Socialist Party of New York Adopts Important Guide for Party Members
Socialist Party of New York Adopts Important Guide for Party Members | AST week readers of a certain capitalist paper were informed of a "split" in the Socialist Party. Almost two years ago—to...
...Throughout its history, in this and other countries, the Socialist movement has always condemned such practices...
...This conduct is bad enough on the score of ethics, even though its effects are localized...
...We believe that The New Leader represents the sober judgment of the membership in declaring such conduct unworthy of party members...
...His worst deed has been the refusal to free Tom Mann, who was arrested and sentenced to two months in jail because he refused to be bound over not to make "seditious" speeches...
...By Mark Starr BritishLaborFights Reaction Rides High—MacDonald Now the Complete Tory, but Workers Are in Fighting Trim...
...We do not know the motive of the reporter responsible for this provocation...
...Within the locals of each state conflict follows...
...A repetition of this story last week was followed by two others...
...The influenza epidemic reduced the staff and the strike followed followed without notice...
...The Central Committee wishes to warn the comrades tkat it will not tolerate in the future such a serious breach of party ethics...
...Canada "naif, for all her protests against m Purchase of Soviet timber by m motherland, has been forced by economic necessity to discuss me barter of goods with Soviet Russia...
...Railroad transport looms as next storm sector in the intensified attack upon the British workers' wages...
...MacDonald demeans himself by further outrages upon public decency...
...One factor also in this reduction is the reduction of the standard of life of the workers...
...Socialist Party Paces Split" read the headline at that time...
...It is tragic when in this hour of danger, uncertainty, and possible trials such as may even make our struggles during the World War a pleasant frolic in comparison that this should occur...
...Much is occurring that cannot be put into print and for leasons that are obvious to intelligent Socialists...
...that within the haunts of the ruling classes there is talk of "cutting the gordian knot with the sword...
...Roth sides become prostrate and both lose in the end...
...Letters received by The New Leader from membffrs of varying views condemn without reservation the incident of last week...
...Shipping income was halved in the period 1930-1932 from $400,000,000 to $200,000,000...
...and a few party members lost their heads...
...but whatever its motive, party members should beware of its provocative stories...
...One state goes one way and another one the other...
...States and local organizations become affected...
...The New Leader and all Socialists want a working class party...
...All kinds of mean economies are being made in the social services by Ramsay MacDonald's "national" administration...
...A Hearst publication upstate published a story so absurd that it is comic...
...It created a little excitement for the moment, and was then forgotten...
...but this story spread...
...That there are some differences of opinion in the party may be conceded...
...Do those who may have unwittingly played into the hands of tile publication know what a real "split" means...
...The party tolerates wide differences of opinion and provides opportunity for full and fair discussion of questions of principle and tactics within the party organization and its press...
...CPEEDUP schedules produced an unfficial and short-lived strike by 500 of the autobus drivers and conducters in London...
...Resolution of the Central Committee THE City Central Committee notes with regret and indignation the recent appearance of a number of articles, paragraphs, and interviews in the press, purporting to have been written or authorized by members of the Socialist Party, and dealing with internal affairs of the paVty and differences of opinion within its ranks on questions of tactics or principles...
...Such a party tolerates expression of diverse opinion, but it expects solidarity of action in the face of our common^enemies...
...of * 1/6 per cent...
...The Ottawa high tariff treaties nave not made any improvement » the British position...
...Shipbuilding .has slumped to a new record low and the employers' British Shipping Federation says that 36 per cent of the seamen and 63 per cent of the shipbuilding workers are unemployed...
...It is significant that other New York dailies did not consider its sensational items as news...
...There is a rumor that this publication wants no Socialist mayoralty candidate against its darling, Joe McKee...
...While the anion leaden were able to secure the rejection of the claim by the companies for a 10 per cent cut, they were unable to persuade the chairman to reject all cuts and his awsrd proposes to ratify the temporary cut of 2Vi per cent, plus •n addition, making a total cut...
...In December, The Daily Herald (which has now a circulation increased to 1,630,000 despite the depression) gave detailed reports of the proceedings at the National Wages Board...
...It will hold all comrades accountable for such breaches and will impose full disciplinary measures...
...Paradoxically enough, when Tom Mann in 1912 was prosecuted by the government because he advised the soldiers not to shook" their fellow workers if called out in an industrial dispute, MacDonald himself fiercely denounced the prosecution...
...Imagine the effect of that story on Socialist voters who are not party members...
...That in that event all other organizations of the workers will go with us into oblivion...
...The preliminary figures for 1932 show how vain was the hope that the paper pound \.ould assist export trade, for the total compared with 1931 shows that exports have shrunk by 6% per cent...
...Members drift away in sheer disgust, especially those who have joined in recent years...
...Have we ever been without them...
...Instead of being intimidated by the punishment of Mann and ceasing unemployment demonstrations, the Labor Party and the Trades Union Congress have taken a leaf out of the book of the Communists and are organizing a huge mass demonstration which will exceed by far in its importance and influence what the Communists have been able to do...
...Indignation has been brewing and militant groups inside the Transport and General Workers' Union have been circulating a shop paper...
...From his retreat behind the microphone he has become an advocate >•' panhandling for the poor and unemployed, instead of adequate government relief...
...Do our comrades fully realize that our tenure of life as an organization may be short...
...Once it occurs it is not localized...
...All the more reason why we should take no course that will deliver ourselves as hostages to reaction...
...The committee declares that all party members who have taken part in thus carrying on intra-party controversy in the non-Socialist press have been guilty of a grave breach of party ethics and discipline...
...So far the unions have refused to abide by the award, ¦nd all the after-dinner speeches M their old leader "Jimmy" Thomas" will not help...
...To suffer defeat at the hands of the enemy when we observe solidarity in action is no discredit to us, but to let down the gates and invite the enemy to sow suspicions among us— that is an offense that cannot be tolerated...
...Redlam becomes general...
...We hope that it will also serve the party in other states as a sound code of ethics to follow in any similar case...
...The acts under which the 76-year-old Communist agitator was jailed date from 1860 and 1818, George Lansburjr for the Labor Party, and Trades Union Congress leaders have been prominent in protests against the sentence...
...Members who are aware of the historical forces that create grave situations independent of our will will understand...
...Children are to suffer from tonsils and adenoids to keep down the taxes on the rich by reducing the school medical services...
...It spreads...
...If comrades will consult the party's national convention proceedings since 1901 they will find that differing opinions are not new, but they will not find a single instance of members so lost to party ethics that they used the non-Socialist press for -their purposes...
...That sound judgment was expressed Wednesday night by the City Central Committee when, by a unanimous vote, it adopted the resolution printed below...
...Almost two years ago—to be precise, on August 10, 1931—the same publication tarried a similar story written and signed by the same reporter...
...Its interpretation is that Socialists and Communists are sore because student converts in recent years had all gone over to Roosevelt since the election...
...Not one member has been heard to condone it, and that indicates the sound common sense of a vast majority of the members...
...But the usual surplus of imports over exports because of shipping, banking and other service and interest on foreign capital has fallen by 18% per cent...
...Por the first time in the history of our movement some party members appeared willing to supply a non-Socialist publication with views and material that belong solely within party channels...
...When individual members go outside the party circles, discussing such questions under non-Socialist auspices, and seeking support from the enemies of Socialism for their particular views on party questions, it regards their conduct as injurious to the movement and unworthy of loyal comrades...
...Within the party there have been many battles fought on points of principle, but all these discussions have been within the party and in the party press...
Vol. 15 • February 1933 • No. 5
