New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-05
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
| Sir: OF course. Mr. Hillquit will not be
elected, and those who say he will be are
either deceived or are trying to deceive
others.
But there Is reason to suppose that MI.
/ Hilquit may get large vote. Now, 1t Is not
only not desirable that Mr.. Hillquit be elect
ed, but it is not desirable that he get large
vote. The smaller the Hilquit vote the better
! for America.
1t is not the part of patriotism for any
American to play the kind Of game that IS
designed to roll up large Hillquit vote, no
matter what the avowed purpose Of such tao
tics may be. We not only do not want VIC
torious German army in America, but we DO
not want large German army in America
| In fact, we do not want any German army IN
America And we cannot look with much less
displeasure upon a German army that comes
stabbing US in the back with ballots than we
would upon a German army that came to STAB
US from in front with bayonets.
! II must be admitted that the Hiilquit cam
paign is not clearly understood by great
many persons. Almost every day we are told
| from some platform other, or in some
newspaper or other, that Mr.. Hillquit is
nice man, that he is scrupulously fair in de-
bate, that he is honorable, and so on.
Won Bernstorf undoubtedly made many
persons think he was a gentleman, and prob
ably he didn't beat his wife But he sowed
! the seeds Of treason throughout America and
piled up a record of plotting that would al
most make the devil himself ashamed of his
own record.
Not Personal Question
/ Mr. Hilquit's personal bearing is not the /
issue. We are not concerned with the front,
| this man puts up. What we are concerned
about is that he has taken American polit-
ical organization and made it play the Kali
ser's game, that he stands for the programme
and tactics that are of the most value to Ger
many, and that he stands against the Ameri-
can government while that government is
locked in a life and death embrace with the
most damnable monster that ever came forth
TO defle the earth
This is no time to be nice This is no time
to ask whether anti-Americans are gentle !
men. This is no time to ask whether the
Kaiser is kind 70 his children. This is time
to take men for what they advocate and to
judge them on that basis.
Take Hillquit's record on militarism and
war What has It been? 1t has been one per-
petual tango, with the candidate fitting gayly |
ana behbOHdDIy lIOn one pOsltiOH W
Time was when Hillqut, like his kamerad
Victor Berger stood for the Swiss military
system. Then he "evoluted" by gradations
until he became pacfst rampant. 1t seems
to be a case of playing both ends against
the middle" with this Bolsheviki candidate.
The careful observer may draw many conclu- |
sions concerning HillQuit, but if he is care
full one conclusion is bound to be that Hill |
quit has always tried to play the part Of
consummate politician. He will draw one
other conclusion, which is that the Kaiser |
would be happy if Hillquit were elected |
Mayor of New York, and perceptibly elated if
he should poll heavy vote. There will be |
some iron crosses due in New York after the
war.
The organization headed by Mr.. Hllquit |
has forsaken every worthy principle for which |
it ever stood The oppressed peoples of the |
world are spurned by its newly gained iron ]
heel The democracy of America is cast aside |
under its frowning busy Berthas" and the |
cause of humanity is Haunted for the be-
dizened kaserliche jade.
Socialist Tactics
The metamorphosis is not more clearly |
shown than in the transformation Of Social
ist party tactics in this campaign Up to now
the Socialist party of New York has been
small but noisy academic debating society.
The big events Of the year have been, not
the election, but the debates between HILL
cult and one or another of the intellectual
pretenders to the throne. The annual contest
to determine who could be the most Marx
ian" has been the star attraction.
But now all is changed. Marx has been |
tossed into the discard with everything else
that might stand in the Prussians path. The
game is to elect Hillquit-though Hillquit
himself probably does not expect to be elect
ed. swim with Hilquit" is what the posters
say. and not win for socialism," the rallying
cry of old. This campaign is a sordid though
frank appeal for votes for Hillquit and
against America. Socialism is not the issue
The war is the issue, and the Hillquit forces
are determined to go the limit on that basis.
And they are going the limit with such an
expenditure Of money as no New York Social
ist campaign ever saw until Berlln's o |
threw the disloyaists into frenzy of action.
Meanwhile Hillquit rushes about the city,
all things to all pleaders for Germany's in
terests. He is Lettish Irish or whatever may
be in demand To the Irish he talks for Irish
independence-so something that the Irish them
selves never demanded until Germany began
her propaganda of sedition. 70 the Jews
he talks anti-Amerca while his campaigners
promise them scent bread. To the cowardly
he promises peace. To the "intellectuais"
he talks high-mindedly about "the city for
the people" and social revolution Meanwhile
he is running on platform notable for its
beattude of expression and lack of mean
ing-a platform which, by the way, has been
quietly chucked out of the window while the
candidate puts forth his own platform of
peace at Germanys price.
| know the rank and file Socialist party
For | I have
edited Socialist party newspapers from Cali
fornia TO New York. know the party and
know what tricks some Of the party leaders
will play. know the German machine that
set out to control the election for national
committeeman little more than year ago.
That was the beginning of the grand slide
toward Berlin. | know the power of the So
called Language declarations" in the party.
Refore their united front the Americans in