Marxist Bulletin No. 4
Expulsion from the Socialist Workers Party
Document 31
Letter Requesting Appeal by Representative of the Expelled to
1965 National Convention
By James Robertson
13 August 1965
National Committee
Socialist Workers Party
Dear Comrades,
On 12 February 1964 we formally notified you of our intention to
appeal the expulsion by the NC of five members of our tendency to the next
party convention.
Subsequently another half dozen tendency supporters were expelled
by the New York Local. Their appeal is now joined with that of the comrades
initially expelled.
Having received no acknowledgement of our earlier request, we
again ask that a representative of the expelled members of the Revolutionary
Tendency be permitted to appeal our expulsions to the forthcoming convention of
the SWP as provided by the party constitution.
We further ask that several documents on our expulsions be made
available to the convention delegates for their guidance in this matter. In
particular we have in mind:
- “Concerning our Expulsions”--Letter to the National
Committee, by the expelled, 10 February 1964;
- Letter from Robertson to the United Secretariat, 23 February
1964; and the U.Sec. resolution in reply, “Resolution on Robertson
Group”;
- Letter from Turner to the U.Sec., 18 May 1965; and Letter
from Frank in reply, 28 May 1965.
If you are agreeable, we would be willing to mimeograph this
material ourselves for the delegates’ kits.
Finally we request notification at your earliest convenience of
the date, place and amount of time available for presenting our appeal. We also
ask that our spokesman not be excluded from being present during the discussion
on our appeal and that he be given the opportunity for a brief summary. The
exclusion of our spokesmen from the plenum that expelled us, following our
presentations, made it impossible for us to know, let alone answer any specific
accusations brought against us by the reporters or from the floor.
Fraternally,
James Robertson
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