The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-26
Kangaroo and Bump
Socialists Have a
Cat and Dog; Time.
ANTI-DE LEONITES LEAVE HALL.
Two Tickets Named Ques-
ton Of Legality Rests With
Ballot Commissioners.

It
Two state conventions of the socialist
labor party were held in this city yes
terday by the kangaroo and rump fac
lions.
The regular convention called for
horticultural hall was captured by the
De Leonites or rump faction early in
the day, and the dissenters or kangaroo
faction, that is opposed to the high
handed methods of Daniel De Leon, adj
journed to Union Veteran Legion hall
Both factions put full state tickets in
the field.
The convention in Horticultural hall
proved tumultuous gathering, and
even after the kangaroos or anti-De
Leonites left the hall, there was con-
slant pickering and tongue rows. AT 8
o'clock last night this convention final
ly wound up in disorder.
Well did it prove the depth of Con-
greve's knowledge of human nature,
when he wrote the famous lines in his
Mourning Bride:
Heaven hath no rage like love to ha-
tired turned,
And he'll no fury like a woman scorned.
Mrs. Martha Moore Avery of Boston,
whose leadership is objected to by a
large party, even within the member
Z ship Of the De Leonite faction, when
the subject of adopting resolutions
came UP last night as the deliberations
of the convention were being brought
to close, delivered an impassioned
speech against what she termed the at
tempt to assassinate her character, en-
in a ltIfi f1,a h ar
course during the Marlboro strike.
This was the first state convention
held by the socialists since they be-
came a regular party, but there was
not a person present, it was evident
even to the veriest tyro in politics. that
knew as much about parliamentary
law as a pack of schoolboys gathered
in solemn convention to determine what
effect the teachings of Confucius had
upon the philosophy of the Brahmans,
considered in the light of modern COM
mercial relations between the natives
of India and China
Everybody was entitled it seemed,
to speak as often as he or She wished
on any sort of subject, whether it was
before the house in the regular order of
business or not. For all the chairman
cared apparently, if a man was SO dis
posed he might air his knowledge by
reading an essay or whether Nader of
Dorpat was right or wrong when he
proclaimed that Alcyone, the brightest
star in the Pleiades, was the centre of
gravity of our solar system, and
whether the sun and attendant planets
are circling around this centre.
When any one moved the previous
question, the delegates, especially Mrs
Avery found way out of the difficulty
by rising to what was termed "a ques-
ton Of personal privilege and explana-
ton" Speeches of this character often
took up more than half an hour at a
time.
81 rise to a point of order" was heard
frequently, but the chairman didn't
seem to know the difference between a
point of order and a pint of ale
The fun began at 9.35 in the forenoon,
when Walter J. Hoar, De Leonite, call
ed the convention to order. There was
a lot of time wasted in getting organ
lied but this was finally accomplished
by the selection of Joseph F. Maloney
of Lynn for chairman, and Jeremiah
O'F'ilehy of Abingdon as secretary. Mr..
O'Filehy Is a typical socialist, with a
tuft Of whiskers on his face that is
darker than starless midnight or the
ravens wing.
From the first it was noticeable that
a storm was brewing, and the rum
blines of the distant thunder could be
plainly heard The factions were de-
termined to down one another at all
hazards, and from the moment organ
ization was effected until the commit
tee on credentials reported, it was a
tug of war with varying success. Pet
names were thrown about as promis-
cuously as a gang of "Maudies might
toss bouquets to the chorus girls. Clar-
ence Spellman of Westfield tried re-
peatedly to speak, but he could not get
the floor because of the ruling of Mr.
Maloney that he would not recognize
any one until the committee on creden-
tials had passed upon his standing in
the convention
While this scrap was going on, David
Goldstein of Boston, chairman of the
credentials committee, rushed around
exc.tedly, yelling, Holy Rachel, don't
have any speaking until we report"
And there wasn't any official speaking,
but all the Delegates were talking at
once and denoJncing one another as
recreant to the interests of the socialist
labor party, and traitors to Maxine
principles.
While the socialist labor party is sup
posed to stand for the beautiful theory
Of the brotherhood of man, the prin-
cinles Of universal peace, eomradeship
ana the esta blIshing of a cooperative
comm 1nwealtf where all will have
equal rights and an equal voice in the
deliberations o. the community, the
convention yesterday can be compared
only to cat and dog time. Any man
that cared to OPPOSE Daniel De Leon,
or question his infallibility, was de-
nounced In unneasured terms, and
there were cries from foreign-born del
cgates of "Raffa Raffal" which was
translated for The Spy man to mean,
"Revengei Eevenge!H
The upshot OF the whole matter came
when certain substitute delegates from
Springfield, bearing proxies, were re-
fused seats on the floor. This was the
signal for a general stampede of the
anti-ne Leo mites. They left amid cat
calls and the greatest confusion. They
went they said, with the express pur-
pose of holding an opposition conven-
tion. The ballot commissioners will
now perhaps have the pleasant task
OF determining which nominations rep
resent the official socialist labor party
The following delegates were de-
clarsd entitled to seats: Abingdon, Jere-
miah O'lTilehy; Chelsea, G.. l.. Win
neck. Charles Raine. Harry Hyans
Mrs. Martha Moore Avery, David Gold
stein: Clinton, Gustav Kiesling, John
Jacob Hengelc Everett, Alfred r..
Jones. William f. Wheeler, Edwin $.
A A.