Bolters Win Only One-Fifth of Party Membership
Bolters Win Only One-Fifth of Party Membership Roll Call of JN.Y. Branched Shows "Militant" Rout C O ridiculous have been the figures and statements issued to the capitalist and...
...When the County Committee met' it promptly prepared to rebuild the party...
...The figures of the total numbei of bolters conclusively prove th statement often made by the Part} Office that the branches which ha...
...for county officers...
...These figures have been compiled with the greatest care anc are baaed on statistics regarding membership in the possession of the City Office and of branch officers...
...Committee were in almost eve...
...But what the secessiosfcts )mit stating is that these IdajEl are instructed to oppose the ess...
...110 3 Branch 1 80 10 Branch 2 40 27 Bnoch S t 25 10 Branch 4 35 2 Branch 5 20 0 Branch • 1* 0 "•71 "U2 v • Kichmsnd North Shore 12 a South Shore 10 1 Finnish 15 0 ~~27 7 Downtown - 56 SO 2nd A. D. 15 10 Midwood 80 6 Brighton 40 8 4-14th A. D. 86 g 5-17th A. D. 10 5 6th A D. 20 14 Borough Park 35 17 l l th A. D. 12 0 12th A. D. 10 0 16th A. D. 80 10 18 ,h A. D. Branch 1 80 20 18th A. D. Branch 2 30 15 21st A. D. 26 16 22nd A. D. Branch 1 45 24 22nd A. D. Branch 2 30 0 23rd A. D. 26 13 Finnish 15 0 German 36 0 2nd A. D. Branch 1 40 0 East Flatbusb Br...
...He states that we "drove away our youth...
...But, while they pai' rtle, they talked a great deal an", their interference resulted in the County organization abandoninr the educational activities in th' Labor Center and turning sam< over to these branches...
...T*HUS, while the read of New * York was divided into two hostilt amps, no such division was note, n affairs affecting the Bronx...
...This Action Committee became famous for making many plans but succe&der in achieving failure in all of their undertakings...
...N...f •*»•*• mtmberihip Saltan Knickerbocker 12 4 Chelsea 30 3 4;h A. D. SO 1 6th A. D 85 3 8th A. D. 35 2 m a g e 45 25 Upper West Side 80 32 l l t h A. D. 15 10 12th A. D. 12 8 Mnrningside 40 30 ; YorkvilTe 45 1 17-lSth A. D. 20 4 19-21 th A. D. 6 4 22-2&rd A D . . 30 20 Finnish 250 0 German 45 2 Downtown 130 3 .Har.em , - _ 28 1 Cloakmakers 45 0 "Butchers 30 0 Russian 12 2 Spanish - 5 0 1,030 155 <vj - Bronx 1st A. D. 9 6 2nd A. D. 60 82 3rd A. D. 18 10 4th 24 4 6th A. D. 30 18 6th A. D. (Lower) 15 7 *th A. D. (Upper) 45 io 7th A. D. 50 3 8th A. D. (Lower) 85 10 8th A. D. (Upper) 12 1 Amalg Coop...
...Workers 86 0 Bensonhurst 16 0 Queens Astoria Branch 1 12 10 • Astoria Branch 2 14 0 Flushing 12 10 . Jackson HeightsElmhurst 7 5 Jamaica 35 20 ; Ridgewood 6 5 Rockaway 10 8 Sunnyside Branch 1 18 16 Suniiyslde Branch 2 28 0 142 74 J Recapitulation Total No...
...case tire rmsllest in the Local, an that thus .he "militant" representation there was oat of all propor tion to the number of member they actually represented...
...Bolters Win Only One-Fifth of Party Membership Roll Call of JN.Y...
...The Thomas letter is reckless and fiHed with falsehoods...
...40 0 Amal...
...He forced he fight against Hillquit in 1932 and chose the lational convention as the ground...
...Those who read it naturally assume that the Old Guard had influenced me to write on the subject as I did...
...Maurer wrkes to The New Leader again, denying the Thomas statement, and the Maurer letter appears below...
...With the "militants" now completely in control of the Labor Center and the 'county organization, the collapse of.both institutions began to gain momentum, with the result that the Labor Center had to be abandoned and the county organization became completely bankrupt...
...At the present time we a r e con-nlidating our forces in the Bronx...
...We chose to remain loyal to -he party and not to a faction...
...That is, the cards are stacked by Thomas and his allies in advance of the meeting of the N.E.C...
...While death was quickly creeping up on both"- institutions, wt were confronted with the campaigr here in the Bronx, and at a meet ing of the members of the Bronx County, a committee was chosen to conduct the campaign...
...Since this committee had no such authority to act for the comity, especially so since they represent, a minority of the members in the Bronx, the County "ommfttee removed them from of?*es ami elected loyal members in their places...
...The Labor Center under the 'militant" domination became, a norgue instead of a beehive of social and intellectual activities...
...He declares that we "raised a G>mmunist scare" and denies there is such an issue in the party...
...False igain...
...One exception may be noted here...
...But, under "miliant" leadership, an entire winter vas permitted to pass with only ne lecture...
...County headquarters will be established...
...About a year ago the "militants advanced for a few months th claim that they represented hal or a majority of the membership Tho=e statements did not last Ion and it is now evident that the...
...militant" delegates in the Cent...
...Be ause of this spirit, it was possible or the county organization in th< lidst of the depression to mov< it of small headquarters and es >.blish a Bronx Labor Cente "hich has housed unions, Work •\en's Circle and party branches t became the center of successfu ocial and educational activities...
...The Communis* splitters in 1919 made precisely* the same statement' regarding Eugene V. Debs...
...1 35 0 East Flatbush Br...
...For the purpose of this article, a few renarks will suffice...
...The figures speak for themselves: Manhattan...
...Some day the history of the irth, development, and demise o' He Labor Center may be written It is an interesting story...
...Financing the 'Activities' Here again, the value of branches can be measured...
...He declares that the party "gerrymandered the branches in New York City...
...In the midst of the most intense ctivity conducted by the "Oo'intv "ommittee, the 3rd and 5th A.D •instantly interfered with ou: •ork...
...In every case the benefit oi any doubt has been given to the bolters...
...We lsed to pack the place with party nembers and trade unionists who ttended our lectures, debates, and ocial functions...
...From all statistics it is apparent that the loudly heralded TJtiei conference" will take place wShut benefit of legally elected delegates from actually existing locals unless al] the bolters ia the state jr at the very least half of them, ire present to give an appearand 3f a real group of "delegates...
...Now t o Jim Maurer's letter: 1855 N. l l th St...
...What they will really have will be delegates from 17 oranches out of the 70 up-statt branches of New York...
...A Flourishing Local" With this miserable showing w; 1 can contrast Local Buffalo wher ! ;he organization with 200 membor i has unanimously voted to remain loyal to the State organization...
...Almost the intire sum was appropriated to the 'militant" branches because, without this help, they were in no position to hold'any meetings...
...This was a talk on he Hauptmann case, delivered by \ young "militant** lawyer...
...He has kept it up ever since...
...I belonged to no caucus," says Thomas...
...Incidentally the majority of the membership t» Westchester County was opassed to sending delegates under" say circumstances but the Ceostr Committees which forced ts*Jhss» ution through refused to ssssnt it to a vote of the membership, hi Westchester, with a inemberthip of 120, the Port Chester Branca slow, unanimously opposed to the bolters, has a membership of over W. h he other branches, all small, tat bolters had a majority, but m each ase those loyal to the Party sm i healthy minority so that tae otal for the County is two to am igainst the bolters...
...last December k was Thomas who said "I am profoundly shocked" when Oneal presented evilence of Communism and insurrectionism in the >arty...
...I want to make clear my position toward the "militants...
...I sunx «e this was in the name of revoutionary activity...
...We state emphatically that we' had n o iaqrrespondence with Comrade Maurer aarj that his letter came to us uneoiocited...
...At*he Boston meeting of the N.E.C...
...We have had too much respect for his health to try, like the Old Guard, to drag him into the struggle.'* Thu statement by Thomas is most unfortunate because it is not only deceiving but untruthful...
...Nothing could be farther from the truth...
...win recognize...
...For almost two years he has been a very sick man...
...of County membership bolterManhattan 1,0m 155 -ironx 670 152 Richmond 37 7 .vings 897 196 queens 142 74 ^2,782 584 PARTY WRECKAGE IN BRONX FOLLOWS MILITANT CONTROL By George Steinhardt Last week Comrade Steinhardt vrote of the f a i lu r e of the secessionists to carry the Bronx vhich they had claimed and this is .'arther confirmed by the figures published in thj?* issue for all the oroughs in Greater New York le now tells how these incompetents bad to be financed in twe ^ranches and how they wreckec .he Bronx Labor Center.—Editor...
...Three more of thes "locals" have a membership o: under eight each...
...This waachieved when the majority of UK County Committee refrained fron placing any candidates in opposi tion to the "militant" candidate...
...Be•ause of this situation, a stronj...
...In their releases to the Communist and capitalist press they have claimed that they will have delegates present from 17 locaJs...
...health.had warped his judgment...
...His sanctimonious regard for my health is very illuminating...
...says Thomas...
...That is false, and he presents no evidence to sustain „it...
...Twenty of tiie thirty members ent and on all questions the...
...That meeting was the rreatest fiasco in the history of the Bronx...
...And this was made necessary only because of the additional "xpeuse the branch was put to •b *n their candidate for the Assembly, without preview knowl•irculated, as a campaign document, an appeal for a united front vith Communists...
...uram of the bolters and to wj|k draw if they persist in seceeBps...
...One of the locals thej claim, in Nassau County, has had neither a member in good standing nor a meeting of the local ir over a year...
...The Yipsefs deserted the party last summer and were later induced to come back...
...The oolt is indeed in desperate straits vhich grow worse from day to...
...I did not force the fight or choose the ground," says Thomas...
...Beading Pa...
...Subsequently, the affairs of the county were officially turned over to them when the "militants" were elected as county officers and a majority of "militants" were sleeted on the County Executive Committee...
...They will learn...
...These figures are given count, by county, and branch by branch In every ease the first column rep resents the branch membership c. the basis of dues stamps bougi during the first ten months of 1935...
...Thomas, who always addressed overflow meetings at the Ijabor Center, found himself facing a half empty hall—all because of "militant" mismanagement...
...Branched Shows "Militant" Rout C O ridiculous have been the figures and statements issued to the capitalist and Communist press by\the bolters from the Socialist Party in New York that the Party's City Office has compiled city-wide figures that demonstrate the complete failure of the bolt, and that the statements with which the secessionists have flooded the press have been a deliberately false smoke-screen to mislead the membership and conceal the complete failure of the bolt...
...A Famous 'Action Committee' At the time of this change, then was a surplus of $000 in the La bor Centertreasury and $250 b the County treasury without an...
...I can assure Comrade Thomas that I understand the New York controversy far better than what he gives me credit for...
...No one asked me to express an opinion on the New York situation or to say anything favorable or unfavorable to either aide of the New York controversy...
...vote was unanimous...
...However, they have innocently confused locals and branches of locals in order to swell their total...
...never represented as large a prepor ion of the Local as their membership in the Central Committe< would have led the casual observe, to assume...
...ovement was beinj built...
...debts attached to either organiza " •ion...
...The majority of this committee was non"militant...
...Every •ne took a pride in county affair: nd supported county institution: nd functions wholeheartedly...
...I merely expressed my honest opinion and told a few facts about Thomas and his bolters to a few members of the Old Guard, whom I knew and worked with as a Socialist for 20 years before Thomas joined the party...
...With summer approaching they finally decided to have Norman Thomas lecture at the Labor "enter...
...The only groups where T h e y have met with any success have been invariably the small and unimportant ones...
...The second column represents the number of bolters...
...A closer scrutiny of their claim: shows even more complete failur to win over the membership t( secession...
...Bear Comrade:—The Daily Worker of Dec 18 quotes Comrade Thomas of having said in his letter to party members encouraging a split in our party that "A good comrade like Jim Maurer has been quoted against us...
...Taking one tern as an example, the Jewish Daily Forward contributed $200 toward our campaign...
...This group had also voted to table a motion that a membership meeting be called to decide this question...
...An Obstructive Group During the years where their nilitancy expressed itself in party activities, I, together with other Centrists, worked hand in hand vith them...
...Dec...
...pathy with them...
...Weak branches will be bolstered up...
...They again deserted a few weeks ago to the splitters...
...20, 1935...
...He would be with us in New York if he knew the facts...
...While we regret' to lose some of he members who have left us, it s difficult to mourn the Ipse of he others because they have not inly contributed to the dissention vithin the brandies and demoralised and disrupted the Bronx bounty organization, but they have ilso buried the Bronx Labor Cener, of T^hich institution we were \11 so proud and to which all of is have given so much time and •nergy in building and developing...
...These two branches use^ , he Labar Center as their branch eadquarters for which they pai< e grand sum of $5.20 per montl er branch...
...The bolters then resorteo to the ex pedient of "organizing" 'local" consisting of 6 Ihilisf members who were expelled f f s sr ago for being Communists asset 10 more who had resigned isssy...
...to recognize-the secessioninsurrectionists ! However, they have ;fir> comprehension of the consequences that will follow such action...
...Pity that he did not show a little regard for Hillquit's health at Milwaukee in 1932 when he launched his campaign to become a leader...
...Of the branches we have listed in the Loyal Troup, the 7th was the only one to •eceive help at that particular time...
...He attended meetings of thedual organisation again and again, spoke at them, advised :hem, and hdped to organize a Yiddish section - ^Wecan and will build a party the N.E.C...
...Thus a "tap...
...It requires no comment...
...We were instrumental n securing representation .for '-hem in the Executive Committee it Local New York and by casting ->ur votes with their's in the Cenral Committee we helped them arry many of their proposals...
...When they 'ormed dual organizations in New vbrk, when they themselves demanded that we take a definite position— with them or against...
...To go with them would have meant that we obey orders of their cau:us...
...Fraternally yours, JAMES H. MAUBEB The Bolters' Conference "Represents" Much PapeJO E P O R T S from the locals of New York State indicate clearly that the "conference" of the bolters to be held this weekend in Utica is foredoomed to dismal failure...
...Even if this were true, their failure would be proved from their own statement as New York State, outside of New York pity, has nearl fifty locals...
...2 35 0 Borough Park Jewish 40 1 Mlh-19th A D . 80 0 Coney Island...
...The total mem bersbip of the branches and local: :hey claim is only 220, of whom t substantial minority has, in each :ase, refused to have anything ti do with them...
...ishing" local has been estalHs)|| in Buffalo...
...Thu for the past two years the work o: the Central Committee has beer constantly disrupted by the tactic, of about one-third of the delegate It is now dearly established tha those delegates did not represen —I quarter of the membership...
...And to start things off a membership meeting of the Bronx was held last Sunday which proves to be a big and enthusiastic At Milu^^^f^^mlter Inpuires T*HE N EW LEADER recently carri&Hi fetter by James H. Maurer, veteran Socialist oj Reading, Pa., expressing his opposition to the Thomas secessionists: Thomas issued a letter, published in the Communist and capitalist grtjgs, saying that we had "dragged Jim" ^iato t h e controversy and hinting that Jim's pbo...
...The same is true in Loesi...
...They have been carefully Checked and recheeked with the officers of the branches and county organisations involved and we eardefinitely state that the percentage" of error in them is entirely negli gible...
...Rochester, one of the largest ?ity organization they clahsv4)nj indeed voted to send delegates* t» Utica...
...hester County, which states %st its delegates are sent wit* IMbS tions to avoid a split...
...First it took action against the county officers and County Executive Committee who by a.vote of 6 to 3 voted to secede from the party...
...As soon as the branches toolover the work in connection with the Labor Center they formed an Action Committee...
...We parted when they became an -> b s t r u e t i v e force...
...I t may be interesting to note hat while the "militants" have alvays derided the Forward and massed resolutions against it, they, levertheless, not only accepted his Forward money gleefully, if o: gratefully, but actually clamored for the entire amount...
...He did both...
...Again falsehood...
...Editor, New Leader...
Vol. 18 • December 1935 • No. 52
