RADICALS: Stolen: a Party

“Will you walk into my parlor ?” said the fly to the spider. “YESS!” said the spider, “and now it is mine!”

The Farmer-Labor Party decided to hold a convention in Chicago to unify into a third party all those organizations which advocate political action outside the two great Parties. Invited were the Workers’ Party, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Committee of 48, the National Woman’s Party, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the Non-Partisan League, the Socialist Party, the American Labor Party, Maintenance of Way Men, the Chicago Federation of Labor, the Proletarian Party, the United Mine Workers “and others.”

But who came? The Workers’ Party (Red), the Proletarian Party (Red), the Chicago Federation of Labor (Pink), representatives of any number of minor labor organizations (nearly all Red)—the Non-Partisan League and a few other groups. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers did not appear. The President of the Locomotive Engineers arrived, inspected the gathering, departed. “Mother” Jones, 93-year-old idol of the United Mine Workers, came unofficially. The Socialist Party declined the invitation as “premature.” Others simply declined. The assemblage came together in Carmen’s Hall in Chicago. There were 393 delegates: 81 farmers and 312 others, generally united as being against the American Federation of Labor, and generally communistic in sentiment. C. E. Ruthenberg (recently convicted of syndicalism in Michigan) was there at the head of the Workers’ Party. William Z. Foster appeared quietly as a delegate from a Chicago union. Joseph Manley (Foster’s son-in-law) was present for a New York union. Alexander Howat (expelled from the United Mine Workers for his radical tendencies) was another of the group. And since they were invited they had to be seated. The first day of the conference opened with high hopes of forming a unified third party. There were speeches by the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, “Mother” Jones and former Senator R. F. Pettigrew of South Dakota. Mr. Pettigrew said that the Declaration of Independence had never been enforced. He advocated abolition of the Supreme Court, seizure of the railroads, cancellation of all railroad stocks and bonds, and added: “I would suppress alllawyers. That is where the Russian Constitution is wise.” The real trouble began as soon as organization was attempted. Then C. E. Ruthenberg stepped in and took the reins. Besides the 312 radical delegates there were two or three times as many “conferees” and a packed gallery—all in sympathy with the radicals. When viva voce votes were taken the 81 farmers spoke up feebly. Then came a roar from the other side, delegates, conferees, and gallery in one tremendous chorus. The Farmer-Laborites could hardly hear themselves in their own convention. The Communists seized the organization. They changed its name from the Farmer-Labor Party to the Federated Farmer-Labor Party. They swept through a communistic plat-form—nationalization of public utilities, labor and farmer control of industry, security against destitution, unemployment, high prices, etc. The Farmer-Laborites protested, and William Z. Foster replied that he thought the communists were making a great many concessions. The Farmer-Laborites proposed a resolution depriving of membership in the party any group accepting the leadership of any political aggregation (meaning the Third Internationale) which advocated the overthrow of the government, or any group which advocated political changes by other than lawful means. The resolution was howled down. So with the other Farmer-Labor attempts. The Farmer-Laborites had no definite program. The communists had a very definite plan—to make themselves masters of the party— and they did. After three days of ineffectual struggle, the Farmer-Laborites withdrew.John Fitzpatrick (of the moderates), head of the Chicago Federation of Labor, and the man under whom Foster originally gained his reputation, exclaimed: “If we can’t have a convention of the Farmer-Labor Party, then it is dead, and I say, let it go. … If you wanted to destroy us you have done a good job!” A Wisconsin delegate said of his state: “We are radical there but we are. not Communists yet.” Finally all but a few of the Farmer-Laborites departed, leaving the Communists in possession of what once had been their party. It is not often that a party changes hands completely by a few parliamentary maneuvers.