[Communist Party of America]: [Ferguson, I.E.]:

$4,500 · Offered by William Reese Company

CALL FOR A NATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ORGANIZING THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF AMERICA [caption title]. A foundational document for the Communist Party of America as well as for the political history of the United States in the 20th century, and as rare as it is important. Arising from the faction war of 1919 within the Socialist Party, this pamphlet represents the very moment that the "Left Wing" of the Socialists split off and formally organized the Communist Party. The authors state in clear and bold prose:"The National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of America has evidenced by its expulsion of nearly half of the membership that it will not hesitate at wrecking the organization in order to maintain control....Those who realize that the capturing of the Socialist Party as such is but an empty victory will not hesitate to respond to this call and leave the 'right' and 'center' to sink together with their leaders....No other course is possible; therefore, we, the National Left Wing Council and the National Organization Committee, call a convention to meet in the city of Chicago on September 1st, 1919, for the purpose of organizing a Communist Party in America."The rest of the pamphlet outlines the proposed party's platform in no uncertain terms, including that "The present is the period of the dissolution and collapse of the whole capitalist world system, which will mean the complete collapse of world culture, if Capitalism with its unsolvable contradictions

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