PRL Book: James P. Cannon and the Early Years of American Communism : Selected Writings and Speeches, 1920-1928

660 Pages·1992·49.1 MB·English

by  Cannon, James Patrick, 1890-1974

James P. Cannon
and the Early Years
of American
Communism
Selected Writings and
Speeches, 1920-1928
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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2013
http://archive.org/details/jamespcannonearlOOcann
James P. Cannon and the
Early Years of American Communism
Tides in the Prometheus Research Series
• No. 1 Guidelines on the Organizational Structure of C ommunist Parties,
on the Methods and Content of Their Work, 94 pages, August 1988.
A new English translation of the definitive German text adopted by
the 1921 Third Congress of the Communist International. ($6.00)
• No. 2 Documents on the "Proletarian Military Policy," 101 pages,
February 1989.
Includes rare materials from the Trotskyist movement in the U.S. and
Europe during World War II, as well as an analytical introduction by the
International Executive Committee of the International Communist
League (Fourth Internationalist). ($9.00)
• No. 3 In Memoriam, Richard S. Fraser: An Appreciation and Selection of
His Work, 108 pages, August 1990.
Fraser pioneered the Trotskyist understanding of black oppression in
the United States, fighting for the perspective of Revolutionary Integra-
tion. Contains material from entire span of Fraser's political life, includ-
ing seminal 1953 lectures, "The Negro Struggle and the Proletarian
Revolution." ($6.00)
These bulletins in 814" by 11" format are available from Spartacist
Publishing Company. Prices include shipping and handling.
A brochure describing the Library is available from:
Prometheus Research Library
Box 185 Canal Street Station
New York, New York 10013
James P. Cannon
and the Early Years of
American Communism
Selected Writings and Speeches
1920-1928
Prometheus Research Library
1992 NEW YORK CITY
Cover: 1926 Passaic strike support rally in New York's Union Square, Interna-
tional News? eel photo courtesy of A merican Labor Museum, Haledon, New
Jersey; photograph of J ames P. Cannon is f rom 1928 Labor Defender.
Cover design by Bruce Mishkin
Prometheus graphic from a woodcut by Fritz Brosius
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 92-82578
Publisher's Cataloging in Publication
Cannon, James Patrick, 1890-1974.
James P. Cannon and the early years of American Communism:
selected writings and speeches, 1920-1928 /James P. Cannon,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-9633828-0-2 (cloth)
ISBN 0-9633828-1-0 (pbk.)
1. Communism-United States- 1917-Sources. 2. Socialism-
United States-Sources. I. Title.
HX86.C159 1992 335'.43'0973
QBI92-1301
Prometheus Research Library books
are published by:
Spartacist Publishing Company
Box 1377 G.P.O.
New York, New York 10116
Copyright© 1992 by Spartacist Publishing Company
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America ©^^2^94
The paper used for the text of this publication meets the minimum requirements
of American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials ANSI Z39.48-1984. 0
To George Breitman (1916-1986), general editor of
Writings of Leon Trotsky and of J ames P. Cannon: Writings
and Speeches, who goaded us to produce a representative
collection of Cannon s writings and speeches in the 1920s.
This led into the research which underlies this book.
To Louis Sinclair (1909-1990), for his work over many
years in meticulously cataloging Trotsky's works, as well as
for his index of international Trotskyist internal bulletins. His
pioneering Trotsky: A Bibliography serves as an inspiration.
To Martha Phillips (1948-1992), a field representative
for the Prometheus Research Library, whose achievements as a
revolutionary included being an able and energetic educator
for the heritage of J ames P. Cannon. She was murdered
at her post in Moscow, 9 February 1992,

Contents
About James P. Cannon xiii
Editorial Note xv
Introduction 1
1920-22
The IWW at Philadelphia, 27 August 1920 71
Another Renegade, 11 December 1920 75
The Story of Alex Howat, April 1921 78
The Political Prisoners, 1 May 1921 85
Who Can Save the Unions?, 7 May 1921 88
Workers Party of America Born, 23 December 1921 90
The American Question, ca. November 1922,
with Max Bedacht, Arne Swabeck et al 95
1923
The Fifth Year of the Russian Revolution, early 1923 98
What Kind of a Party?, 3 March 1923 117
Don't Pack the July 3 Conference, 25 May 1923 124
The Workers Party Today — And Tomorrow,
25 August-22 September 1923 127
Amalgamation — The Burning Question,
20 September 1923 150
Statement on Our Labor Party Policy, November 1923,
with William Z. Foster 153
What Happened at Portland?, 24 November 1923 179
The IWW and the Red International of Labor Unions,
1 December 1923 183
1924
The IWW Convention, January 1924 190
Reply to the Thesis of Comrades Lore and Olgin,
12 April 1924, with Alexander Bittelman 196
vn
St. Paul— June 17th, May 1924 207
Our Aims and Tactics in the Trade Unions, 27 July 1924 ... 213
Communist Candidates and the Farmer-Labor Party,
29 July 1924 223
The Bolshevization of the Party, 5 October 1924 232
The Minority Attitude Toward Our Election Campaign —
A Warning Signal for the Party, 3 December 1924 244
Lovestone Quotes Mahoney, 8 December 1924 250
The CEC, the Minority and Comrade Lore,
11 December 1924 257
How to Organize and Conduct a Study Class,
13 December 1924 264
A Year of Party Progress, 27 December 1924,
with William Z. Foster and Alexander Bittelman 268
Statement on Two and a Half Internationalism,
27 December 1924, with William Z. Foster,
Alexander Bittelman, Earl Browder, Fahle Burman,
William F. Dunne and Martin Abern 284
1925
Controversial Questions in the Workers Party of America,
ca. February-March 1925, with William Z. Foster 287
Recommendations to the American Commission (excerpt),
ca. February-March 1925, with William Z. Foster 317
Pepper: Menace to Party Unity, 13 February 1925 319
The Situation Is Different in America, 30 March 1925 321
We Must Acknowledge Our Mistake, But We Want
No Fake Labor Party, 5 April 1925 324
Proposal On Comrade Pepper, 6 April 1925 328
Struggle Over Leadership of the ILD, 26 June 1925,
minutes of Workers Party Executive Council (excerpt) . . 329
ILD Will Grow Quickly, 15 July 1925 331
Cannon Replies to Henry Askeli, 8 August 1925 333
Achievements of the Parity Commission, 11 August 1925 . . . 343
Our Party and the Communist International,
4 October 1925 347
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