135:, declaring its so-called "united front from below" tactics had "been proven to be disruptive of the development of a revolutionary labor movement." To oppose this, it postulated that the Socialist Party take the lead in "counteracting these tactics" by "promoting united fronts of all working class organizations for struggle on specific political issues such as: political prisoners, race discrimination, impending war, dangers of fascism, etc."
123:"Once socialists are in possession of the state machinery by the mandate of the workers, their task is to secure and insure the governmental power for the victorious revolution by arming the workers for its defense against all possibility of a counter-revolutionary resistance, and to proceed to transform the economic and social basis of society."
107:"The Socialist Party can become the effective instrument for bringing about Socialism only if it changes its present principles and tactics. The small growth in membership and the poor showing at the polls are objective evidence that the program and policies of the Party are not adequate. More important, however, the failure of
138:
The April 1934 Appeal also hailed the Soviet Union as the "land of proletarian dictatorship" and demanded that "the
Socialist Party must pledge itself to defend the victories for Socialism which have been achieved in the USSR."
192:" "Those who support the RPC program should join one of the four Communist sects," Oneal urged, "We cut out the cancer in 1919; there is no reason for us tolerating it in 1934."
170:
57:
a document which prominently featured the names and party positions of about 80 members of the
Socialist Party. Prominent sponsors of the 1934 appeal to the membership included
348:
353:
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established in 1931, the
American RPC seems to have been launched only in April 1934. The RPC made itself known with the publication of a thin 12-page pamphlet entitled
119:
The RPC provocatively declared that it made "no fetish of legality" in exercising its desire to establish a "Workers' Republic." The April 1934 Appeal asserted:
169:
which split the
Socialist Party and out of which came two Communist parties." At the same time when the Old Guard was itself organizing itself as the
81:
70:
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infiltrator," Irving Brown. Chairman of the group was J.B. Matthews, a former
Methodist missionary who would later become chief investigator for the
115:, where the Socialists had gained the support of large numbers of the working people, raises grave questions as to its theoretical soundness."
173:
with an
Executive Secretary, office, "Provisional Executive Committee," and mailing list, Oneal rather hysterically charged the RPC as being a
207:
Fully half the content of this document consisted of names and positions of "Sponsors" of the RPC. The
Revolutionary Policy Committee,
143:
50:
73:, Joseph Zameres. According to James Oneal, Frances A. Henson acted as secretary of the faction during its initial phase.
127:
The RPC demanded that the
Socialist Party make "ceaseless efforts toward united action against common enemies" through "
49:
faction in the
Socialist Party's factional war of 1934 to 1937. While it shared the name and basic objectives of a
21:
95:
The RPC's Appeal was intended to reorient the
Socialist Party towards revolutionary socialism from its previous
166:
25:
99:
tradition. Capitalism was portrayed as a "collapsing structure," all efforts at disarmament "abortive,"
76:
According to historian Constance Ashton Myers, the Revolutionary Policy Committee was spearheaded by a "
132:
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29:
108:
85:
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victorious in Europe, and a "certainty of world catastrophe" imminent. The appeal declared
66:
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182:
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96:
186:
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128:
77:
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towards a radical new Declaration of Principles, a document ultimately written by
162:
58:
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The RPC proved to be the proverbial "red flag" to the SP's social democratic
211:
Second Edition. n.c. : Revolutionary Policy Committee, April 1934; pp. 2-6.
165:
declaring its April 1934 Appeal to be "more definitely Communist than the
69:
of New York City, in addition to the National Industrial Organizer of the
46:
112:
100:
62:
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during the middle-1930s. The group sought to transform the SP into a
20:(RPC) was an offshoot of the so-called "Militant" faction in the
131:
on specific issues." It was, however, highly critical of the
190:
is supporting the Communist elements in the Socialist Party.
142:
The 1934 Appeal was influential in steering the June 1934
45:
The Revolutionary Policy Committee (RPC) was an organized
248:
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The Prophet's Army: Trotskyists in America, 1928-1941.
171:
Committee for the Preservation of the Socialist Party
289:
An Appeal to the Membership of the Socialist Party,
277:
An Appeal to the Membership of the Socialist Party,
265:
An Appeal to the Membership of the Socialist Party,
253:
An Appeal to the Membership of the Socialist Party,
209:
An Appeal to the Membership of the Socialist Party.
55:
An Appeal to the Membership of the Socialist Party,
240:Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1977; pp. 109-110.
312:
310:
185:Communism," Oneal declared, noting that "the
8:
65:, as well as Franz Daniel, Mary Hillyer and
349:Factions of the Socialist Party of America
232:
230:
144:Detroit Convention of the Socialist Party
82:House Committee on Un-American Activities
354:1934 establishments in the United States
200:
91:The 1934 Appeal to the Socialist Party
224:New York: James Oneal, n.d. ; pg. 20.
7:
28:organization from its origins as a
14:
179:"dual organization in the party!"
51:similar faction in Great Britain
71:Young People's Socialist League
18:Revolutionary Policy Committee
1:
320:pg. 20. Emphasis in original.
331:Some Pages of Party History,
318:Some Pages of Party History,
302:Some Pages of Party History,
222:Some Pages of Party History.
370:
22:Socialist Party of America
236:Constance Ashton Myers,
175:"party within the party"
41:Formation of the faction
26:revolutionary socialist
187:Lovestone organization
125:
117:
121:
105:
167:Left wing manifesto
159:"Old Guard" faction
133:Communist Party USA
111:to take power in
32:political party.
30:social democratic
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109:social democracy
86:Martin Dies, Jr.
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67:J. B. Matthews
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220:James Oneal,
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148:Norman Thomas
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129:united fronts
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181:"The RPC is
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152:Devere Allen
150:' associate
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106:
94:
78:Lovestoneite
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44:
17:
15:
163:James Oneal
59:Roy Reuther
343:Categories
304:pp. 19-20.
84:headed by
196:Footnotes
183:Lovestone
267:pp. 8-9.
47:far left
333:pg. 21.
329:Oneal,
316:Oneal,
300:Oneal,
291:pg. 12.
279:pg. 10.
161:, with
113:Germany
101:fascism
63:Detroit
36:History
255:pg. 7.
177:and a
16:The
61:of
345::
309:^
245:^
229:^
154:.
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