Convention Sidelights
Convention Sidelights BSE ^aSfstive dictatorship of Efribe SeessJist PMy swept th« r^ta^Anf pengranaiafttiM convention. Neither James D. Graham nor James Ones! were included. • • » ' George...
...After the campaign—look out...
...This is a problem in psychology for our readers...
...declared if "militants" had a majority in New York, only 10 per cant of the members could initiate a referendum- Why didn't they do it...
...A member of the state committee was also denied the right to inspect talley sheets of branches thrown out...
...had become aa "executive oligarchy" and cited from party Teeatda to prove that it had become a dictatorship...
...Legailv...
...was due to the desire to save the face of Leo Krzycki both with the party and the Amalgamated...
...He cited details of how the statement had been smothered by never being placed on the agenda [at N.E.C...
...is a disgrace...
...Rhode Island has been under the supervision of Massachusetts for years and a first election war declared irregular...
...do to organize their weak states...
...These greetings were conspicuous by their absence at Cleveland...
...read a stirring message from James' H. Maurer, who declared that to ask the return of the Old/Guard to the machine set up by the N.EX...
...Van Essen added that if his state were treated as New York were treated "we would tell you to go to hell...
...Norman Thomas suddenly turned opt, Several "militant" Yipsels cheered him...
...meetings and that 16 months had passed without it being considered...
...Even one of the "militants," wbea^S tioned by Oneal in the coraajC admitted the facts as stats] h Harry Plampin of Texas, ^3jg tested...
...Paper Locals in 25.kStjtes Packed Cleveland gfmftn New York and Other Wing State...
...ir suspending the Now York chartei be declared null and void and thai the Old Guard delegates be seated In support of his report, Oneal had prepared a tan-page mimsb-graph...
...Oneal recommended seating both delegations with a half vote each...
...Hap-good wanted no "weak-kneed action," and Thomas declared that as . his rubber stamps had compliec with "our orders" he favored seating these and also have them vote oa whether they should be seated: He jaslored that it wasn't a contest "in the usual sense...
...action against New York were approved "the N.E.C...
...CLEVELAND...
...Total liabilities are listed as $22,396.05 but dues owing to the L.S.I, when exchange is figured will be increased over $1,000...
...His indictment presented a complete history of the New York case and directly accused the N.E.C...
...It was essentially the speech of an exhibitionist...
...Texas sjk} fllsmiT in Face of Proof of Glaring 1 rre^UritheTk...
...Williams (Pa...
...It was a amartaleek address, a style which he has acquired in the past several years and typical of mediocre politicians in the capitalist parties...
...New Jersey Socialists are confident that they have a majority of the membership and they will immediately organize a state organization and affiliate with the Social Democratic Federation...
...Special to The New Leader) CLEVELAND...
...We can now proceed with the work ef building a party of the working masses freed of kiddie kar radiCflftested Militants Seatfi Despite Evidence of Fra«( Convention Accepts N. E. C. Report to Recoobt Lfl Wing Delegates From New Jersey...
...When the Now York ease came up...
...mentioned that Senior had recalled him...
...Either of two methods of counting the vote would give the election to the Old Guard but the NJS.C...
...N.E.C...
...which he reviewed its illegal actions and cooperation with splinter Communism in the party...
...that Texas, New Jersey, Ohio and California are hopelessly divided...
...The General Debate OToole of Maryland, McKaye of Washington, Van Essen of Pennsylvania, Bearak of Massachusetts, Polin of Maryland, McLevy of Connecticut, and Williams of Reading spoke against the...
...In the second one the committee of three tellers, tw« "militants" and one Old Guard —Lewis, Cooiidge and Syrjala...
...Abolition of the office of chairman of the N.E.C...
...He charged that under its administration one state had withdrawn team the party and two had its charters revoked...
...Wearing two masks, he was unable to satisfy either organization...
...Assets are listed as $12,195.03, but the collateral value will not exceed $6,000...
...Paul sent a letter to the X.E.C...
...Reading another, he looked at the delegates and said: "I pause for the applause^ It was given by the same -delegates...
...He hoped for unity, but unity could not endure in an "inclusive party...
...Thomas said he was with the majority favoring the united front but urged that a decision be postponed until after the campaign...
...Oneal was a prisoner of the dictators anyway and he could not upsei any decisions already agreed to oi to be decided later...
...They did not ask this queafon when the Reading amendment was pending nor did they ask the "militant" New York delegation whether it would accept either the Reading or Wisconsin compromise...
...A „_> 'militant" group in Ressner, ss> tested five seats of the i flan Ihi but the N.E.C...
...They decided to get control by force because they did not have a majority...
...compared Old...
...Mayor Hoan of Milwaukee was conspicuous on the opening program, but two other Socialist Mayors, J. Henry Stamp of Reading and Jasper McLevy of Bridgeport, were out of the picture...
...One citation read: "The function of the workers' councils, therefore, is to organize the masses of workers and armed forces for the armed overthrow of the capitalist state...
...The "militant'* question was a dishonest maneuver...
...and the convention***, the ^approval of the fraatsaS "election" in Texas -of tw«*BBa" tant" delegates...
...He added that the N.E.C...
...This fcsjBMsa embarrassing to the ruling fSrtieu, and when the session opened Friaay morning, a letter by Frank Trager, "State Secretary" of the Socialist Party of New York, declared that Oneal was not a member ef the Socialist Party and hence could not sit as a member of the N.E.C...
...McLevy Attacks N.E.C...
...Algernon Lee answered Thomas, in which he flayed "The Leader" for his habit of writing letters accusing members of grave offenses and then cowardly refusing to face those he traduced by making written charges and assuming responsibility tor them...
...in secret caucus with "militants" had decided to suspend the charter...
...In the remainder of his speech he made no attempt to answer Oneal's citations from "militant" documents in support of armed insurrection...
...A day before the NJ3.C...
...He added that "we mast go before the convention with a 100 per cent dean record...
...had taken a secret vote by mail of "militant" members to recognise the Utica secessionists: Bearak was opposed to compromise and trading to settle this issue of seating the New York delegation...
...It now appears that Washington is first on the hanging list...
...George Lansbury of the British Labor Party is in this country speaking for peace societies...
...Contesting of ^ delegates other than those of New York came before the N.E.C...
...met, a Cleveland daily reported that the N.E.C...
...During the entire proceedings Krzycki served as chairman and revealed no more ability than a child...
...Some delegates were guessing which state would be the next to be raiefca a* Werw York was They agreed that Pennsylvania, Corrnec-t icut or Washington would be neat...
...The membership' in 26 "militant", states is ljm...
...had heard neons refute the charge that* the had violated the constitution...
...The financial report of secretary Senior conceals the fact that the national office is insolvent...
...At.ay later session Lansbury expressed his dissatisfaction wfth thrtsP vention...
...They did not exist so far as the dictatorship was concerned...
...New York has 3,800 members while' Illinois has 1,106/and the smaller state ef Connecticut has over 900...
...At the Philadelphia meeting he was told that peace efforts were no use and the NJE.C...
...Senior reported a letter from Herbert M. Merrill, State Secretary of the Socialist Party of Not York State, listing the delegate...
...It was an effective reply to those who call themselves "activists...
...Each Instance...
...Access to the records would probably show that these organizations are also largely exempt stamp states...
...by James Oneal, who lost each on the floor of the convention...
...Algernon Lee and Louis Waldman did not rise when the Internationale was sung...
...apd the convention of the Socialist Party, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, Texas, Philadelphia and Reading Pa...
...Thomas followed in a speech that avoided Oneal's accusations against him and other members of the N.E.C...
...that six states and the two leading language federations had organized against the N.E.C., and that "the party is broken and its morale shattered," Oneal Indicts Majority Oneal went on to say that the N.E.C...
...Thomas Vary Nervous The Old Guard was not seated and the next day "The Leader" waa reported as rather nervous when he learned that the Socialists of various states were organising to repudiate what he stands for...
...Helen Simonson and Mary Abbott of St...
...He showed a copy of a letter written by Thomas Jury 2 saying "vigorous action" must be taken against New York and that he met in a secret caucus with his clique to plan for revocation of the charter last July...
...The New Leader kgm, ried the story of this Mfc referendum" and it need not |W peated...
...They gave a vivid demonstration of what other delegates felt, that for such a gathering to sing this song of proletarian brotherhood was a desecration of its sentiment and meaning...
...Thanks," said Oneal, "I hope that the Wisconsin delegation, especially, understands...
...The first three state contests brought minority reports against the majority of the N.E.C...
...in December, 1934, to draft a statement on Violence, Terror and Dictatorship...
...The convention revealed two wings and, in some cases, three on attitude towards trade unions, the united front, the Farmer-Labor Party, the platform and declaration of principles...
...He concluded by saying that if the N.E.C...
...No capitalist COBTMat controlled by a corrupt nag have made a more brutal deckte Oneal did not demand a sag tm Plampin but demanded that a. two "militants" be noiZJZ This was voted down...
...A number of newspaper men complimented the Old Guard speakers as towering head and shoulders above Thomas and his exhibitionists in intelligent discussion...
...Beading was Instructed to vote for seating half of each of the New York delegations, and Wisconsin for seating 32 of the "miH-tant"-Communists and 12 of the Old Guard, this being- the proportionate strength in the primaries...
...would remove Oneal...
...The great man hesitated for a moment' and then disappeared...
...of being allies of Communists and insurrectionists in the party to give the "militants" increasing control...
...A Rotten Decision Despite glaring irregularities, the NJ5.C...
...You were too busy to run the affairs of New York to organize them," he added...
...Adjourned at 2 o'clock in the morning, the session was resumed Monday morning...
...The authors of the letter also complained thai Norman Thomas spoke at a closed meeting of the Trotsky organization in Minneapolis...
...Polin's Embarrassing Question Polin (Md...
...declared the two Old Guard candidates elected...
...The "mili-tantN'-Cormnnnist alliance •in the national convention of the .Socialist Party won each of four contests in which seals of state delegations were challenged by James Oneal in minority reports which he submitted as a member of the National Executive Committee...
...referred to a Thomas letter saying he wanted to drive out certain members, and that Berger and Hflfcrtrit were not good chairmen...
...There was bo response from the delegates...
...H rimer Kiecrfon np.pi ami The most outrageous deesxasn the N.E.C...
...Oregon has been out of the party since the adoption of the Detroit Declaration...
...Later discussion of the Reading and Wisconsin proposals developed no new arguments, hut after the 50-50 proposition of Reading was defeated and the Wisconsin amendment was up for a vote, "militants" wanted to know whether Old Guard'New York would abide by it if adopted...
...decided to give one seat to Joe Coldwell, a "militant,' and the convention approved this...
...Vote...
...Thanks for this revela-lm* *•« rfawa,- amid Oneal, speaking to these delegates...
...This was another disgusts) phase of the Cleveland cheat...
...From Salem came a telegram to the convention saying that "Oregon is coming back...
...He declared that it baffled explanation...
...Following Allen came Waldman's impassioned speech in answer to the fake statements made against him, in which he effectively quoted Thomas against Thomas in his high praise of Roosevelt...
...than Old Guard New York," said McLevy...
...It was signed by Letha Stribling, Rev...
...Allen and Thomas Dodges Issues Devere Allen followed and complained that in Buffalo Oneal told party members that unless insurrectionists were expelled the local charter would be revoked, which was true...
...The Old Guard and Altman, moreover, had made it clear the night before that neither would accept a compromise...
...Van Essen (Pa...
...Applauding Insurrection...
...and the convention protesting that Paul Porter, the labor secretary, had advised the admission of Trotskyists to the party if they were "sincere...
...James D. Graham of Montana was nominated "for the X.E.C...
...High spots in the discussion were as follows: McKaye (Wash...
...In the discussion, Cooiidge made two motions and also withdrew them, one to submit the list without recommendation and the other to seat the Thomas rubber stamps...
...voted to seat the entire "mjlitant" delegation...
...The first citation of this character evoked applause?, of Communists in the rear, in* which they were joined by some of the delegates...
...which has decided to keep its hands off for the present...
...In the case of New Jersey there was evidence »of votes of branches being thrown out on various pretexts, several Finnish branches that were unable to get ballots, affidavits showing that members in Trenton did not have the opportunity to vote, while the tellers committee of three was packed with "militants...
...Oneal resumed his indictment about 11 o'clock Sunday night and the session continued until 2 o'clock in the morning...
...The convention was stacked with delegates from paper ors gahizations in at least 25 state* and it was interesting to observe tfcese organizations lining up with the ruling clique oh practically every, issue, in-cludmfthe contests...
...A Secret N.E.C...
...It was very embarrassing to Thomas and his royal court The great man was to later face this visible evidence supporting Oneal's charges, as he was soon to have the platform...
...Thomas and Altman later on also spoke, but neither of them made any reference to these documents of their faction...
...In Roafsj it was charged to the SodaJb officials in office...
...It would invite more hostility to the faction...
...Delegates of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union filed out of the auditorium on Sunday to have a photo taken...
...J It waa the first open expression in a party convention since 1919 in favor of armed insurrection...
...Guard with '?militant" states...
...elected by the party...
...Lansbnry had to repudiate this statement before the convention and the radio audience by saying that he was neither an official nor unofficial delegate to tie convention, bat that he was pleased to be in Cleveland to meet some old friends...
...Thomas dia not try for the floor to answer this...
...He believed in Socialism by democratic action, not by a Ffihrer...
...Incidentally, the evidence had no influence on the action of the Wisconsin delegation...
...He declared that its conception of its functions were the same as bourgeois and Bolshevik organizations while Socialists believe in a self-governing party of the members...
...He added the falsehood that The New Leader supports Roosevelt...
...i He asked, "What did the N.E.C...
...Every party member knows that this is plain bunk and that the "militant" ham-fats made a wreck of nearly everything they undertook in the party...
...Oneal declared, he had drafted the statement and months went by without any action...
...Lansbnry was introduced over the radio as a fraternal delegate of the British Labor Party to the convention...
...as organizer and some of those approved by Senior were now talking of barricades...
...Oneal submitted a minority re-pert to the convention, directing that the action of the X.E.C...
...Hewn, as WuaL straddled, and the upshot of the discussion was to recommend that the rubbei stamps be seated as uncontested but if challenged no delegate from New York he permitted to vote...
...The "inclusive party" is a rope of sand...
...Bearak (Mass...
...There was no charge of fraud and yet the convention divided the Rhode Island delegation 50-50, but in New Jersey, where there was evidence of fraud, it approved the whole "militant" delegation...
...The workers of Portland will be interested to know that this group has acted for them...
...This was the initial procedure against New York...
...Not one of thai thought of going behind the a* tion returns in Wisconsin, wan many delegates were hekhag she-tive or appointive positions, " Just aa soon as the Wfcessm politicians get a full dotesftat "inclusive party" and hah tt object, Felix can pass tat Se> nomie pressure" argument «t a "militants" in a future "matte* contest of a delegation...
...We breathed a sigh of relief when the result was known...
...R D, Snyder, Monroe Sweetland and Charles Paddock...
...The letter was tabled and Thomas then moved that, despite the adoption of the Allen motion a few weeks ago, which gave the New York State charter to the Thomas clique, Oneal be seated...
...The final section of his accusations quoted direct from documents issued by "ndlitanta" hi New York City, favoring armed insurrection...
...One important thing stands out in relation to the Thomas letter criticising Berger and Hillquit as chairmen...
...Jack Altaian was recognized and he told of the magic "activities" of his faction...
...Martin Plettl, refugee from the Hitler dictatorship, in a personal conversation with a comrade declared that he had attended many party convention* in Europe but he had never observed anything like this one...
...and for seating the New York Old Guard...
...A small "militant" group in that state sent a iong list of complaints to the N. EX...
...Later he cited other insurrection statements...
...was anxiooaattti offend Pennsylvania by say &b work and merely reported th con teat-David Felix contested tat tin tion in Philadelphia, when Mud other "militants" were dsfssM on the ground ef "econormc unsure" exerted in Verband brands He had nothing more tSfa i psychic reaction to bring igssa the election and the a.«sirmpa» that "job" pressure influenced Ss result Thomas, Krueger and othn thought there was something s this "intimidation* in both PMh de'phia and Reeding...
...David Lasser, the erudite "militant" theoretician of New York, solemnly protested that...
...This was adopted, Thomas for "Clean Record" The action was characteristic...
...knew it, but they feared the effect of following the logic of the situation their dictatorship had created by removing Oneal...
...This makes liabilities over $23,000...
...Oneal also brought out the fact that Senior, Krueger and himself were appointed by the N.E.C...
...Ho kept Krueger, Senior and Hoan busy prompting him without any improvement in his conduct...
...A Militant-Communist Party Hoffses (Reading) declared that "militants" in Reading had secretly met with a Communist organiser...
...Thrt drew thunderous applause from the "militant" delegates...
...Ida Beloof of Kansas declared that youth should not dominate the party and then added, "No matter how crazy they are they are our kids...
...and declined In a humorous mood he nominated Micky Most of New York!* In past conventions there were always numerous telegrams of greetings to the convention from responsible trade unions...
...After the vote there will he a Socialist Party in Reading and the Old Guard will be there...
...throw in Illinois and New Jersey and you have less...
...Sweetland is a former New York "militant" and it is a little collegiate group that reports that "Oregon is coming back...
...Financial bankruptcy faces' the "inclusive party...
...Hapgood of Indiana, Holmes of Pennsylvania, Neissner of New Jersey, Beloof of Kansas, McDowell of Illinois, Harlow of Massachusetts, Duilea of Ohio, and Burt of Illinois spoke for the "militant"Communist coalition...
...J indictment of the N.E.C...
...It voted in favor of seating the supporters of insurrection in New York...
...A shabby trick of some one responsible for the arrangements failed of its purpose...
...Deprived of Right* by Synthetic Left Winf MajoriSy—Communists in Party Show Their Hand by ApplaudSng^TCrttied Insurrection — National Executive Committee Dictatorship Supreme...
...Trager was right and his allies of the N.E.C...
...McLevy (Conn...
...can transform its minority in any state into a majority and thus act as the Communist International acts in making a minority a majority...
Vol. 19 • May 1936 • No. 22
