YOU have all heard of it. The great events in the Socialist Party. The average S.P. man thinks that the world has nothing else to talk about. We mean the expulsion of the “Left Wingers” from the Socialist Party, 40,000 of them it is said, comprising the Slavic language federations as well as 3,000 mixed members in Michigan.

The cause of expulsion was the advocacy of “mass action” and the consequent fear of the conservative officials of the Party “that the left wingers would bring them all in jail.” (Perhaps also a fear that they would lose their jobs.)

So there they stand, the mass actionists, isolated from political mass action. The majority of them endorse “industrial organization,” but so far there has been no violent rush for membership in any existing industrial organization nor any attempt to form a new body.

Numerous left wingers are taking a friendly attitude towards the I.W.W., but it generally stops with the attitude. The endorsement of industrial unionism is more to be considered as a plank in their political platform.

In view of this “endorsement” a number of them seem to be mildly surprised at the I.W.W. for not doing them the same favor back, i.e. of endorsing Left Wing politics. The idea of barter and compromise in inherent in all political movements.

This expectation of the Left Wingers shows that they have not studied and understood the I.W.W.

Ever since 1908–that is for 11 years– I.W.W. has been non-political. To become a member it is not necessary to abjure politics. In fact that question is never raised. Members can vote for any party they please. But the program of the I.W.W. is such that it leaves no room for political action, and a member who has fully understood our philosophy is not a political worker.

Our program is to create a new society by organizing the workers in industrial unions, by means of which they can take over production and distribution, thus abolishing private ownership. We have dropped everything else and centered our activity on this point. As a matter of fact there is no difference of opinion on that score in the I.W.W.

If you go out among the agricultural workers, the construction workers, the lumber workers, the miners, the marine transport workers, the metal and machinery workers, etc., who form the majority of the I.W.W., you will find that they will not for a moment countenance political agitation among the members or by any of the representatives of the organization. We simply are not in that line of business.

The 11th General Convention just closed, again unanimously went on record endorsing this stand. We continue to be non-political.

The left winger pleads in vain for a compromise that would let him into the I.W.W. on his present program of mixed political and industrial “mass-action.” The only kind of mass action the I.W.W. action, as specified in its preamble and literature endorses is industrially organized mass-action.

A considerable part of the left wingers are not wage workers. These we cannot absorb. Another large body is working in industries that we have not so far been able to organize. If they want to become I.W.W. members they would have to organize unions of those industries in accordance with our program. The others would have to enter as individuals the unions they properly belong to.

Where there is not a sufficient number to organize an industrial union, they can organize themselves into locals of the General Recruiting Union of the I.W.W.

But in neither case could they be admitted with any understanding about endorsement of their political program.

The left wingers are repeating the pretended concern of their leaders that the I.W.W. by excluding political activity has made no provision for the actual taking over of the industries.

We hold on the other hand that this “concern” is uncalled for. We are very much in the same position as the chicken in the shell or the embryo of any animal in its mother’s womb.

When the chicken is ready, on the 21st day, he just picks a hole in the shell by his own inherent power. No external help, no “political action” is needed to release him. His own life force is sufficient. The same with the calf or the colt about to be born. When it is ready, the very bones of the mother relax to let it pass into independent life.

So it will be with the taking over of the means of production. When the working class organization is ready to take over society, the taking over will be a perfectly natural process. To attempt the taking over before that time thru “mass action” would be equal to social abortion, which would either result in disaster or require some sort of social baby incubator to raise the prematurely born child.

Go ahead and organize industrially. That is the advice we have for the now homeless left winger. The “taking over” will take care of itself when that time comes.

Transcribed by Revolution’s Newstand