Freedom Socialist Vol. 29, No. 2 April-May 2008
A lifetime commitment to left cooperation

Following the 1956 revelations of Stalin’s crimes against the Soviet people by USSR Premier Khrushchev, many Communist Party (CP) members questioned their party’s war against Trotskyist critics of Stalinism.

Clara Fraser (referred to in the articles at right by her political pseudonym, Clara Kaye) and other Seattle Socialist Workers Party (SWP) members welcomed this new chance to engage CPers in joint efforts. This reflected Fraser’s lifelong anti-sectarianism and belief that principled left regroupments are key in the struggle for socialism.

These excerpts from two 1958 articles in the SWP newspaper, The Militant, describe how the SWP overtures wakened interest in some CPers, but were shut down by thuggery of Communist Party leaders.

Seattle SWP Leaders Victims of Gang Attack
[from The Militant, Vol. XXII - No. 28, July 14, 1958]

SEATTLE, July 7 — Clara Kaye, Richard Fraser and Jack Wright, local Socialist Workers Party leaders, were victims of a gang assault at the annual July 4 picnic of the People’s World.

Clara Kaye and Fraser were attacked by 12 men as they left their car at the parking lot near the picnic grounds.

The victims had come to the picnic on official invitation from the People’s World. Fraser said they attended the fund-raising affair to express solidarity with the People’s World as a minority newspaper.

Although the attackers wore People’s World badges, the assault had no connection with the paper, according to the victims.

The gang was led by Carl Ranta, local section organizer of the Communist Party, and two other prominent members.

The motive for the attack, in the opinion of Clara Kaye, was resentment among some of the Seattle Communist Party leaders over efforts of the Socialist Workers Party to unite the socialist forces in the area in common electoral activity. These efforts have met with favorable response from members of the Communist Party. In the spring election, Jack Wright, who ran for City Council on the SWP platform, was aided by CP rank and filers despite opposition from CP leaders, who favor Democratic Party candidates.

In angry indignation, picnickers protested with members of the gang, whom they recognized as fellow adherents of the Communist Party. This led to heated arguments and even fist fights.

Shock and indignation among members of the Communist Party over the return to Stalinist hooliganism is reported to be high. The victims of the attack have received many expressions of sympathy from these sources and assurances that such tactics will no longer be stomached by CP members after all the promises from the leadership about a break from the past.

People’s World Fires Pettus For Opposing Goon Attacks
[from The Militant, Vol. XXII - No. 36, September 8, 1958]

Terry Pettus has been fired as the editor of the Northwest bureau of the People’s World, according to an article in the Aug. 25 Seattle Times. Pettus was fired for publicly rebuking those members of the Communist Party who organized a goon squad to beat up members of the Socialist Workers Party at a People’s World picnic on July 4.

Pettus tried to head off the prearranged attack.

Afterwards he apologized in the People’s World (July 12) for the outbreak of “rowdyism” and “the strong-arm tactics of self-appointed bouncers.”
 
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