New-York tribune., 1917-11-03
The "Irreproachable'
Doing the Kaiser's Service Here as
Scbeidemann Does in Germany

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In a public statement on the Mayor
altv situation Mr.. Jacob H. Schf, while de-
claring himself in favor of Mayor Mitche.
reelection, says that he considers Mr.. Hill
Quit personally irreproachable." he bases
his opposition to Mr.. Hillquit on these two
grounds, and none other, namely:
(a) "A Socialist administration OF the city
is not to be desired"
(b) "Nor has, in my opinion, MI HilIquitS
candidacy any chance Of success
The United States Constitution provides:
"Treason against the United States shall con-
sist only in levying war against them, or IN
adhering to their enemies, giving them AID
and comfort" Article III, Section -.
Mr.. Hillquit may not be levying war against
the United States, at least not with force and
arms, but that he is adhering to their ene-
mics. giving them aid and comfort, is being
proved every day by his own utterances on
the stump. He has opposed our war loan
specifically OH the ground that he wished 70
do his utmost to prevent an American VIC
tory against the Central Powers; althoueh
himself man Of means, he has ostentatlously
refused TO subscribe to the loan specihcaiIy
on that same ground. His declared purpose
in seeking election in the present campaign
il not primarily for the sake of local gooo
Government. but in order that his election as
Mayor of the greatest city in the land may
serve TO hamper this country in the conduct
of the war and thereby force our government
10 abandon its struggle against German autoe-
racy. And it is safe to rely upon IL that II
elected he would use the great opportunities
Of his Office to the uttermost in furtherahce
OF the chief purpose for which he is conduct
ing his campaign. >,
He says that he is not "the Kaiser's TREND
while opposing the Liberty Loan, but SO did
his friend and co-worker, Scheidemann, while
doing the Kaisers work at Stockholm Mr..
Hillquit was openly and actively pro-Ger-
man before our entry into the war, and ne IS
seeking now to continue his nefarious work
under the Socialist standard, believing that ne
is safe in doing So He has behind him only
the anti-American, pro-German SoclaiistS.
Those VINO are for America against Germany
are following Frank Bohm, Charles Edward
Russell. John Spargo and J. G. Phelps Stokes.
There is between such men and Mr.. HllGuit
the same difference there is between Lieb-
knecht. who fought the Kaiser and lies in
jail and Scheidemann, who has betrayed So
cialism to its arch enemy, the Hohenzollern
beast Of prey. Let no Socialist forget that
Scheidemann is Hillquit's friend, not Lieb-
knecht
The press has called attention. to the fact
that Mr. Hllquit's audiences are made up OF
prosperous looking people who applaud voclt-
erousy every time Mr. Hillquit says that he
does not want the Germans beaten. He speaks
of making negotiated peace now. \ Ger
man Socialist has said that if the Allies DO
not obtain victory they will have lost tho
war; while if Germany is not actually beaten
she will have won it-no one knows better
than Mr. Hillquit how true this is.
Merely because Mr.. Hillquit has means is
he TO be regarded as personally irreproach-
able?
What Of the moral turpitude involved in
adhering TO the enemies of ones country,
giving them aid and comfort-a Judas to ones
adopted land, traitor to America?
MAURICE LEON.
New York, Oct. 80, 1917.