S. P. The conference * * * lasted two days (January 6 and 7) and We shall now review the events of resulted, as most clear-sighted S. L. ~the last four years as far as they P. men expected, in absolute disagree- concern the Party. ment. The S. P., true to its inherent The national campaign of 1916 was bourgeois nature, naturally clung to conducted with great vigor. Tons of its bourgeois reform program, and literature were distributed, our or- refused to recede an inch from its ganizers were sent to almost every position as a buffer of the American part of the country. That the result Federation of Labor, the strongest in point of votes and membership bulwark of American capitalism. The were no greater need nemither dismay S. L. P., on the other hand, true to nor disappoint us. The S. L. P. is its inherent Socialist nature, insisted the young giant that must and will upon a revolutionary program, in- slay the monst,er capitalism, but it cluding an unqualified recognition of can not do so until that monster has industrial unionism as the sine qlla exhausted its own possibilit,ies-pas- non of working class emancipation. sibilities for good as for evil. So long The Unity Conference having come as the capitalist parties, and their vari- to an end, a period in S. L. P. history ous car,icatures, are able to poison or was concluded during which the seeds confuse the minds #of the workers, so of-future dissension were sown. So long must our work.be that of the long as there was a prospest of unity; apostle-spreading our gospel far and however remote, between the S. P. wide as well as at definite points, and the S. L. P., S. L. P. activity was knowing that somewhere it is strik- bound to suffer. The S. L. P., how- inn fertile soil. some dav to spnout ever, in obedience to the mandates ’ forth. The time is fast coming, how- of the International Congress, cleared ever, when the bourgeois parties are itself of all responsibility for a seem- -2-

=. .C’ L ingly divided movement. It said in gun and carried on, and so far we substance: Whatever theoretic doubt have succeeded in keeping our fight- there may be as to the genuineness ing organ in existence. of the S P. as a party of Socialism, In ,other ways the war made .its we are willing to lay that doubt aside presence .felt. Freedom of expression to effect, if possible, unity between was curtailed, meetings were interfer- real and earnest Socialists. T,he S. ed with and a condition was created L. P., quickly entirely disillusioned, which made it practically impossible finally gave the proper designati.on to to do much else than Leeping the or- the S. P. In 1903, through Comrade ganization alive, preserving it for the De Leon, the S. P. was branded as a dcay that was sure to come. To this caricature of Socialism, and in ring- task the National Executive Commit- ing words the challenge was flung tee, the Sub-Committee, and the Na- out--(‘ war upon all political parties tional Secr,etary bent most of their and organizations that directly or in- eff,orts. Th,is does not mean that we directly impair the integrity of La- ceased our constructive work. We bar...... ” Had this attitude been continued that along lines and within adhered to, much, if not all of the forms consistent with the new condi- disturbances that have taken place tions. And hfad it not been for the witbin the Party during the last two disruptive assault on the P,arty in years might have been avoided. 1918, a good deal more could have (For if the Unity Conference had no been accomplished than was the case. other result, it cedainly ,had a pro-‘ The Disruptive Assault on the Party. found effect upon certain members This brings us to the internal whose many years’ membership should troubles of the Party. As previously have rendered them immune to, the stated, the Unity C,onference, though “afflictions” to which young and in- barren of any result so far as “unity” experienced members may be prone. was concerned, upset the minds of However, this phase of the matter men who ought to have been proof belongs under another heading in against temptations and weaknesses. this report. It is almost axiomatic that th.e-weak In ‘April, 1917, as we know, the person who goes astray becomes the United States declared war against most designing and unscrupulous of Germany. From that time our real men. Their very weakness rendersit troubles began. Due to the hardships imperative (to them) that they bol- imposed by thle Act of October, 1917, ster up their lost cause with s,omc- our Lettish and German organs bad thing pretended-stage trappings and to suspend publication. They did so much show of fault finding. in 1917. Our other papers were har- Following the Unity Conference an assed, and finally in 3une, 1918, the attempt was made to commit the second-class mail privilege of the Party membership to a for.m of unity Weekly People was revoked. The which had tentatively been agreed Party was indeed face to face witth a upon by the S. .‘L. P. delegation at situat,ion that threatened its very ex- the Unity Conference, but which in istence. For the moment it Looked as reality was contrary to the instruc- though all hope had gone. Th,e in- tions laid down by the membership, ternal turm,oil (at that time at its of the Party. The Nationh! Secreta- climax) naturally increased the dan- ry, scenting the danger, in his capa- ger and the gloom. T,he often al- city as a delegate to the conference most heart-breaking struggle was be- issued a statement which declared the -3- proposed form “suicidal and a play- plan was being formulated to steer ing directly into the hands of the the S. L. P. into the S. P. became S. P, officialdom”. stronger. The N. E. C. meeting in Later Section Kings County intro- May, 19l7, however, postponed any duced a referendum the purpose of action which the pro-S.,P. element wh,ich was to have the rank and file might have contemplated. Though a give definite expression as to its atti- sort of truce was declared at that N. E. C. session it soon became clear tude on the unity question and the S. P. For despite the fact that the that the disrupters were merely rest- Unity Conference had definitely ing on their oars, awaiting develop- proven that unity with the S. P: was ments as it were. impossible, the pro-S.P. element in Toward the el’ection of November, ~the Party, and those members who 1917, it became apparent that an edi- (never very clear on the S.L.P. any- torial attitude had been struck, en- how) had grown weary and pessi- tirely out of keeping with the tradi- mistic, were bent on keeping up the tions of the Weekly People and the demoralizing and obstructive unity S. L. P. Instead of exposing the S. agitation. No sooner had this refer- P. as the enemy to the working class endum been introduced than the that it is, articles were printed which storm broke Loose. On the one side insidiously advocated the voting of the traditional S. L. P. view of the the S. P. ticket. Instances were S. P. was maintained by the National enumerated in the Nat,ional Secre- Secretary and others, who properly $ary’s report to the N. E. C. in ses- designated the S. P. as a “bourgeois sion, May 1918. When criticized on outfit,” or to use the expressions of a certain specific point (when the De Leon: “a bourgeois concern” and now famous, or infamous, Becker let- a “caricature of Socialism,” or, as the ter was printed in the Weekly People Party’s 1912 platform puts it: as be- .in which united electoral action with longing to “still lower layers of the the S. P. was urged, i. e., the S. L. P. same property-holding class, social to refrain from voting its own ticket) layers that have sniffed the breath Mr. Seidel, the then editor of the of Socialism and imagine themselves Weekly People, managed to get in a Socialists...... ” On th,e other side couple of editorials attacking Mr. were the apologists of the S. P. who Hillquit, the S. P. candidate for may- -either because they knew no bet- or in New York City. This he did ter, or because of their shattered while almost simultaneously at a pub- hopes as to umty-in their weakness lic meeting under S. L. P. auspices he turned against the Party that alone is practically endorsed Mr. Hillquit’s wort’hy the name of Socialism. They candidacy--and Seidel was the S. L, “denied in toto” that the S. P. was a P. candidate for mayor! bourgeois outfit. (Seidel) To desig- This dishonest and hypocritical at- nate the S. P. a bourgeois outfit was t,itude pointed strongly to a conspira- to “apply epithets” to that party. cy. The traitorous acts of Mr. Seidel (Katz) were brought out in bolder relief The viciousness with which the when his action and utterances about P.arty’s position was assailed began the S. P. earlier in the year were re- to raise suspi.cions that there was called to mind. Expectantly t,he loyal something mane than a mere disagree- members were following the maneu- ment with the Kings Co. resolution verings of the ex-editor and his asso- behind this assault. Suspicions that a ciates. -4-

I --. And soon the next bomb was ex- tian in the matter and finally it be- ploded. came necessary to suspend the Fed- .Shortly after the election Mr. eration. And now began those-orgies Schlossberg, then a member of the of vituperation and slander against Jewish Federation and N. E. C. mem- the N. E. C. and the National Secre- ber from that body, wrote a letter to tary,-which with some intervals have Mr. A, Lee of the S. P., congratulat- been repeated-as if after some ing the latter in the most overflow- stereotyped model--up to this very ing terms upon the “splendid victo- time. Particularly did the National ry” he had achieved, and the So- Se,cretary receive his share. Epithets cialist movement “upon all the magni- such as “boss,” “autocrat,” etc., were ficent victories achieved at the polls among the milder. on election day”. Before proceeding further chrono- He continued ad nauseam, stating logically it becomes necessary to re- also that “this was the first time vert to Mr. Katz and his activities. that the two historic enemies, Cap- Since early in the summer of 1917 he italism and Socialism, met on the bat- was located in Jamestown where he tlefield face to face at such close was conducting a W. I. I. U. strike. quarters. and on the most burning A paper was publis,hed by the W. I. issue of the day” and “when the re- I. U. locals there called The Indus- turns registered the enormous figure trial Standard, of which Katz was of nearly 150,000 Socialist votes& made editor. In the issue of Decem- 150,000 Socialist votes counted and ber 22, 1917, Mr. Katz delivered him- acknowledged by the offic,ial repre- self of the following (the occasion sentatives of Capitalism-my pride in being a “welcome party” to him and my class and in my American citizen- his speech being a reply to the “wel- ship rose higher than ever” and fi- come”) : nany he declares that “personally I “IN A BIlG CITY LIKE NEW have done my humble share [toward YO,RK, IN ORDER F,OR THE achieving this “Socialist victory”]. and WORKERS TO SUCCEED THEY shall be happy to repeat it”. Inciden- MUST MOVE ON A LARGE tally, the “burning issue of the day” SCALE. THEY HAVE NOT SUC- ’ was whether milk should be charged CEEDED ON THE ECONOMIC at 5 cents a bottle, or at 8 or 10, or FIELD THtERE BUT HAV,E PQ; whatever the exact figures were!! The LIT,ICALLY, AS WAS SE,EN BY “burning issue” was symbolized by THE LAST CAlMIPAIGN.” distributing broadcast advertsising matter shaped in the form of a milk (The “last campaign” referred to was bottle, with the inscription, “5 cents the Hillquit cheap milk campaign so milk and Hillquit,” or some similar vocifeaously lauded by Mr. Katz’s inscription. fellow conspirator, Mr. J. Schloss- This letter cleared the atmosphere berg. It is worth noting in this con- considerably. Much that had been a nection that all along the trio-Sei- matter of conjecture, of implication, del-Katz-Schlossberg-had acted in now became as clear as daylight. All unison as against the National Secre- pretence was thrown &de. The mat- tary of the Party.) ter was taken up by the Sub-Commit- From the above quotation, which -s tee, which in course of time put the we have underscored, it will be seen case up to the Jewish Federation. The that Mr. Katz viewed the S. P. “vic- Federation refused to take proper ac- tory” exactly in the same light as Mr. -5- &hlossber,g. And thkre is nothing tion throughout the land. strange in this when one recalls h’is The Socialist Labor Party is Pre- violent assault upon the National Sec- pared to withdraw its candidates this Spring election provided Local James- retary for referring to the S. P. as De town Socialist Party is willing to do Leon had r&erred to it, as the Party t,he same, thus make it p,ossibl’e for platform of 1912 referred to it, as, ‘n both parties to work together for fact, the Party has ever referred to the election of working-class candi- dates to be nominated by a mass it since the inception of the S. P. convention of all Socialists and In- Mr. Katz did not rest contented dustrial Unionists. with merely praising the S. P. vote- Yours fraternally, chasing campaign of 1917 as a great Soc$$stALabo;tlPGty, . . 1 e, political victory of the working class. Secretary.” He decided that he was going to go in for some of that sort of victory Arnold Petersen, Hungarian Branch New York, and National Secretary.” the Lettish Branch New York. In- Needless to say, Mr. Seidel never .., solent demands were made upon the drew up his “side of the case,“ thus National Office, which, of course, confessing to his total bankruptcy in were ignored. The anarchy a.nd dis- the matter. ruption in Section New York increas- The referendum on the matter e’d and in order to avoid complete closed on October lSth, 1918, and wrecking of the New York move- showed that an overwhelming ma- ment, the Sub-Committee was com- jority of the Party membership sus- pelled .to take action. It was de,cided tained the action of the N. E. C. The to suspend and reorganize the Sec- vote was 1.102 in favor and 683 tio,n on July 11, 1918. against. Mean,while, a discussion took place ‘O’ne would think that after this in the Weekly People, in which, strange to say, not one of the lead- decisive and definite expression on ing disrupters took part, barring the part of the membgrship th,ose Caleb Harrison. Neither Seidel, who pretended to have the Party’s Katz, Basky, nor Dr. Hammer found interests at heart (though disagree- it necessary to use the Party’s organ ing with the view of the majority) for the legitimate purpose of de- would have subsided and acknowl- edged their defeat. fending their cause, if they had any. It was “quite Perhaps the int.ention was to create otherwise and to the contrary,“how- the impression that their views were ever. The same ruthless campaign was kept up, notably in Chicago and being suppressed. For the sake of the Philadelphia. In the former, Caleb record we reproduce the following Harrison and Jacob Bobinsky s.eem- brief correspondence: ed to be the leading disrupters, aid- “1488 Washington Ave., New York, June 18, 1918. cd by other Section members and to Mr. Arnold Petersen, some extent by members of the for- INational Secretary, Socialist Labor eign hnguage branches. In Phila- Party, del,phia Robert McLure led the at- 45 Rose St.. New York City. tack on the Party, going so far as Dear Comrade: ‘, I should like to ha;e a copy of the to cause the expulsion of an old loy- charges which vou brouoht against al Party member, George anton, Sr. me at the receni sessions-of the Na- (who died shortly after), o,stensibly stional Executive Committee. I de- for an offense against the Party (an sire to draw up my side of the case for t,he party membership. If you outrageous lie), but in reality as a have not the facilities for making punishment for supporting the Par- such a copy I shall be glad to cop; ty as against Messrs. Seidel, Katz, the charges myself. McLure, et al. In bmoth cases it be- Trusting to &ear from you on this came necessary to sulspend and re- matter, I remain, Fraternally, organize the Sections. The N. E. C. (Signed) Edmund Seidel.” SubdCommittee took action respec- “June 20th, 1918. tively February 20th and March 13th, Mr. Edmund Seidel, 1919, and the N. E. C. subselquently 1488 Washington Ave., endorsed its action. New York City. Dear Comrade: During the latter part of 1918 it Your ‘letter of June 18ch received. was proven that Section Jamestown e IO- __- had offored a compromise with the withdraw as a political party, circu- S. P. of Jamestown. In effect it late petition lists for an anicnllnient was proposed that the S. L. P. pull to the constitution designed to end down its banner and join with the capitalism, etc. It did not limit it- S. P. on the specious pretext of unit- self to circularizing Sections and ing on the W. I. I. U. to conduct a members, but spread its “leaflet” campaign together with the S. P. in broadcast. The whole action and order to capture Jamestown. The attitude of the Secti,on was so plain- practical result of this prosposal ly anti-S.L.P. both in princi,ple and would naturally have meant the sub- action that without much discusssion mergence of the S. L. P. The com- the N. E. C. took the above-men- munications that passed between the tioned action. The fact that the S. L. P. and the S. P. we have al- Section was practically dead at the ready reproduced.* The slap admin- time the N. E. C. took this action istered to the Section in Jamestown probably accounts for the fact that measures the degradation it had its suspension did not even create a fallen into under Katz’s “strategical” ripple. leadership. Having been rebuffed by the S. P., the Section later, put Shortly after the N. E. C. session up a ticket, and the “wonderful” in May, 1919, the stage was being campaign in Jamestown was ext.en- set ‘for another disruptive outbreak. sively adverltised in the Weekly Peo- In Detroit, under the nominal lead- ple and commented upon editorially ership of H. Richter, plans were be- by Mr. Seidel, Katz’s bosom friend ing formulated to resume the work and other self. But strange to say, of the now thoroughly discredited not a word was said about the pro- Seidcl and Katz. The pretext seized posed deal with the S. P. That re- upon was the pamphlet “Mines to mained a profound secret until the the Miners,” it being charged that summer of 1918. it was advocated therein to form an Because of this act the Section organization in competition to the W. I. I. U. The fact that the direct WCS expelled on December 19th, 1918, and this action was also ap- opposite was urged did no,t trouble proved by the N. E. C. Incidental- Mr. Richter and his friends. The N. ly it should be noted that the Sec- E. C. was charged with being a group tion was called upon to explain, jus- of traitors to the working class. Si- tify or defend its action, but point multaneously the usual orgy of slan- blank refused t,o do so. der and vilification commenced. The In his ‘report to the N. E. C. in loyal supporters were abused and session May, 1919, the National Sec- vilified, and, needless to say, no retary reviewed the events of the work was done, save what was year since the previous session, achieved by the small group of true pointing to’ the fact that Mr. Seidel S. L. P. men who in the midst of re- and most of his supporters had action and anarchy sought to keep either joined the S. P. or its “off- the S. L. P. banner unsullied. The . shoots”. statement of the “Section” was in At the 1919 session the N. E. C. course of time submitted to the N. also suspended Section Denver, E. C., together with a statement by Cololrado. The Section had taken the SubCommittee, in which the the stand that the Party should falsity and viciousness of the charges were exposed and a demand made *Em pp. 6 and 7. __upon the “Section” to withdraw its - 11 - slanderous charge. of treacherous cember, 1918, the Section had the conduct against the N. E. C. While right to re-instate him!!). The Sec- the N. E. C. was voting on the mat- tion’s attention was called to the ter it developed that the original fact that its action was unconstitu- statement and “charge’s” were not tional and withal a slap in the face the work of the Section at a!!, but of the Party and an outrage per- that of the English group alone, petrated upon the S. L. P. During which coolly had usurped the func- three month,s the Section was pati- tions and authority of the entire ently reasoned with, but of no avail. Section, which consisted altogether Having exhausted a!! efforts to of the three branches. Aside from bring the Section to reason, the N. this, it was proven that an individu- E. C. Sub-Committee submitted the a! who was a member of another matter to the N. E. C., with tlhe rec- Section, voted at “Section” Detroit’s ommendation that the Section be meetings, was elected on commit- suspended and ieorganized. Vote on tees, etc. Special meetings were the matter closes April 29th. called without not’ifying all the As one reviews the event’s of these members-in short, a state of corrup- two exciting years many facts leap tion and anarchy was revealed sur- to the front. A few are enumerated: passing even that prevailing in pre- l.,,As in previous eruptions, the dis- viously expelled or suspended Sec- rupters, one after another, with uner- tions. ring precision, center their assaults The N. E. C. was called upon to upon one o,r two individuals, notably halt its vote on the matter already upon the National Secretary. True submitted, seeing the submission of to that characteristic of the anarchist the “charges” in the name of Sec- and bourgeois individualist which tion Detroit was a palpable fraud and causes them to look t.o individuals imposition on the N. E. C. and the for the source of their troubles, Sub-Committee. Finally, the N. E. the anarchistic disrunters in the Par- C. voted to suspend and reorganize ty single out the National Secretary, the Section. making him the target for their poi- It is gratifyin.g to be able to state sonous arrows. In this respect his- that since the suspension and reor- tory repeat’s itself. Such epithets as ganization Section Detroit has per- “Czar, ” “Autocrat,” “Despot,” “Pope,” formed some splendid work. I’he and what not, hurled at De Leon in Section is hustling and working for rhe past, are now applied to the Na- the S. L. P. as few Sections are. tional Secretary-for doing his ob- And now to, the last act (let US vious duty and for carrying out the hope it will remain the very last) in instructions of the N. E. C. and the this “drama” of dissension and dis- N. E. C. Sub-Committee. Apropos ruption. of this De Leon once said: “Look Despite the fact that Mr. Katzhad out for the man who sets up the been so thoroughly discredited; de- shout o.f ‘bossism’! when courteous- spite the fact that his traitorous acts ly defeated in argument. Next to, had been so thoroughly exposed, aye, even more so than material in- Sectiton Erie County, N. Y., admitted terests, conceit and vanity are the him as afl’new” member (though springs of all villainies.” claiming their right to confer mexp- 2. In each case one of two or both bership upon the ground that since of the following features -are corn-. the Section had expelled him, in De- mon to most of the disrupters: Their 12 - covert defense of and apologetic at- tunism could not be better illustrat- titude toward the S. P. and their pre- cdl* tended solicitude for the W. I. I. U. Or take Mr. Basky. Vociferousin And -it is noteworthy that the lead- his solicitude for the Party and the ing “actors” among them have join-, W. I. I. U., he secures a job on the ed either the S. P., the I. W. W., or S. P. Hungarian sheet “Elore,” and one of the so-called Communist par- commences a campaign of vilifica- ties, or the mongrel type of econom- tion and slander against the S. L. ic organization known as “Amalga- P. and the W. I. I. U., from wQich mated” this or that union. Take the he is later expelled. Dr. Hammer case of Mr. Seidel. While carrying joins the S. P. and later becomes on his “war” against the National identified with the “Left Wing” or Secretary, or more correctly :peak- “Communist” groups. Lesser lights ing, against the Party, he was, as have joined the I. W. W,, and in already pointed out, vocifero..ls in the case of the Lettish Federat,ion his solicitude for the W. I. I. U., several of the leading members and while at the same time doing his bit branches jloined the “Communist” for the S. P. Yet, a.‘few mon& af- Party, exceptions being Comrades ter his expul’sion he joins the S. P., John Salaneek, R. Upit, G. Wein- joins Lforces with the so-called “Right stein and others, besides the Branch Wing” faction, and is praised by the of Boston and the majority of the officialdom for his good wo:k in de.. members of Branches Seattle and feating the “Left Wingc:!.s” in the San Francisco. In the case of Rus- Bronx-the very group he wanted to sell Palmer, assistant to the editor “split away” from the S. ,P., and on and a loud-mouthed shouter for the the prospect of doing which he wa? W. I. I. U., the evidence shows that so anxious to effect unit? betwee. he conspired to capture Local 25, W. the S. P. and the S. L. P.‘! So much I. I. U., Paterson, N. J., for the d,id the officialdom thiok of their “Amalgamated Textile Workers’ new acquisition that he was nom- Union” (a Schlossberg nursling). He inated for Assembly on the Bronx, was later rewarded with a job in that N. Y., S. P. ticket, the officialdom organization. Likewise wi’ch Harry going so far as to waive the usual Rubinstein, who, while still a mem- several years’ membership required bcr of the Party, managed to saddle to be a candidate for public office. on the Party an expense of $200 for Moral turpitude and corrupt oppor- legal defense. No sooner was he *Mr. Seidel was subsequently est by the old party lawmakers, who elected to the State Se,nate (‘New realized the unusual situation in a York) and has apparently acquired legislative body where o.nly the ma- ~11 the habits of the “social patriot.” jority members have the privilege According to the New York Call of ruling the destinies of the State. (,April 9, 1921) he was recently ca!!- ...... ed upon to preside over the Senate “Seidel’s personal popularity in in the absence of the Lieutenant the U,pper House has won for him Governor and acquitted himself en- a great host of friends and he, too, tirely to the satisfaction of the cap- seemed to enjoy and appreciate the italist politicians. Says The Call in unusual advantage he had today of part: beinig placed in the position of act- “Senator Seidel’s conduct in the ing Lieutenant Governor of the chair was watched with great inter- State of New York.” - 13 - out of trouble than he qu,it the Par- themselves actually committed and ty, began to slander and tilify the condoned the very thing they charged ,. S. L. P. and the National Secretary, others with doing. An example is and aided the aforesaid Palmer in 5ound in t.he letter which Mr. Katz his. conspiracy, and was likewise re- wrote to the President of the Unit- warded with a lucrative job in the ed ,States in 1917, and published in above-mentioned organization. the Weekly People, August 18th, Thuis one could continue. But 1917. In part it reads: enlough has been said to show the “T,hese threats [of the manufac- character of the crowd which in 1917 turers of Jamestown], if carried out, and 1918 wanted to save the S. L. would seriously affect the present P. from the “autocratic” grip of the peaceful relations between employes National Secretary. and employers in general in this city, and have a tendency to cripple in- 3. Sneaky tactics and moral turpi- dustry indeed. tude are characteristic of a number “AT THE ART METAL COM- of the disrupters. Mr. Seidel, for P,ANY OF JAMESTOWN, WHERE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS instance, did not he’sitate to purloin FOR STEEL FURNITURE FOR correspondence from the National BATTLESHI,P ARE NOW BElING Office which he thought would serve EXECUTED, 4 STRIKE WAS his “cause”. A similar example is .4VERTED BY THE COOL-HEAD- EDNESS OF OUR ORGANIZA- found in H. Richter. This gentleman TIO?\‘.” (Underscoring ours.) either ‘steals, or uses a stolen letter (wh,ich he knows to be stolen), ad- Comments are superfluous. dressed to another party, thus For additional details concerning stooping to one of the lowest acts the events recited above we would an individual can commit. Such refer to the documents issued by the snake-in-the-grass metihods appear to National Office from time to time, be a prominent feature of the prop- and of which copies are available. aganda of many of the disrupters. During all of this, and during the Another thing common to the dis- trying conditions created by the rupters is their issuing of lampoons, war, the N. E. C. and the Nati6nal one viler than the other. Their one Secretary hgve been actuated by two common strain is t,lie abuse heaned chief purposes; to upon the national officers of the Par- (a) preserve the S. L. P. intact, ty. Lampo,oning seems to be a rec- despite assaults from within and ognized feature of disrupters from without, strengthening the organiza- the days of the Kangaroos till now tion for the work it some day will Vile slanders have been circulated finish, and about the National Secretary and the (b) to carry on as intense an agi- N. E. C. Sub-Committee, and mem- tation as the difficult conditions bers of the N. E. C. Thus it has been v--ruld permit. maliciously stated that the National The talk ahoat “broadening out,” Secretary put Mr. Seidel at the nier- getting in with big numbers. never cy of the federal authorities; we dcccived us. Trained in the S.L.P., have been accused of lying down be- believing firmly in the soundness of fore the government, and so on ad the S. L. P., both in point of prin- nauseam., The utter wickedness of ciple and as an organizatior?, and this propaganda is brought out in haviny an unwavering confidence in bold relief when it is recalled that the future of our Party, we have kept those who falsely charged suc,h acts our eyes straight on the goal and scorned the siren’s call. We hold tct convent51Gon. Besides Comrades Koch that De Leo&tic view that small- and French, Comrade John M. Fran- ness of numbers in itself is no cause cis has also been steadily employed for despair, no.r do we believe that in the Illinois territory sin,ce last large. numbers by themselves consti- May, and recently Comrade Cox, tute a measure of success. Well has general organizer of the W. I. I. U., the great Lenine put this when he was put to work in Illinois for a said: “The smallness of an organiza- few weeks, his salary and expenses t,ion never frightens me. What I do bclng taid by the Party while at fear is the heaping together of work there. Ccmrade Kuhn made a heterogeneous bodie,s and then call ti-I;, out to 1l;icois last summer to that thing a ‘party’l’ look over t,he ground and report at * * * national headquarters. His reports ,But let us leave this entire dis- were of such an encouraging nature agreeable business as a matter od that we decided to push the agita- history, drawing such lessons as we tion still more vigorously, and in can therefrom, and proceed to .a August Comrade Koch was placed in consideration of the general activi- the field, giving him charge of the entire field. ties of tlhe Party and the problems to be solved. T*he National Office plans to con In somewhat over a year t.he Par- *:entrate agitation as much as po%- ty has carried on an intense agita- sable. Our experien :e 113s been Ih2.t tion in the Illinoi’s coal fields, from little is gained by mak!llg f!yit:g two to f&r organizers having been trips through the country. If the active continuously, besides organiz- work is properly supported, we pie- ers from -our Bulgarian and South pose to have oryan:zers cover cer:;in Slavonian federations. Never before territories, staying in a given locaii- in -the history of the S. L. P. has ty a week or .n:j :P, ac the cir*::rm. the Party exerted suc,h an influence stances might reqai:e. Again, we in- on large bodies of men. The spirit of tend to have one or moie men, par- the miners i,s running high; constinu- ticularly qualified, devote Iheir at- ous clashes, not only with the mine tention to already orTacize3 ,Cec- operators, but with their lieutenants, tionis with the view of getting thr>e the labor fakers, are ,beginning to Sections to systematize their walk, o,pen their eyes. The present phase t’o. get them to start study classes, of the struggle shows the fakers in urge them to train. and develop wild. flight, though nominally “victo- speakers and organizers. Another rious”. The prospect,s, t,he results to important feature to be covered is to be expected from our agitation get as many tickets in the field as among the coal miners, are so tremen- possible. In many states it is prac- dous, so far-rea.ching as to cause us tically impossible to get on the bal- almost to hold our breath. Since lot either because the laws require Comrade Koch, the organizer in that only *one party w&h the designa- charge of the Illinois field, and tion “Socialist” shall appear on the Comrade French, t,he other organiz- ballot, and where the S. P. has pre- er, are bc$h delegates to this con- empted the field in this respect t,he _ vention we shall not enter into fur- S. L. P. either can not get on the ther details. Comrade Koch has al- ballot or it must appear under an- so been requested to furnish a writ- other name-or be.cause the cost of ten report for the information of the getting petiti0n.s signed, etc., is al- - 15 - mst prohibitive. In Oregon the tions do perform an important func- National OfRce is directly support- tion, and our hope must lie with ing the work to enable the comrades their officers and the members drill- to gef t.he S. L. P. ticket on the bal- ed in S. L. P. principles-that they lot. Though the difficulties aremany make every effort to drill recruits and great, the prospects are that we in the principles and policies of t,he shall succeed. In Michigan Com- S. L. P. Large numbers in a feder- rade Charles Pierson is at work un- ation who do not understand the der the direction of the new S. E. C. prin.ciples of the Party may readily T,he disrupters having been remov- ‘become a danger to our organiza- ed, the work is. getting along there tion. almost phenomenally. The following amendments are An important feature of our agita- proposed (new clauses or proposed tion is leaflet distribution. In this changes are indicated in bold face): respect we have cause to be grateful. Article II. It is proposed that Sec- In proportion to our numbers the ,tion 10 be mad: Action 0, and vice number of leaflets distributed is versa. There is evidently a r;:istake very considerable. Under another here in the order. head we shall give more details on Article III., Sec. 4. In cities, towns, leaflets printed and circulated. or other localities where there exists a Section of the Socialist Labor Constitutional Amendmeats. Party and a Section or Sections of From time to time it has become any S. L. P. Language Federation, clear that our constitution needs to there shall be formed a central corn.. be changed in certain minor respects. mittee composed of delegates from said Sections, whose function it shall Some oi the amendments which we be to co-operate for the purpose of propose hrr-e deal with the relation furthering th,e agitation of the S. L. of language tcderations to the’ Party. P. in suc’h localities in addition to The federations present certain prob- such agitation which may be carried on by the res:pective Sections separ- lems that are not easily solved. ately. Those problems a-ise, of course, In case the creation of such cen- mainly because of d:iFerence in lan- tral committe,e is not deemed war- guage, which mak+=s it difficult to ranted then arrangements should at least lbe made for having one or keep the membership of I the federa- more elected representatives of the tions in closer -to tch with tid,. Eng- Language Branches attend the meet- lish-speaking mov .ment. There has ing of the Party Section and report to both the Section and the Branch been a tendency in the past to hn c! of the doings of each. aloof from the English-speak ..* movement, but of late the tender. .y To b-. amended as fol!ows: has swung to the opposite direct:p;I. Sec. 4. In cities, towns, or other Language federations are supposed :o-alities where there exists a Sec- the tirn of the Socialist Labor Party and to be recruiting agencies for a branch or branches of any S. L. P. mot,her organization-at least that is ,Language Federation there shall be the ideal. To what extent they ful- formed a Propaganda Committee: l. fill that mission it is difficult to say, composed of delegates from r.-Jid Sections and branches, whose fu:, :- though the number of “graduates” is tion it shall be to co-operate for tqe not overwhelming by any means. purpose of furthering the agitaticn Tshe suggelstion emanating from dif- of the S. L. P. in such localities, i:l ferent sides to do away with t,h e addition to such agitation which ma Y be carried on Iby the respective Se:- federations altogether does not ap- tions and branches separately. pear to us to be timely. The federa- Eliminate second paragraph. _. . . . 16 - Comment: ceipted for by stamps to be furnish- The official designation of federa- ed> by the National Executive Com- mittee to the State Executive Com- tion sub-divisions is “branches. ’ For mittee at the rate of at least twenty- Ithis reason, and also to avoid confu- five cents each, and in the absence sion, it is proposed to change as in- of such, to the Sections at the rate dicated. of thirty-five teats each. The term “propaganda commit- Section 3. Every State Executive Committee or Section shall receive a tee” more correctly designates this first quota of stamps on credit, to committee. Besides, by calling it be measured by the size of the mem- “cen’tral committee” it is easily mis- ;;;;;z ; such quota to remain a taken for the general committee-an indebtedness. All stamps receive d subsequently must be paid entirely different committee and for in cash. and the National Secre. with different functions and powers. tary, as wdl as Secretaries of State The paragraph which it is propos- Executive Committees, shall not ed to eliminate is i,n contradiction to send out any stamps other than tn . compliance with this rule. the preceding paragraph, which is Amend to read: mandatory. The second paragraph practically nullifies the first. The (Section 3. Every newly organized second paragraph should be stricken Section shall receive a free quota of stamps, to be measmed by the size out. of the membersbiD. All stanms re- ceived subsequent& must be p&d for Article V,, Sect.m~mb~~z term of in cash, and the National Secretary, office of the of the as well as Secretaries of State National Executive Committee shall Executive Committees, shall not be one year. send out any stamps other than in Add after “one year”: compliance with this rule. Commencing May first. Comment: Amendments proposed to sections Comment: I and 2 would increase the price of There is not now any provision in dues stamps. The increased cost of the constitution covering this mat- living, and the increased ‘cost of ter. everything eke, makes it necessary Article VIII., Section 1. The Sec- to increase ehe regular revenues of tions shall levy upon each of their the National Office. members a monthly tax of at least Amendment to Section 3 provides . thirty cents, to be paid to, the State that ne’wly organized Sections are Executive Committee, to get as many stamps free as they Amend to read: have charter members. There seems Section 1. T,he tSe.&ion;es~,a’,rfevy to be no go’od reason for maintain- upon each of ’ ing a standing indebtness against monthly tax of at !east thirty-fivz cents, to be paid to the State Execu- a Section. tive Committee. Article IX, Section 5. No mem- Section 2. The dues shall be re- ber, committee, or Section of the ceipted for by stamps to be furnish- Party shall pubYsh a political gaper ed by the Nati,onal Executive Com- without the sanction of the Nation- mittee to t,he State Executive Com- al Executive Committee. and then mittees at the rate of at least twenty only on condition that all the prop- cents eac,h, and in the absence of erty of such paper be vested as far such, to the Sections at the rate of as practicable in the Natienal Execu- thirty cents each. tive Cominittet free from any finan- cial or legal liability! the editor of Amend to. read: such paper to be SubJect to the pro- Section 2. The dues shall be re- -.$sions of the preceding section. Amend to read: Comment: ‘Section 5. Nlo metier, commit- tee, Section or language federation The changes proposed in sections of the Party shall publish a political 4 and 5 are calculated to do away paper without the sanction of the with dual memb,ership in the organi- National Executive Committee, and zation. It seems incongruous that a then only on condition that all he property of such paper Ibe vested in member of a federation branch may the (National Executive Committee ‘be also a memlber of a Section. It is free fr.om any financial or legal lia- impossiible to control absolutely bility, the editor of such paper to whether a member votes both in his be subject to the provisions of the preceding section. branch and in the Section. Besides, there appears to be no good reason Comment: why this dual membership should be The insertion of “or language fed- maintained. Ifi !$ eration needs no explanation. The qualifying clause “as far as practi- Section 7. Delegates, whether fra- cable” should be stricken out. To ternal or ot.herwise, must be atble to. express themselves intelligently in qualify the demand in the clause is the English language. to render it practically null and Section 8. The basis of representa- void. Who is to defermine whether tion shall exclude those members of or not it is “practicable”? a federation who are members of a Party Section. Article XII., Section 1. Each fed- Section 9. Upon questions submit- eration shall pay a per capita tax ted to general vlote of the Party, the of four cents pe,r member per month members who belong bot.h directly into the national treasury. to a Section of the Party and a , branch of a language federation, shall Amend to read: vote at meetings of the Sections OR- Section 1. Each federation shall IY. pay a per capita tax of six cents per member per month into t.he national Eliminate the foregoing clauses treasury. (7, 8, 9.1 Comments: Comment: If Sections and State Committees In conflormity with changes pro- are to pay higher dues, federations posed in sections 4 and 5, and for should likewise pay more. the same reasons. Section 4. Sections or branches of New section to be known as: federations shall be represemed on Section 6: No member of a fcder- the General Committees of the S,L. ation language branch shall at the P. Sections, provided they pay the same time be a member of a Scc- regular per capita tax, or :by frater- tion of the Party. nal delegates. Eliminate. Comment: Section 5 to become Section 4, and See comment for changes propos- Section 6 to become Section 5. ed in section’s 4 and 5. Section 5. Branches of feder,ations shall be represented in the State Section 10 becomes section 7. Conventions of the Party, provided they pay the regular per capita tax Article XIII. International So- to the State Executive Committees cialist Bureau Representative. Sec- of he, S. L. P., or by fraternal dele- tion 1. The International Socialist gates. Bureau representative shall be elect- Amend to read: ed bv the National Convention, the Section 5. Branch of federations electcon to be specifically approved shall be represented in the State by a general vote of the whole Par- Conventions of the Party by frater- ty. nal delegates. Eliminate. Commenl: chener, London, and Toronto. We Since the Party has withdrawn had a Section at Vancouver, B. C., from the “Second International” this whic,h collapsed, in part due to the paragraph has no longer either force fact that members had to leave the or meaning. city, and partly because of the reac- tionary laws (or rather “orders-in- State of Organization. council”) introduced by the govern- ARIZONA: During the year 1919 a ment. Splendid work is being done, Section was organized in Bisbeewith particularly in the Kitchener-Toron- more than 100 members. Due main- to territory, with prospects of a Sec- iy to the fact fhat those in charge tion at Hamilton in the near future, of the Section were hounded by Our Canadian comrades are vigor’ous henchmen of the powerful interests and uncompromising, and have ex- in the State, and due in part to :he erted considerable influence at a fact that the members were not tlirjr- time when all other so-called “so- ough!y drilled in S. L. P. prirciples cialist” or labor organizations drift- and tactics and because of our !n- ed from, their molorings, with anar- ability to send organizers to that thy and chaos prevailing. distant Section, the Section collaps- COLORADO: In Colorado we ed after a few months’ hard strugg’e. have now only one Section left-a The seed sown, however, will sprout small one at Colorado S,prings. As forth again. The formation of the stated pr&ously, Section Denver + Section was due chiefly to ihe ef- had to be suspended because of its forts of Comrade Henry Gray, an anti-S.L.,P. attitude, and as practical- in h efatigable worker for the S. L. P., ly nothing was left of the Section, and who is still “on the job”. there has been nothing to reorganize CALIFORNIA: There are five with. Some of the loyal comrades Sections in this State, as dollows: left the city, and others have held Alameda Co., Los Angeles, Santa alo,of. At least one of the formerly Clara Co., San Francisco Co., and active members joined t’he S. P. In Stockton. All of these Sections are 1916 there was an excellent oppor- doing good wcork. Section Stockton tunity for putting a ticket in the was organized in 1919, and is com- field, but although the National Of- posed largely of railroad men. Com- fice offered to pay all the expense rade Jacob Ney, an “old timer” who connected with this, neither the or.. ,l retently returned, is in charge of the ganizzr nor the members would lift work there. About a year or so ago a finger for that purpose. Those Section San Diego disbanded. The members who might have been wil!- few members left (the Section was ing were unable to do anything never large) were urged to join as themselves. - members-at-large, which was done, We ‘have a Bulgarian branch at with one or two exceptions, Eric-, Colorado. There are language federation The State lost a good member branc,hes in the fol!owing cities: San when Comrade W. J. Gerry of Colo- Francisco - Bulgarian, Hungarian, rado Springs died. He was a hard and Scandinavian. The Lettish branch- worker for the S. L. P. dissolved and some of the members CON~NECT~ICUT: There are five joined the English Section. Sections in Connecticut: Bridgeport, CANADA: In Canada we have Hartford, New Haven, New London, Sections in the following cities: Kit- ._ and Rockville. Section Hartford is - the most active, but Section New Slavonian), Benton (Bulgarian), Chi- Lond,on, through its organizer Corn- cago (Hungarian, Scandinavian, rade Frink, is beginning to push the South Slavonian), Christopher (South work vigorously again. Bridgeport is Slavonian), Frankfort Heights (Bul- not as active as a city of that size garian), Granite City and Madison and industrial importance would (Bulgarian), Moline (Scandinavian), seem to warrant, though the few Mount Olive and Orient (South Sla- comrades who are active are doing vonian), Peoria (Hungarian), Wauke- the best they can. Section Rock- gan (Bulgarian), Zeigler (Bul,garian. ville lost one of its old and hard South Slavonian). working members in 1917, Comrade IsNtDIANA: There are two Sections Wm. Suessbrich. in this State-tIndianapolis and Evans- The fol180wing cities have language ville. Besides, there are prospects of federation branches: Ansonia (Scan- organizing one at Terre Haute, and dinav,ian), Branford (Scandinavian), when the work among the coal min- Bridgeport (Hungarian, Scandina- ers of Illinois is extended into In- vian), Hartford, New Britain, New diana there ought to be severalmore Haven (Scandinavian), Stratford and formed in the near future. Evans- South Norwalk (Hungarian). . vi,lle is in a weak conditison as a con- IGEORGIA: Section Thomasville sequence of the W. I. I. U. strike a disbanded after a couple of years’ few years ago-though the Section struggle for existence. The field in was never very large. It is expect- that state is hardly ripe for S.L.P. ed) that an organizer will be sent propaganda, certainly not without do- through the state in the near future. in.g some persistent agitat,ion. What- Language federation branches: ever can be done is being done by Blanford (South Slavonian), Clinton the sympathizers and by Comrade (Hungarian), Fort Wayne (Bulga- Haselgrove wh.0 is a member-at- rian). large. KENT’UCKY: Louisvi(lle is the on- TLLINlOIS: There are now 11 Sec- ly Section in this state. The mem- tions in Illinois. Most of these are bers of this Section have been har- in the mining regions. Some of them assed of late by federal agents, and were formed during the summer and at least one is threatened with depor- fall of 1919 as a direct result of our tation. T.he Section is holding to- agitatison among the coal miners. But gether and is doing what little work for the “strategical” fight that has to it can under very difficult conditions. be waged there, more Sections would probably have been formed. How- H3WA: There is no Section in this ever, Comrade Koch, organizer in state, but there are a number of charge of the Illinois field and dele- members-at-large and sympathizers, gate from Illinois to this Convention, notably in Clinton. We had a ticket will be able to give more details. in the field in 1916, and it is hoped Section Cook County had to be re- that we will be able to get on the organized, as already stated. Due to ballot this year also. the internal struggIe the Section is There is a Bul.gadan Branch at not doing as much work as it or- Mason City. dinarily would be doing, but there MARPLAND: Section Baltimore I are prospects of improvement. is still the only Section in this state, There are a number of language but it is doing work of two Sections branches in Illinois: Argo (South of average activity. There is some - 20 - splendid material in the Section and Wiaona and Duluth, thotrgh it will it is adding new members to its be necessary to send an organizer to ranks from time to time. these places to effect organization. MlASSACHUSETTS: There are Language federation branches: five Sections in the state: Boston, Minneapolis (,Bulgarian, Soandina- Lynn, Pittsfield, Springfield, and vian), St. Paul (Bulgarian, Scandina- Worcester. Pittsfield, however, is vian), W. Duluth (South S!avonian). practical,ly extinct as a Section, and MffiSSOURI: In this state we prac- Worcester appears tmo be in a weak tically have only one Section-St. cond,ition. The state needs an or- Louis. The Section at Kan;as City ganizer to devote some time to the collapsed, but there will undo,t’,tedly industrial centers. Section Boston is, soon be another Section tbcre. Sec- of course, the leading Section and is tion St. Louis is doing as good work doing splendid work. as can be expected under the circum- The following branches (all Scan- stances. dinavian) are in the state: Beverly, There is a Bulgarian and a Hnnga- Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Dor- rian federation branch 2.t St. Louis. chester, Lynn, Quincy, Springfield, NEiBRAISKA: Section Omaha, Waltham and Worcester. which had a nominal existence, lapsed MILGHIGAN: There are two Sec- a couple of years ago, but it is now tions in this state: Detroit and Lan- being revived. It promises to be sing. There was a smal,l Section at stronger than before. lldncational Grand Rapids, but owing to the fact work has been done there aud the that several members left the city, members-at-large have been quite ac- the Section lapsed. As already stat- tive. ed, Section Detroit was reorganized N,EW HAM,PSHIRE: Our little early in the year, and since the re- gtOUp at Manchester is still holding organization splendid work has been #together, th,ough unable to do any done. It promises to become one of work for the Party. our most active Sections. There is NEW JERSEY: There arc eight an English and a Greek branch. Sections in this state, some of them Comrade Pierson is now touring the ,in a rather weak condition. T%e state, and there are prospects of or- most active are Newark (Essex CO.) ganizing several Sections. Flint and Pa.terson (Passaic Co.). The seems ripe for a Section now. other Sections are: Bergen Co., Cam- Language federation branches: De- den, Elizabeth, Hudson Co. (Jersey troit (Bulgarian, Hungarian, Scandi- City, Hoboken, etc.), Mercer CO. navian, South Slavonian-2), Rlint (Trenton), and Plainfield. An or- (Hungarian, Bulgarian), Hamtramck ganizer is needed in this state. (South Slavonian), Jackson, Lansing, Language federation branches: Eliz- and Pontiac (Bulgarian). abeth (Hungarian), Hoboken (South MINN’ESOTA: We have one Sec- Slavonian), Newark (Scandinavian, tion at St. Paul and another at Al- South Slavonian), W. New York born. The latter is in a farming dis- (South Slavonian). trict and the members live far apart. NEW YORK: This state has suf- Section St. Paul is doing good work. fered considerably from the work of There has been talk for a long time disruption during the last two years, of forming a Section at Minneapolis, though the membership is about the but nothing has come of it.’ There same, probably slightly increased. are prospects of forming Sections at The State Committee was partly dis- - 21 - -.- rupted, due to the fact that several and South Slavonian), Jamestown of the S. E. C. members, including (iScandinavian), Lackawanna (Bulga- . the State Secretary, were among the rian, Hungarian& members who were left out through OHIO: T.here are seven Sections the suspension and reorganization of in this state: -\*ron, Cincinnati, Section New York. The disruptive Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo (Lucas work carried on in this Section has Co.), Dayton (Montgomery CO.), and already l&en dealt with. During the Y,oungstown. In the past Cleveland last year or so Section Erie Co. (Buf- has been doing most of the work, but falo) has been kept in constant tur- recently (due m.ainly to the fact that moil through the activities of such Comrade French was sent through individuals as Wm. J. Dodge, Frank the state) the Sections throughout the Herzog and Rudolph Katz. The first state have been more active, particu- mentioned, w-ho had once resigned larly in Youngstown. In this latter and rejoined, resigned in the latter Section we have fresh material, full part of 1919. Had he not done so he of enthusiasm and capable. With an tiould undoubtedly h.ave been expel- organizer in the field the state ought led for disruptive tactics. The case to give a good account of itself. ,’ of Mr. Katz is too well ‘know:, !o There are Greek branches at Cin- need further attenti,on. Il.‘%rouJh the cinnati and i\kron, and also a Uk- vicious and underhanded work of rainian branch at Akron. .4ll of those this gentleman the Se,::io;l fi,:ds it- are doing good work, the Ukrainian self at this time in opposition to :he branch in particular being very ac- Party. As stated, the N. E. C. at this tive. writing is considering whether or not Language .federation branches: it should be suspended and reorganiz- Akron (Bulgarian, Hungarian, Scan- ed. dinavian and South Slavonian), Bar- T.he state plans to put an organizer berton (Bulgarian and South Slavo- in the field: Sections in Greater New nianj, Cincinnati (Bulgarian, South Yo;k are particularly active and the Slavonian and Hungarian), Cleveland present State Committee and its sec- (Bulgarian, Hungarian, Scandinavian, retary Comrade Orange are alive to and South Slavonian), Dayton (Bul- the possibilities. garian, Hungarian and South Slavo- The foll.owing Sections are in the nian), DilZonvale (Hungarian), Lo- state of New York: Bronx; Erie Co. rain (Hungarian). (This branch (Buffal,o), Jamestown (about to be originally withdrew from the Hun- reorganized), Kings Co. (Brooklyn), garian Federation, became a Section Monaoe Co. (Rochester), New York, of the Party, but withdrew again in Onondaga Co. (#Syracuse), Rensselaer January, 1920, to rejoin the federa- Co. (Troy), Schenectady, and Utica. tion as a branch, whereupon it dis- Section Westchester County (scatter- banded a couple of months later.) .ed over a wide territory including Mansfield (Bulgarian), Massilon Yonkers, Mt. Vernon and Pleasant- (Bulgarian), South Lorain (Bulgari- ville) collapsed, largely as a result an), Toledo (Bulgarian, H,ungarian), of the disruptive propaganda carried Youngstown (Bulgarian, Scandinavi- on in New York and vicinity. an, and South Slavonian). Language federation branches: O\REGON: There are two live Sec- Brooklyn (Scandinavian, Hungarian), tions in this state: Astoria and Port- ‘Bufflalo (Scandin,avian), New Y,ork land. Both are doing good work. (Bulgarian, Hungarian, Scandinavian Through a State Central Committee

- 22 - (organized for the purpose) the Sec- the only ones to j’oin as members-at- tions are planning to carry on a large. With the- new S.’ E. C. the state-wide campaign, one object being prospects of building up the state are to get the S. L. P. on the ballot. good. With support from the National Of- There are language fedepatioa fice the Oregon comrades ought to branches as follows: South Slavonian succeed. at Conway, Farrell, Monaca, PhIla- Language federation branches: delphia, and Slovan. Scandinavian Portland (Bulgarian and Scandina- ;at Philadelphia and Warren. vian). RHOtDE ISLA,ND: There is still PEN,NSYLVAN,IA: The state has only one Section in this state, namt- Sections at Allegheny Co. (Pitts- ly, Providence. The Section is ac- burgh), Altoona (weak), Beaver Co., tive, however. Erie, and Philadelphia. Section Co- There are Scandinavian fe !c:ation lumbia collapsed owing to the sav- branches at Pawtucket and Prov& agery of a mob during 1919. Com- ence. rades were maltreated, and one of SOUTH DAEOOTA: The Section them, C. E. Manuels, reduced to a wce 420 good-standinq members for printed 2,000 copies of Daniel DC the year. At present, as seen from Leon’s “Two Payes from Roman the above, the membership is l,arger, History”. We have also printed as it ha.s steadily increased during 10,000 leaflets, “Socialism,” and lO,- the year. 000 leafilets, “S. L. P. vs. S. P.” Of other noteworthy events we have inf’ormed the National Office Financial standing: during the year. Receiuts. $3.324.44: exoenditures. Since the last convention the fed- $3.089.16; balance on. hand Dec. 31; eration is .gov,erned bv a National 1919, $135.80. Executive Committee c0nsi;tin.q of 7 members ctlected by the mr*n’bersh;r, Owing to the attitude of the editor - 25 -

i of Arbetoren, Comrade Lyzell, and lished. Calendar for 1919 should be because of his decbred solidarity added. with ex-editor, at present S. P. mem- Finanoial Report: ber, Seidel, a bitter controversy has Balance on hand July 1, 1918, $286.- been going on within t.he Scandina- 67; receipts, $35,385.84; expenditures, $32,832.35; balance on hand July 1, vian Federation during the Lst year 1919, ~$2~840.35. or two. The Scandinavian Federa- tion convention which met last fall A subsequent report (De.cember nevertheless re-ele,cted Co’mrade Ly- 31; 1919) s’hows a membership in zell editor of Arbetaren, and took good stand.ing of 975 and 30 bran,ches. other action contrary to the best in- Jewish Federation: T(his federa- terests of the Party. T,hu*s, it sus- tion, as previously reported, was sus- tained the expulsion of Comrade pended in 1918 for aiding and sus- Carm, whose real “crime” was that taining the disrupter Schlossberg. he exposed and attacked individua!s There has lately been talk of reor- in the Chicago branches who had ganizing the federation, The, success supported Caleb Harrison and his of tshis undertaking depends, of fellow disrupters. The convention course, u.pon the suitability of the also sustained the action of the Lake material, some of which appears rath- View (Chicago) branch ia engaging er doubtful. as speaker the said Har+on, who Lettish Federation: This federa- wit.h others had been expelled from t.ion practically withdrew a few Section Cook Co. at the time of its mont.hs ago. Several of its leading sus,pension and reorganization. The members aligned t,hemselves wit.h the referendum in tthe federat,ion sustain- “Communist” parties. For quite ed the acts of the convention. some time the federation had caused T,he N. E. C. has recently decided dissension with,ia the Party, particu- not to approve the election of Com- larly over its branch in Boston. .As rade Lyzell a,s edit,or, considering one the federation v,oluntarily withdrew holding his views incompetent to bc (with exception of the b.ranohes in editor of a Party organ. The federa- Seattle and Sa,n Francisco, and mem- tion will be called upon to elect an- bers here and there, be,sides the other editor. branch in Boston) there seems to be no need of going into further details. South Slavonian Federation Ukrainian Feideration: This federa-, (As of September, 1919.) tion, judging it by its leading mem- Agitation: bers, pr,omised well, but it soon ap- During the latter Dart of the v’ear peared that the olrganization had several organizers were kept in -the hardly more than a paper existence. field, for-which purpose $2,339 was However, there is a good branch at expended. I. Akron, and active individuals here Radnicka Borba: and there. .> The number of subscribers increas- The following foreign language pa- ed during the said year from 3,068 to 4,432. The paper is published in 4,- pers are being published: 700 copies, witlh the exception of A Munkas (Hungarian S. h,F,), the First of May and Labor Day edi- Arbetaren (Scandinavian S. L. F.), tions; of the fiast 8,000 and of the 0,rganosbs (Greek), Rabotnicheska second 6,000 copies were published. Prosveta (Bulgarian S. L. F.), Rad- Literature: nicka B,orba (South Slavonian S. L. During the same time six pam- ph.lets-three of which were translat- F.), Socialisticna Zaya (Slovenia,n), ed-were published and two repub- Proletar (Czecho-Slovak). The two last mentioned are pub- were able to close the contract short- lished at Cleveland under the direct ly bef.ore the latest uqprecedented supetvision of the editor of Radnicka rise in piice took place. When the Borba. carload was delivered (in January, 1920) that carload of paper was worth Party Membership. $5,000, and had t.o be insured at this The membership in 1916, measur- amount, it,s replacement “value”. We ed by the sale of dues stamps, was were fortunate in t.hese respects, viz., about 2,000. Four years later our that we saved about $2,000 and se- membership has been increased by cured a supply of papea that would 3,000. In other words, we have now see us through another six or seven approximately 5,000 members. The months. In between getting our reg- increase has mostly been in theFed- ular supplies of paper there have erations, these holding a majority of been weeks of veritable agony and the total membership. Such a prog- suspense. Ther,e have been weeks ress, in spite of the war, in spite of w,hen one o,r two days befo.re going governmental persecution, in spite of to press we had no idea where we the internal fight, speaks well for the were going to get paper fr.om. At this N S. L. I’. indeed. With continued ef- moment the situation looks darker forts, with renewed faith strengthen- than at any ot,her. ed by the accumulating evidence tes- When we purchased our least c;Lr- tifying to the correctness of the Par- load we had to advance from other ..y’s principles, we shal! continue to sou.rces the $3,000 which the paper forxge ahead. cost. Having no surplus capital .ve Party Press and Literature. had no choice in the matter. T,his _ The struggle to keep our fighting $3,000 is gradually being replaced in organ alive has been a terrific ona. proportion as the paper is consumed. We have previou.sly pointed to the If we are to contract for a new car- fact that the second-class mailing load of paper (which if done would privilege w’as revoked in 1918. This be in July or August) we shall have assault resulted in increasing our to a.dvance $6,000. Where t.o get that weekly expenses by about $60. In ad- amount is a p,roblem. For even if we dition to that, prices of everything could replace such an amount again- that goes to make up a newspaper gradually we have no such amount have gone sky high. Wages have al- available. It will be one of the most most doubled. But the most serious serious problems of practical impor- problem has been that of getting tance to be met and so,lved during newsprint paper. The problem here the next few months. is three-fold: (a) T#he difficulty of As one contributing remedy the gptting paper at any price; (b) The Weekly People subscription prize difficulty of getting the sizes (in should be raised to $2 or WO per rolls) which our press will take; (c) year. To whatever extent such an T.he tremendous increase in prices. increased price will help to reduce To illu.strate this increase: A carload the problem, that help will not he of paper wihich in 1917 cost about felt immediately. But something has $1,000 in 1920 costs about $6,000. The to be done, and this is one of several last carload of paper was contracted plans we may have to put th.rough. for-last August or September at a The machinery of the plant, i. e., price of approximately $3,000. By the old book press and linotype ma- keeping tab on developments we chine, is practically w#orn out. To - 27 - continue to use it much longer will the increase to a considerable extent result simply in an in&easing cost of is due to the fact that the increased production and in a decreased output. subscription price of the paper made At this writing we have purchased a itself more felt during the last year new book press-a good second hand than during the preceding. To a Miehle press, which will be thorough- much more limited extent this ap- ly rebuilt and w.hich in certain re- plies to pamphlets and books also. spects will be even better than a new Appended hereto is a list of pam- machine. Delivery of this press will phlets printed since May, 1916, and be in about three weeks. The price up to April, 1920. The pamphlets is $5,500 put on our floor with motor and books, varyin,g in bulk from 16 and all attachments. The discount pages to 400 pages, number over for cash payment, and al,lowance on 178,000. the old press (fit only for the jul:k Americanism (Olive M. Johnson), heap) brings the price;dowtl to $4.- 52 PP...... 3,000 700. Anti-Patriotism (Herve), 32 pp. With this new press installed we (Mav-lune 1916) ...... 6.000 can almost quadruple our production Berger’s-Hit and Misses (De Leon), pamphlets and leaflets. 104 pp...... 2,000 of books, Burning Question (De Leon), Furthermore, in case of extreme 48 .pp...... 10,000 emergency, i. e., in case we can not CriS;; meEuropean History (Bang), get newsprint paper in r,olls and as- ...... *... 5,875 suming that we can get it in sheets Clas;2SFiggle (Kautsky), ...... 1000 (which in fact is easier to obtain) we “Daniel be’ ’ ‘ikbn.“’ first edition. could print our papers on this new 336 pp., 14 ill., ‘500; second edi: press. But permanently that could tion. 360 pp., 16 ill., 1,000.. .1,500 not be done except at a considerable Fifty2; ifuestions (De Leon), ...... 7,000 expense. FreeqgTrpapde (Marx), paper, We repeat, and we can not impress ...... 500 the fact too strongly, the newsprint Historical Basis of Sociaism in Ireland (Brady), 40 pp... . . 3,000 paper question is the most serious H’igk6C;;t of Llvmg (Petersen), problem that has confronted the ...... 3,000 management of the Party plant. The Hi,st;;icad Materia!ism (Engels), situation is desperate, though not ...... 3,000 Iadustriai “Unionism (D’ebs), hopeless. 32 PP...... 2,000 Our sale of literature has increased Industrial Unionissm (De greatly, particularly during the last LeoniD&), 36 pp. . . ..lZ.OOO two years. We have printed great International May and Lobor Day CReCnstein), 32 pp. :...... 4,000 quantities of leaflets and pamphlets Manifesto of the S. L. P., 1920, -greater quantities than most would 48 PP...... 3,000 suspect. Mines to thk’ Mi,ners, 16 pp. . .16,000 Mines to the Miners, in I+talian, Labor News Sales, year end- 16 pp...... 6,000 ing March 31, 1919...... $7,708.21 Marx on Mallock (De Leon). I Labor News Sales year end- 32 pp...... 5,000 ing March 31, 1920 ...... 10,224.90 Karl Marx (Memorial), 32 pp. 1,000 Paris Commune (Marx). 128 DD. 1.500 Weekly People Sales year Russian Soviets \and American ’ ending March 31. 1919.. 7,550.72 S. L. P., 32 ‘pp...... 4,500 Weekly People Sales year Religion of Capital (Lafargrue), ending March 31. 1920.. . . 9,597.14 32 PP...... 4,000 Refo3r2mp; Revolution (De Leon), In the case of the Weekly Peop!e ...... 9,550 Socialist Reconstruction of Society is excellent not only as a biography (De Leon), 48 pp...... 12,000 of De Leon, but as a history of the Soci;ispmp vs. Anarchism (De Leon), ...... 2,000 labor movement (and more particu- Socialism (Holmes), 16 pp. . . . 9,000 larly of the S. I,. P.) during the last Taxation (Goerke), 3.2 pp. . . . 5,000 30 years. A new improved edition Trial of Ferrer (,Angulo), 48pp. 500 is just off the press and is now in Two Pages from Roman History (De Leon), 96 pp...... 2,450 the hands of the binder. ValugeB E;ice and Profit (Marx), Toward the end of the year 1918 ...... 4,000 Cornrade Henry Kuhn was engaged What Me&s This Strike? (De Leon), 32 pp...... 13,000 to edit and compile the editorials of Withdraw from Russia, 16 pp. 10,000 Daniel De Leon. To this tremen- Wo&ing Class (Kautsky), dous task Comrade Kuhn has ap- 32 pp. . , ...... ‘...... 1,000 plied himse!f with the energy of one WomG ;;der Socialism ((Bebel), ...... 1,000 many years his junior. Obviously, Wag& fpb& and Capital (Marx), Comrade Kuhn has found it neces- ...... 1,000 sary to do other work for the Party Woman and the Socialist Movement as the occasion required it. This (Olive M. Johnson), 48 pp. 3,000 important work should be p.rosecu.tcd Total, ...... 178,375 until finished. Comrade Kuhn sub- mitted a report to the N. E. C. at its Since 1916 we have printed 2,626,- session in 1919. A copy of this re- 100 leaflets, of which 109,000 were port is appended hereto together in foreign languages (not including with adgitional notes covering the what may have been printed by lan- work to date. (First report was guage federations). At March 31st, printed in N. E. C. minutes 1919, the 1920, we had on hand approximately second in the N. E. C. minutes 1920.) 313,000 leaflets, which means that in four years we have actually distribut- National Campaign. ed over 2,313,OOO leaflets-and this -4s previously stated, we plan to entirely exclusive of what our lan- carry on as vigorous a campaign as guage federations have distributed or our resources will penmit. A call soId. has been sent out for a $SO,OOO.OO We feel we have cause to be proud Campaign Fund, and other methods of this record. The oft-repeated will be devised for raising funds. charge that the Party is doing noth- With our new press installed, and ifig receives a rather effective refu- hoping for the best so far as the pa- tation by this demonstration of just per situation is concerned we ought one line of our activities. to be able to make a good showing In addition to the foregoing, we of ourselves. printed about 4,150 Sus books of dif- It will be a physical ilmpossibility ferent bulk. In this :onaection it for the National Secretary to con- should be mentioned that almost all duct the national campaign work be- - of our printed Cne books stock sides attending to his regular duties, burned while stored at our binders, which are many as it is. In 1912 Thos. Y. Crowell Co. We were am- Paul Angustine had Charles Chase to ply covered by insurance, however, assist him. In 1916 the present Na- and the amount clai;med (somewhat tional Secretary had Boris Reinstein over $1,412.00) was paid us. for four or five weeks. It is sug- Among the important publications gested that Comrade Henry Kuhn of the last few years stands out the be engaged for the specific purpose book “Daniel De Leon”. This work of conducting the actual Qmpaign in - 29 -

s conjunction with the Natbonal Sec- left for Europe with credentials from retary, Comrade Kuhn to devote his the Party to attend the Stockholm entire time to this. conference then scheduled. Comrade The International Situation. Reinstein, as you will recall, was al- The international situation is of vi- so our representative on the Inter- tal interest to our movement. While national Socialist Bureau. As far the S. L. ,P. is in America, body and as we know Comrade Reinstein is mind, we can not, and do not wish now in Moscow, participating in the to ignore developments abroad. Nor work of the Soviet Government. On- have we done so in the past. In 1919 ly two communications .have reached the Party through referendum vote us since he left, the last one being almost unanimously decided to with- in May, 1918. draw from the so-called second In- The situation in Europe appears ternational. Whate’ver may have complex. The European working been said in favor of this organiza- class, as a whole, has unquestionably tion in the past it had be.come thor- broken definitely with capitalism and oughly clear that it no longer, not its. traditions. But the new orienta- even remotely, represented the true tion (outside ‘of Russia) is as yet not class interests of the workers. In distinctly Socialist. A great deal of fact, wh.erever consistent adherents confusion both as to the nature of of the organization had an opportu- the goal as well as to tactics pre- nity to assert themselves, it was al- vails. It has been our endeavor to most invariably as defenders of the help clarify the situatimon by sending retreating capitalist forces-it be- our S. L. P. literature wherever pos- come, in fact, the last stronghold be- sible and whenever opportunities hind wh’ich capitalist imperialism en- arose, and the results are noticeable. trenched itself. The classical exam- From several countr’ies there have ple is found in Germany. Clearly, been indications that the S. L. P. the S. L. P. could have nothing in and De Leon are playing a greater common with such an element. role in social reconstruction than

2 other responsibilities. I knew only hear of it. The People is being read one thing-and if Seidel had known by our members as it should be. Nor that one thing his administration is this all. I think the delegates will might have been less of a fiasco. I bear me out that there is a marked knew who could write editorials. I revival of interest in the rest of our knew who had made The People literature. THE BEST SOCIAILIST

i a position, moreover, that seems to capitalism and capitalist economic be in violent conflict with all that preponderance, the political State hitherto we have been permitted to must and will be dominated and learn about the Russian Socialist manipula,ted by and for the capital- Movement, the position it took and isc class and against the working the course it pursued. But the class; it knows that, as economic Manifesto, such as it is, and with all evolution. and inlustrial development its ramifying implications, is now awaken and consolidate the masses before us and it is upon that we of the working class, there will arise must speak, and, speaking, do so in the power that will set itself against language unmistakable and defining the class-ruled political State-the with clearness and emphasis just integrally organized useful occupa- where we stand. Needless to say tions of th,e land, the future consti- that acceptance of the position out- tucncies of the Industrial Republic, lined in the said Manifesto implies the class-conscious Industrial Unions the complete abandonment of all the -as now exemplified by the Work- Socialist Labor Party of America ers’ International Industrial Union has ever stood for, the abandonment -the power that will eventuallysub- of its goal by implication and infer- stitute it and thereby end class rule ential reasoning, as well as the di- and with it capitalism. rect abandonment of its tactical po- In point of tactics, based upon the sition. It implies even more. It principles sketched above, the So- implies the surrender of its judg- cialist Labor Party has ever traveled ment upon American conditions, of thr straight and narrow path of No the policy to be pursued upon the Compromise. It has not sacrificed basis of these conditions and the sur- principle to numbers, votes, tempo- render of that judgment to another rary gain, or popular acclaim. It influence that can scarcely be pre- has not placated the pure and simple sumed to be posted upon these con- trade union reactionist-it has ditions. fought him. It has not (tallied with The Socialist Labor Party is a the pure and simple poiiticalist So- product of the American Labor cialist Party and its “parliamentary Movement. It represents today the idiocy”-it has fought it. And it highest, the most advanced expres- has not “welcomed most heartily” sion of that Movement in principles the Anarcho-Syndicalist I. W. W., as well as in tactics, bo’th of which hut has fought it bitterly. relentless- have been evolved in storm and ly, without respite and without quar- stress, in endless conflict and fric- ter and shall and will continue to so tion with the reactionist, the trim- fight it with all the power at its mer and compromiser, and the “bull- command to prevent the marplot inlthe-chinashop” direct-action idiot. from foisting its pernicious doctrines In point of printr.pie !hc Socialist and methods upon the American La- Labor Party openly and fearlessly bor Movement. proclaims the revolutionary RIGHT In the light of Ame:ican condi- of the Working Class. It recognizes tions the Socialist l,a,or Party holds clearly the character and function of that he who wants Socialism must the political State; it knows that, in first want class-conscious working a class-divided society, the political class organization on the industrial State MUST become an instrument field and that, without such or- $:f CLASS RU’LE and that, under ganization, there can be no working - 40 -- class emancipation and no abolition and partly as an arsenal wherefrom of capitalism; that he who ca,lls him- to draw weapons against the Labor self a Socialist and refuses or fails Movement. And it has more recent- to help in the task of organizing the ly been demonstrated in the case of working class on the industrial field the burlesque imitation “Communist” -where alone the MIGHT of the movements, which, taking a more or working class can be gathered-is less open direct action and physical either one who knows not what he force position, and seeking to line wants nor how to get it, or he is a UP “most heartily” with the anti- faker and a fraud who does know political I. W. W., were off-hand wip- but finds it convenient for reasons ed off the slate by the capitalist po- best known to himself to dodge the litical State and then served it ‘as a obligation. handy instrument to smite the gen- eral Labor Movement. ‘No sane movement of men will seek to shape its course with utter Pitiful in the extreme is the posi- disregard to surrounding conditions tion in which these innocent imita- and the course and policy of the tion “Communists” appear in the Socialist Labor Party is and has light of events. Honeycombed with been shaped with regard to the con- police spies, their very platform de- ditions tha$ surround us in America- clarations reputed to have been writ- conditions historic and social, indus- ten by operatives of the Department trial and political. In the light of of Justice on the strength of which the historic and political conditions they were later raided, arrested and of the land we condemn, utterly and often depoited, these raids made without the slightest reservation, the successful by the circumstance that, Anarcho-Syndicalist, anti-political I. under police guidance, the Com- W. W. position of “direct action,” munists were made to call meetings “sabotage, “strike at the ballot-box all over the country on one and the with an ax,” and general perversity. same day, on January 2d, there to That position, we hold, is not only land like fish in a net, as was brought vicious, since it implies a first-hand to light in the proceedings of the resort to physical force, but it is Boston Federal District Court-the absurd. The idea of winning over picture presented is one that again the American working class to -an re-emphasizes the S. L. P. warning abandonment of political action and that the Labor Movement in Amer- political propaganda is puerile. Such ica does not lend itself to and must is the lay of the land in America, not descend to the level of rat-hole that any. organization which places conspiracies. Aiming as it does and itself in such a position at once be- must to gather the mass of the work- comes a club in the hands of the cap- ers, it can only do so in the open, italist class for assailing the Labor openly and in full daylight proclaim- Movement, as has been amply dem- ing its aims and methods, and said onstrated. It has been demonstrated methods in keeping with the funda- in the case of the I. W. W., which is mental law of the land. aoday very largely used by capitalist Furthermore, in the light of our so- reaction partly as a scare-crow to cial and industrial conditions we frighten the “public” with, as ought condemn, utterly and without the to be plain to any intelligent person slightest reservation, the pure and .who reads understandingly the pub- simple politicalist Berger-Hillquit So- licity campaign connected with it, cialist Party, not only because of its -41 - position of “parliamentary idiocy,” in aforesaid Manifesto signed by G. that it expects or professes to expect Zinovieff as an official emanation of to bring about Socialism by pure!y the Third International, there can be political action and dodges or side- no affiliation ,on the part of the So- steps the obligation to help organize. cialist Labor Party wifh such a body the working class on the industrial ,in spite of the fact that we find our- field, but for the further reason of its selves in bll and unqualified sym- overt and sometimes covert alliance pathy with Sovifet Russia, are mind- with the. Civic-Federatlo.nized craft ful of the role that destiny has given unions of the land, that bulwark of her to play and of the tremendous American capitalism, on the one moral influence she is bound to exer- hand, and, on the other hand, its cise upon the Socialist Movemknt of more or less open flirtation with An- the entire world. But we shall not archo-Syndicalist I. W. W.-ism. A and will not abandon our time-tried trimmer and a compromiser, it seeks tactical position, regarding such support everywhere, with the pure abandonment in the light of a deser- and simple craftist, the pure and sim- tion of all we st.and for and a deser- ple bombist, the rent striker, the tion of the American working class. milk-explmoitee, the political prisoner Moreover, we shall not and we will -all is fish that comes to its net not have our tactical position and with votes, or cash, or both. thme policy based thereon dictated by Seeing that Socialism implies the anybody outside of ourselves and our centralization and co-ordination of own judgment drawn from the knowl- the productive powers; seeing further edge of the oonditiens that surround that the organizing df the working us and 0U.R task. And, finally, we class into integral industrial unions reject absolutely and unqualifiedly, is absolutely essentia! to accomplish in keeping with the Socialist Labor the emancipation of the working Party’s entire history, any bedfellow- class; seeing this, and consider- ship with Anarchism and Anarchists, ing the fact that Anarcho-Syn- now and hereafter, and we shall not dicalism means the disintegration and and will not enter any International destruction of the f,orces of thework- that harbors it and them. ing class, preventing the marshalling We declare that however much we of these forces into industrial unions; endorse the revolutionary activity of seeing also that the pure and simple the “Bolsheviki” of Russia; however political attitude of the Socialist much we recognize the pioneer work Party can only lead the workers into for the world revo!ution of the So- the shambles-seeing all this we un- viet Government of Russia; however qualifiedly denounce and c,ondemn much we admire the bravery and Anarcho&yndicalism as well as the splendid activity of the entire Russian pure and simple political Socialist proletariat, we can not because of sen- Party--the obverse and reverse of timental or other appeals subscribe the same medal-as organizations to or acknowledge the right of the whose methods and tactics border OF Russian Socialist revolutionary or- insanity. ganizations to speak for the revolu- It is in the light of all this that the tionary Proletariat of the world or National Gonvention of the Socialist tqprescribe the tactics or point out Labor Party of America, assembled the true revolutionary organizations this ninth day of May, 1920, declares: for our country. We hold that how- 1. That if we are to regard the ever much we recognize the wisdom - 42 - of the Russian revolutionists from a ers-on of the capitalist system a purely strategic point of view in state of mind which, commifigling launching the Third International, as fear and apprehension with feroci- opposed to the caricature which the ous hatred, seeks and finds a vent in Social Patriot crowd attempted to political gersecutions to an extent .continue by their meeting at Verne, unheard-of in the country’s history, .-we nevertheless hold that the Third in judicial outrages, in atstempts at International, splendid as it may be the subversion of the country’s po- as a rallying point for the world rev- litical institutions by legislative en- olutionary proletariat during this pe- actment, in the suppression of strikes riod of chaos and disorder, is not and by executive governmental action can not be a true International until backed with virtual unanimity, by the various organizations of the re- the judicial and legislative branches v spective countries of the world de- of the Government. The Political siring affiliation have been able to State, an instrument in practically meet together by duly elected and undisputed control of the capitalist accredited representatives, and at class, runs amuck and has come to a such a meeting facing their co-repre- point where it seeks to suppress and sentatives and rendering an account to punish not only the overt acts of of ‘their actions in the face of the opponents to capitalism, but endeav- collapse and onslaught of capitalism ors to ferret out opinions and pre- -render an account of how they vent their academic expression. have’ kept the revolutionary banner Efforts are being made to dom- aloft. W,e declare that at such a fu- inate our public schools and all oth- ture meeting of world claimants for er educational institutions in the revolutionary honor the Socialist spirit and by the methods of the Labor Party of America is ready to Spanish Inquisition and to introduce meet the revolutionists of the world therein the spirit of militarization; and face such claimants from our the ,so.called public press, the pulpit, own country. and ,every other avenue of informa- tion are made, in the main, to serve c Our Xational Executive Commit- the ends of our plutocracy by open tee is hereby instructed to bring suhsidization; armies of spies * are copies of this declaration to the penetrating every corner of the knowledge of every member of the country, mtingling with the people Sociahst Labor Party and of every and reporting every shade and shift S,ocialist organization on the face of $polpular opinion, wi,th the inevitable of the earth and to provide transla- result that these reports are so shad- tions thereof wherever thought nec- ed and shaped as to justify the exist- essary, so that our position in this ence, and even demonstrate the need matter may become known to the of the spy. Socialist movement of the world. We are passing through a period of black reaction. Like a ferocious ResoIution on Capitalist Reac@n. animal at bay, the capitalist class, The manifest disintegration of the with its back to the wall, is striking capitalist structure, bath on its eco- venomously and indiscriminately at nomic and; its political side, the everything and everybody that even signs of which are becoming ever seems to oppose its rule of ruin. The more obvious to mature minds, has spectacle is typical of usurpation that in.duced among the beneficiaries, SW- sees its dominancy questioned, and, apprehensive to a far greater extent porters, apologists and other hang- _- - 43 -

I Y*; than is warranted by actual condi- conditions, a ruling class is faced with tions, is by its very panic condemned world-wide unrest, if it sees its very to add to the number of its foe. In existence challenged by a new force the last analysis it is fear of the arising day by day, the challenge not working class that shapes this phase yet fully articulate, but unmistakable of capitalist psychoIogy; it is the as to its presence, its nature and its slow, glacier-like, irresistible upward ultimate end, if it sees the danger of surge of that mass in which the cap- the fruits of its ill-gotten wealth italist class scents impending disaster turning to ashes on its lips at the to its system of exploitation and very moment of dazzling success, usurpation. both its panic and its ferocity be- But, since a “state of mind” never come perfectly intelligible. is made up of just one single strand Who will doubt the correctness of of emotion, there is still another side the picture here presented and who to the picture. Prior to America’s will question the facts? And it is entrance into the world war, and in view of these facts. and their im- more so after its entrance, the Amer- port to the working class of the land ican capitalist cIas,s clim’bed the pin- that the national convention of the nacle of financial pre-eminence. D’om- Socialist Labor Party of America, as- inating the natural resources of a sembled’on this seventh day of May, continent, having at its disposal an 1920, directs the attention of Amer- industrial equipment of enormons ica’s working class to these factsand proportions to which it could hitcha to the situation that flows from labor supply practically limitless and them. To meet that situation the of high efficiency, stimulating agri- overwhelming numbers of the work- cultural production by suitable prop- ing class and its economic indispen- aganda, and enticing by the same sability are the main factors that means nearly every dollar in every come into play. But these factors hidden stocking to come out and are of no avail without comprehen. join the offensive-American cap- sive organization coupled with intel- italism began to dominate the earth. ligent action. / A debtor nation was transformed in- In view of this, be it to a creditor “nation.” Resolved, That we call upon Amer- The war having come to an end, ica’s working class to rally with us the state of mind acquired with all under the banner of the Socialist the other acquisitions manifested it- Labor Party on the political field, self in an era of wild and reckless there to proclaim that the capitalist speculation. To the soaring of prices mode of production having outlived made inevitable by the constant its usefulness to society, and having depreciation of gold, by inflation of become a clog to its further devel- credit, plus all the other war causes, opment u(pward to a higher form of was added a veritable Mad Dervish civilization, must make way for the dance of profiteering. Its pockets next stage in social evolution-the bulging with stolen goods near to co:operative -or social mode of pro- bursting, the ,capitalist class reached duction with the instruments of pro- out for more and ever more with in- duction in possession of ALL the satiable greed, its insane course call- people undivided, not rent into an- ing to mind the Bourbon’s cry: “Ap- tagonis’tic class fragments, but united res moi, le deluge”-after me, the upon one common social purpose, deluge. the advancement of the human race: If, at such a time and under such there to. proclaim the lRIGJHT ofm= - 44 - working class to advocate, to pave strument of capitalist machination the way for and to bring about, the and chicanery. inevitable social transformation by .Labor, industrially united, fired by consti4utional means and methods, one ideal and animated by one pur- insisting upon the maintenance of pose, is all-powerful and capable of that right in spite of capitalist reac- grappling and coping with cap,ltalist tion; and there to fulfill one of the reaction;-indeed, when all is said, it chief functions of a true political is the only force that can do so. The party of Labor, namely, to help gath- Industrial Union, foreshadowing as er and organize the hosts of Labor it does the future constituency of the on the economic field into class-con. future Industrial Republic, the re- scious industrial organizations so pository of all power in the time that the MIGHT of the workitlg TO CO-ME, for and by that very dass may be ever ready to sustain reason is the source of all potentiai its RIGHT: and be it further power in the time THt.4T IS. Resolved, That we call upon the members of the working class speedi- National Platform Adopted iy to awaken ‘to the situation that is confronting them, to meet that situ. The world stands upon the thresh- ation-which today expresses itself old of a new social order. The cap- in capitalist persecution of the vilest italist system of producti.on and and most ferocious kind, and may distribution is doomed; capitalist tomorrow find expression in at- appropriation of labor’s product tempts to forbid even the organiza- forces the bulk of mankind into tion of the workers-by rapidly gath- wage slavery, throws society into ering and consolidati(ng their im- the convulsions of the class strug- mense numbers in industrial organi- gle, and momentarily threatens to zations based squarely upon the engulf humanity in chaos and dis- lines of working class mterests such aster. .4t this crucial period in his- as is already exemplified by the tory the Socialist Labor Party or Workers’ International Industrial America, in 15th National Conven- Union, to the end that, OS capitalist tion assembled, reaffirming its for- disintegration proceeds, the eternal mer platform declarations, calls upon inerests of the human race may be the workers to rally around the safeguarded by the presence of an banner of the Socialist Labor Party, economic power that will be capa- the only party in this country that ble, during the oncoming period of blazes the trail to the Workers’ In- social transformation, to assist the dustrial Republic. same and to lead it without undue Since the advent of civilization friction through cha.nnels of orderly human society has been divided into and systematic procedure to its final classes. Each new form of society destination-the emancrpation of hu- has come into being with a definite manity from the thraldom of capital- punpose to fulfill in the progress of ism. the human race. Each has been Labor, craft-divided, its units in born, has grown, developed, pros- constant conflict of jurisdiction with pered, become old, outworn, and one another, is powerless against has finally been overthrown. Each capitalist reaction and is endangering society has developed within itself the germs of its own destruction as the interests of the working_ . class,. the more so since the craft union IS well as the germs which went to . only too often used as a direot ln- make up the society of the future. - 45 - The capitalist system rose. during cate itself out of the debris. Amer- the seventeenth, eighteenth, and ica today is choking under the nineteenth centuries, by the over- weigh,t of her own gold and prod- throw of feudalism. Its great and ucts. all-important mission in the deve!- T,his situation has brought on the opment of man was to improve, de- present stage of human misery- velop, and concentrate the means of starvation, want, cold, disease, pes- produotion and distribution, thus tilence, and war. This state is creating a system of co-operative brought about in the midst of plen- production. This work was com- ty, when the earth can be made to pleted in advanced capitalist coun- yield ‘hundred-fold, when the ma- tries about the beginning of the chinery of production is made to 20th century. That moment cap- multiply human energy and in- italism had fulfilled its historic genuity by the hundred. The pres- mission, and from that moment the ent state of misery exists solely be- capital&t class became a class of cause the mode of production rebels parasites. against the mode of exchange. Pri- In the course of human progress vate property in the means of life mankind has passed, through class has become a social crime. The land rule, private property, and individu- was made by no man; the modern alism in production and exchange, machines are the result of the com- from the enforced and inevitable bined ingenuity of the human race want, misery, poverty, and ignorance from time immemorial; the land can of savagery and barbarism to the af- be made to yield and the machines fluence ’ and high productive capaci- can be set in motion only by the ty of civilization. For all practical collective effort of the workers. purposes, co-operative production Progress demands the c.ollective has now superseded in,dividual pro- ownership of the land on arrd the duction. tools. with w’hich to produce the ne- Capitalism no longer promotes the cessities of life. The owner of the greatest good of the greatest num- means of life today partakes of the ber. Private production carries with nature of a highwayman; he stands it privtie ownership of the prod- with his gun before society’s tem- ucts. Produrtion i,s carried on, not ple; it depends upon him whether to supply the needs of humanity, but the million mass may work, earn, for the profiat of the individual own- eat, and live. The capitalist system er, the company, br the trust. The of produotion and exchange must worker, not receiving the full prod- be supplanted if progress is to con- uct of his labor, can not buy back tinue. all he produces. The capitalist In place of the capitalist system wastes part in riotous living; the the. Socialist Labor Party aims to rest must find a foreign market. By substitute a system of social owner- the opening of the twentieth centu- ship of the means of production, in. ry the capitalist world-England, dustrially administered by the work- America, Germany, France, Japan, ers, who assume control and direc- China, etc.-was producing at a mad tion as well as operation of their rate for the world market. A ca& industrial affairs. italist deadlock of market brought IWe therefore call upon the wage on in 1914 the capittalist collapse workers to organize themselves into popularly known as the World War. a revolutionary political organiza- The capitalist world can not extri- tion under the banner of the So- cialist fibor Party; and to organize the Press Security Fund be entitled themselves likewise upon the indus- “The Press Security and Print Pa- trial field into a Socialist industrial per Fund” and that Secti,ons be urged union, *as now exemplfied by the to elect a collector whose duty it Workers’ International Industrial shall be to collect for this fund and Union, in keeping with their politi- remit as promptly as possible. cal aims. Referring to the report of the ‘And we also call upon all other Edifor of the Weekly People, we intelligent citizens to place them- note the request for closer editorial selves squarely upon the ground of co-operation with the lan,guage pa- working class interests, and join us pers and would recommend that the in this mighty and noble work of various Editors be urged to trans- human emancipation, so that wemay late and use important material from put summary end to the existing the Weekly People and, in turn, to barbarous class confliat, by placing furnish the W.eekly People with the land and all the means of pro- translations of interesting or in- duction, transportation, and distrilbu- structlive matter concerning their re- -_ tion into the hands of the people spective peoples. as a collective body, and substitut- ing Industrial Self-Government for Pamphlet on Co-operative Move- the present state of planless produc- ment. tion, industrial war and social dis- Whereas, The A. F. of L. official- order-a government in which ev- doln, togetiler \viih the Amalgamated ery worker shall have the free ex- Clothinlg Workers’ official news- ercise and full Ibenefit of his facul- papers, the 9. I’. Ca!l, many leading ties, multiplied by all the modern rncrrlhcrs of t1.c 5 I’., and leadins factors of civilization. r.c’9,,papcrs oi I op-Capitalism, hav: \ energetically entered upon an “edn- 1Reportszittees cational campaign” to convince the American working class that co-op- Adopted eaat,ives, with their so-called “c,heap” On Party Press and Literature. buying features, will solve the ills Your Committee on Party Press which accompany and so painfully and Literature feels that the P,arty illustrate the “benefits” of Class membership can not but b,e impress- Rule; and ed by that portion of the National Whereas, The capacity for evil Secretary’s report wh.ich refers to of the combinati,on seeking to plant the difficulty of obtaining newsprint this latest boobtrap is such that paper. To maintain the continuity s!cps must be taken to meet and of the Weekly P.eople issues iswith- refute their arguments and the ger- out doubt one of the most impor- suasive influence fIowing therefrom; tant duties of the Party at this time. therefore, be it Carrying on a National Campaign at Resolved, That the Fifteenth Na- th.is crucial period makes it doubly tional Convention of the Socialist imperative that the supporters of the L.abor Party instruct the Nationa! Party provide th.e necessary facili- Elecutivc Committee to have pte-. ties for publishing the great mass of pared a pa.mlphlet or leaflet expos- leaflets, pamphlets and books now ing the fallacies of :he Co-opera&e needed and for which there will be Kovement, so that argumenta?ive an ever increasing d.emand. ammunition may. be ftirnished those We therefore recommend that who will be called upon to oppose - 47 - t!tis final attempt of the Ruling sub-divisions should be systematl- Ciass to render harmless the grow- tally employed in the best intc’t:s:s in;.: anger of the proietariat against of the movement. the system of wage slavery. (4) If feasible, one of our na- Publication in Book Form of “An- tional candidates to tour the coun- archic Tendencies.” try by automobile. We also recom- Whereas, Se&on Baltimore, 5. mend that States use this method as L. I!‘., has noted, with much inter- far as practicable. cst, the very able series of articles, (5). Posters for nati,onal distribu- entit.led “Anarchic Tendencies and tion and also the creating of lan- Constructive Forces in the Labor g-cage leaflets for national distrlbt- . Movement”; and tion. Whereas, Section Baltimore fee!s (6) To have one day or week set that these articles are so timely that aside by the Campaign Committee their value will not !lave been thor- for the purpose of national distrlbu- oughly taken advantage of if now al- tion of printed matter having to do lowed to slumber; therefore, be it with the election. Resolved, By the Fifteenth Na- De Leon Memorial Day. tiona! Convention of the S. L. P., Resolved, That December 14th of That the National Executive Com- tack, year be dedicatti,l by each SZ:-- mittee be, and hereby is instructed I ticn of the Soc.iat;jt Labor Pa;ty to have published in book form this and its Languag: Felerations as a series of articles, so bound that the da? of celebration in commemo*a- book w.ill have an appearance equal tmn of the service. to .np workers to the dignity of its contents. of the world of Daniel De Leon. (Committee recommends that mat- On South American Socialist Move- ter be referred to the N. E. C.) ment. On National Campaign. Whereas, Socialism, as embodied (1) We recommend adoption of in principles, tactics and goal is es- the raising of a $50,000 Campaign sentially the same in every land; an.i Fund, all cust,omary means to be Whereas, Proponents of its phil- used in acquiring the above sum. osophy and tactical methods realize (2) We recommend concurrnnce that propaganda for the dissemina- that Comrade Henry Khun be elect- tion of its principles is equally im- ed as campaign manager. portant in all parts of the world; (3) In connection with recommen- and dation 2 we add that a National Whereas, It is deemed expedient Campaign Committee be formed of for the Socialist Labor Party to co- which Comrade Kuhn shall be the operate in every way possible with chairman. This National Campaign organizations on both the political Committee shall consist of 8 mem- and economic fields which teach and bers and the chairman, elected from practice the principles and methods the Party and every one of its sub- of Socialism as propagated by the divisions. Socialist Labor Party to th.e end of This National Campaign Commit- unifying the organized world move- tee shall devise plans that proper ment aiming at the attainment of State and Local Campaign Commit- Socialism; and tees be formed similar to the above. Whereas, A political party known It is intended that all the organizers as the International Socialist Party sent out by the Party and by all .-exists in the Argentine Republic of -48- South America which holds in all cs- able to find cause to suppress, but sential particulars an att.itude identi- have succeeded by persecutions- and cal with that of the Socialist Labor intimidations, consequently weaken- Party, that is to say, a real Socialist ing our forces, it therefore behooves attitude; and US to make special effonts to strength- Whereas, There exists side by the weak points; side and working harmoniously with “Whereas, One source of weakness and supporting it a powerful indus- lies in the fact that there are now trial (syndicated) economic organi- several subdivisions of the Party, zation known as the “Federation each maintaining a headsquarters in Obrera Regional Argentina,” which different locali,ties, each publishing a closely corresponds to the Workers’ paper and other literature with an International Industrial Union; and expense that could be wonderfully Whereas, Communication has been reduced by concentration; established between the S. L. F. “Concentration into a centrally and the Partido International Obre- located national headquarters for a!1 ra and with the Federation Obrera these subdivisions wowld save much Regional -Argentina, tentatively, for of the money now paid out in ren- purposes of un.ited work in the tals and reduce the many calls for Wastcrn hemisphere; therefore, be sustaining fund to a minimum, thus it strengthening the forces for educa- tional and propaganda work; Resolved, That the Socialist La- “Resolved, therefore, That the com- bor Party shall proceed t.o takesteps ing National Convention of the SO- toward establishing a more intimate community of cialist Labor Party take immediate interest and effort, steps to establish a national head- with a view to possible unity of the quarters for all these subdivisions.” above-named po!iti,cal and ec.onomic The committee recommended: organizations for more effective “That in view of the far-reaching propaganda along identical lines in consequences involved in this propo- the countries of North Americaand sition, impossible to be passed upon South America. by the convention without extensive Resolution on Centralization. data as to cost, as well as to the “Whereas; the Socialist Labor advantage to be derived from the Party of America, planted upon the proposed concentration, the matter be basic principle of the materialist referred to the N.%C. with instruc- conce,ption of history, embracing the tions to elect a special committee to law of progress and in harmony with ascertain all the facts bearing there- , the law of evolution, has ever en- on, and prepare a relport not later deavored to keep pace evolution, ad- than within one year from date, such justing itself to conditions as they report, with recommendations of the arise, Yt has won a world-wide rec- N. E. C., to be submitted to a ref- ord, a front-rank position in the In- erendum vote of the membership.” ternational Socialist Labor Move- Resolution by California State Con- ment as a clear-cut revolutionary vention, held April 25, 1920. pol,itical party; “Hand in hand with science, forg- We, the delegates to the Califor- ing ahead, it has been able to stand nia State Convention of the Social- the test of all the charlatans seeking ist Labor Party, held in San Fran- to discredit it. It has also frustrated cisco, Cal., April 25, in convention the ruling class in that they are un- assembled desire to express our full- - 49 - es1 approval of the general policy of the Party during the past foul pars;led by the administration of thk years. Socialist Labor Party in its rfforts I. Shankman, Chairman. to uphold the principles and policies Emile Coschina, Secretary.

;,i

- 50 - P AMENDMENTS TO THE PARTY CONSTITUTION ADOPTED AND APPROVED BY REFERENDUM.

1.-A&. II, Sec. 10 to become Sec. 9 and vice versa 1377 37 e--Art. III, Sec. 4: In cities, towns, or other localities where there exists a Section of the Soc:alist Labor Party and a Section or Sections of any S. L. P. Language Federation there shall be formed a central committee composed of delegates from said Sections, whose function it shall abe to co- operate for the purpose of furthering the agi- tation of the S. L. P. in such localities in addi- tion to such agitation which may be carried on by the respective Sections ,separately. In case the creation of lsuch central com- mittee is not deemed warranted then arrange- ments should at least be made for having one or more elected representatives of the Lan- guage Branches attend the meeting of the Party Section and report to both the Sectiotl and the Branch of the doings of each. Amended as follows: Sec. 4. In cities, totis, or other localities where there exists a Section of the Socialist Labor Party and a branch or branches of any S. L. P. Language Federation there shall be formed a Propaganda Committee composed of delegates from sai,d Sections and ‘branches, whose function it shall lbe to co-operate for the purpose of furthering the agitation of the S. L. P. in such localities, in addition to such agi- tation which may be carried on Iby the respec- tive Sections and branches separately. Eliminate second paragraph. 1449 20 3-Art. V, Sec. 4: Add words “Commencing May First” ...... 1443 13 4-Art. VIII, Sec. 1: Increase dues to Sections to thirty-five cents from thirty cents ...... ‘1374 64 5-Art. VIII, Sec. 2: Increase dues to twenty-five and .thirty-five cents from twenty and thirty cents ...... *...... 1375 67 6-Art. VIII, Sec. 3: Every State Executive Committee or Section shall receive a first quota of stamps on credit, to be measured by the size of the memlbership; such quota to remain a standing indebtedness. All stamps received ‘subsequently must abe paid for in cash, and the National Secretary, as well - 51 -

.. as Secretaries of State Executive Committees, shall not send out any stamps other than in compliance with this rule. Amended to read: Section 3. Every newly organized Section shall receive a free quota of stamps, to be measured by the s’ze of the membership. All stamps received subsequently must be paid for in cash, and the National Secretary, as we’1 as Secretaries of State Executive Committees, shall not send out any stamps o,ther than in compliance w:th this rule . . ..a...... *.. 1432 32 7-Art. IX, Sec. 5: Article IX., Section 5. No member, com- mittee, or Se&on of the Party shall publkh a political paper without the sanction of the National Executive Committee, and then only on condition that all the property of such paper ibe vested as far as practicable in the National Executive Committee free from any financial or legal liability, the editor of such paper to lbe subject to the provisions of the preceding ‘set- tion. Amended to read: Section 5. No member, committee, Section or language federation of the Party shall pub- lish a political paper without the sanction of the National Executive Committee, and then only on condition that all the property of such paper be vested in the National Executive Committee free from any financial or legal liability, the editor of such paper to be subject to the provisions of the preceding section . . . . 1450 27 &-Art. XII, Sec. ‘1: Increase Federation dues from four to six cents ...... 1456 34 9IArt. XII, Sec. 4: Section’ 4. Sections or branches of federa- tions shall be represented on the General Com- mittees of the ‘S. L. P. Sections, provided they pay the regular per capita tax, or by fraternal delegates. Eliminated. Section 5 to become Section 4, and Section 6 to become Section 5 ...... 1426 25 lo--Art. XII, Old Section 5: Section 5. Branches of federations shall be represented in the State Conventions of the Party, provi’ded they pay the regular per capita tax to the State Executive Committees of the S. L. P., or iby fraternal delegates. Amended to read: - 62 - Section 5. Branches of federations shall be represented in the State Conventions of the Party by fraternal delegates ...... 1440 24 11-Eliminate Sec. 7, 8, 9, Art. XII, to conform with changes proposed in Sections 4 and 5...... 1409 47 12-Add new Section to ,be known as Art. XII, Sec. 6: No member of a federation language branch shall at the same time be a member of a Sec- tion of the Party ...... 1337 79 13-Art. XII, Sec. 10: To become Sec. ‘7, to conform with changes ...... 1394 41 14-Eliminate Art. XIII relative to representa’tion in International Bureau . . . . . , ...... 1252 192 15-Amend Art. V, Sec. 10, ‘by adding: Two-thirds of the (15) SubG~ommittee members shall be actual wage workers ,...... 1423 42 16-A& II, Section 11: ‘On readmission of expelled memlbers. Add new paragraph: Art, II, Sec. 11, new paragraph: “An expelled member may Ibe re-admitted to membership if his application for reinstate- ment is endorsed, finst #by the ‘Section having expelled him, and, second, by the National Executive Committee. “In case the expelling Section is or has been located in a State having a State Executive Committee, the N. E. C., in the event of its endorsement of such application, shall forward the same to such S. E. C. for submission to a general vote of the membership in such State for final action; but if the Section having ex- pelled the applicant is ,or has been located in a State not having a State Executive Com- mittee, it &all be the duty of the National Executive Committee finally to dispose of such application. The same procedure and differ- entation as between organized and unorgan- ized States shall ibe adhered to in the case of expelled members-at-large applying for re-ad- mission.” ...... , . 1441 22 17-Art. VII.. Sec. 2: Strike out entire Section and substitute as follows: Art. VII, Sec. 2, substituted for old Sec. 2: “The State shall lbe the basis of representa- tion, each State to be entitled to one delegate for every fifty memlbers and one additional delegate for a major fraction thereof; but the apportionment shall be made on the average mem,bership for the last twelve months of the year next preceding. Any State having less than fifty members to be entitled to one dele- gate; a territory to be treated as a State.” 1453 - 14 - 53 - 18-Art. XII, Sec. 3: Add after word “thereof” in third line the following: “as provided in Art. VII, Sec. 2.” ...... 1413 21 19-Art. XI, Sec. 8: Strike out and renumber suc- ceding paragraphs accordingly ...... 1395 45 20-Art. XII, Sec. 2: Insert word “major” before ‘the word “fraction”...... 1426 13 21-Art. V, Sec. 14, paragraph d: Eliminate words “or suspend” . . .‘...... 1384 69 22-Art. XII, Sec. (last) New Section: “The units of organization shall be known as Ibranches. Branches shall have jurisdiction over their own members .in conformance with Art. II, Sec. 7-11 inclusive ...... 1423 ,13

Other Acts of Convention Approved on Referendum. Resolutions on Interrmtional Relations. (Third In- ternational.) (See page 38.) ...... *...... 1357 176 Resolutions on Relations wilth Spankh-speaking countries. (See page 37.) ...... 11491 5 Resolutions ,on Economic Organization: reaffirming resolut;on adopted in 1916. (,See page 37.). . . . 1501 32 Resolutions on “Capitalist Reaction” (See page 42.) 1496 13 Party Platform. (See page 44.) ...... 1534 4 Weekly People: Increase subscription price from $1.50 to $2.00 per annum ...... : . . . . . 1519 21 December 14th (Daniel De Leon’s Birthday) of each year shall ‘be dedicated to the memory of Daniel De Leon. (See page 47.) ...... 1474 24 Resolutions on Centralization. ‘(See page 48.)...... 11311 224 For National Secretary: Arnold Petersen ...... 1439 98 For Editor Weekly People: Olive M. Johnson ...... 1490 43

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- 54 - APPENDIX

I. to be placed on the ballot by the Sec- The convention nominated W. W. retary of State. Cox of ;Missouri and August ‘Gillhaus More than $20,000 was collected for of New York for the lpresidency and the campaign from members and sym- vice-presidency of the United States pathizers. respectively. The official count gave our candi- II. dates a total vote in the States men- The Scandinavian Socialist Labor tioned of 44,271 as compared with ’ Federation appealed to the national 14,398 votes in 1916. It should be convention the decision of the ,N. E. Iborn in mind, however, that we were C. of the Party not to approve the on the ballot in five more States ‘in election of A. H. Lyzell as editor of 1916. The potential S. L. P. vote in Arbetaren. By a vote of 42 in favor 11920 would have been a great deal and 6 against (the six

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PRINCIPLES OF THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY

A perfect understanding of Capi- But while Progredve Competition talism is necessary to a clear compre- is the law of wages, Progressive Con- hension of socialism. centration is the law of capital. Under Capitalism ~Society is divided First, a as tool develop into a ma- into two classes of people, as follows: chine, the aritisan is driven from his A possesing, or Capitalist Class, shop, into the factory of a small ca- among the members of which is dis- pitalist. Then, as the machine de- ributed in unequal shares and various velops into a greater machine, the forms the ownership of the whole small capitalist is driven out of lbusi- existing wealth, including land, the ness by his more powerful competi- machinery of production and the ccon- tor; and so on until the greatest capi- modities that must be consumed in the talists, unable singly to possess them- sustenance of life; selves of the vast machinery required A dispossed, or Proletarian Class, to carry on industry, unite into Corpo- whose members own nothing but their rations, which in turn unite into labor power, which is useless unless Trusts, Concentration in productive in- it can be exerted upon Nature through dustry necessitates a corresponding the machinery of production. concentration in the distributive agen- Since machinery is owned excluai- cy, 1. e., commerce. vely lby the Capitalist Class, each {pro- Thus does Individual Capitalism de- letarian must sell his labor power to velop into Collective Capitalism, less a capitalist or to an association of ca- and less competitive; while Individual pitalists in order to obtain the. neees- Labor develops into Collective Labor, saries of life. more and more competitive. A point Of the wealth produced by his labor at last is reached where the class power the portion which he receives struggle culminates; a point where is called “wages”; the other portion “To be or not to be” is the question is appropriated by his employer and for the majority of the people. The is called “profit.” end is in sight. The issue is plain. Wages naturally depend upon com- “The dispossessors must be disposses- petition among workers, and this com- sed.” The instruments of Collective petition increases with the displace- Labor must (be owned collectively by ment of labor by machinery. Each the whole people-that is, by the Co- capitalist conducting his own business operative Commonwealth; “a com- with a sole view to his own immediate monwealth in which every worker profit, regardlass of the present or shall have the free exercise and full future public welfare, nb provision Ibenefit of his faculties multilplied ‘by is made for the re-employment of the all the factors of modern civilization.” labor displaced. How shall this great social revolu- Not only, then, is the rate of wages tion be accomplished ? steadily falling, but the number of In any form of Society the economic proletarians who must starve in en- organism depeuds for its development forced idleness, is constantly increas- and preservation upon its political ing. In other words, the struggle for organ; the organ which, under the existence among the workers, becomes name of “government” is simply the more intense as invention supplies the public agent of the economic rulers. means of greater abundance with less In capitalism, government is neces- effort. sarily the right arm of the Capitalist . Class: its function is to nfimote by- The proletariat must, therefore, con- all means the interests of that class, stitute itself into a polital party of to promptly obey its commands, and its own class, in-order to possess it- especially to ‘protect at all hazards self of the government, which, adapt- the very fundamental of the capitalist ed to the changed requirements of the structure, namely capitalist owner- modified social organism, will no lon- ship of the means of production. Were ger be, as it ever was in the past, a government the organ of collective class executioner, ibut will Be trans- labor instead of collective capitalism, formed into a jpublic executive of tie the capitalist structure would fall and administrative measures adopted by a the Socjalist structure would rise. free people.

c HOW TO JOIN THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY.

All persons desiring to attach them- six others to join with them in orga- selves to the Socialist Labor Party, nizng a “Section,” but desiring to be- either by the formation of a local or- come members, may do so ‘by lbecom- ganization known as a “Section,” or ing members-at large by signing the by joining as members-at large, may applicatinon card, subscribing thereon proceed as follows: to the platform and .constitution of 1. Seven persons, five of whom the B. L. P., and answering other must :be actual wage workers, may questions on the application card. form a “Section,” provided they ack- For application blanks to be used in nowledge the platform, constitution the formation of “Sections” and for and resolutions of the Party and be- application for the use of individual long to no other political party. Rut members as well as all other informa- if more than seven propose to organize tion, apply to the undersigned. a ‘Section” then at least three fourths must ,be actual wage workers. Arnold Petersen, Ngtional Secretary, ,2. Isolated persons, unable to find 45 Rose Street, New York, N. Y.

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