New-York tribune., 1918-07-01
Socialists Ask Six
HourDay Oppose
Anti-Loafng Lau
Continued from page I

d. Cannon had said that "if you gave
the state the right to regulate your
vacation you also gave it the right to
say when you could or could not work. "
"We are drifting now from the
capitalist system to a state socialism
system. or stateism as it is called, and
it may be more difficult for us to get
anything from stateism than it is now
from capitalism" said Mr. Cannon.
Let us keep away from this dangerous
legislation"
For time it appeared that the So
cialist party was going to join with
the Prohibition party on one issue at
least. Morris Fucker introduced a
resolution that prohibition is "neces-
sary condition to the intellectual and
moral preparation of the working class
in the struggle for emancipation"
On the first ballot the proposal came
within one vote of being adopted, thus
placing the party on the verge of ap-
proving of prohibition. On a later
vote, however, the result was ~ to "a
against the proposed plank.
The plank for the repeal of the anti
loafing law was embodied in this de-
mand:
"Repeal of the Prussianizing COM
pulsory military training laws of the
state and of the recent law which, un-
der the pretence of Furnishing wilful
idlers. threatens the workers with in
dustrial conscription for the benefit of
the employing class"
While Mr.. Hillquit was declaring
that the party stood for Social de-
mocracy and social justice" an upstate
deiegate asked him if it was not true
that certain Socialists, referring to
lam English Walling and others, chad
not been explaining through the news
papers that they had left the party
to obtain these very things"
They did not" answered Mr.. Hill
quit, "they left the party because they
were friends of soft jobs"
In a clause headed "The War" the
platform provided for employment by
the state Of those who might be thrown
out Ct work by the return of the ex-
peditionary forces. In another para
graph, entitled "Complete Amnesty for
All Political Prisoners" was seen an
attack upon the National Security
League, the American Defence Society,
the Vigilantes and similar bodies. pro
vision being made for "the abolition by
state statute OF all private societies
self constituted to act as forces of law
and morals"
Charges that Meyer London, Social
ist member of Congress, was "a rene
citation of the Bolsheviki in Russia by
some delegates and an attempt to open
up discussion of the Socialist anti-war
resolution adopted at St. Louis last
summer brought about tumult in the
convention which continued until earl-
this morning.
SO loud became the discussion that
Algernon Lee, head of the Rand School,
which owns the building, announced
that the neighbors were likely to be
disturbed and that the school might
sustain fine Of $500 "for maintaining
a nuisance"
me tumult began when Louis B.
Boudn introduced a minority report
supporting the presence of American
troops in France. Immediately Mr.,
Hillquit, who took the position that
any adverse discussion of Americana
participation tn the war might lead to
prosecution under the espionage act,
, pleaded that the Boudin resolution he
| laid on the table
MIR. Boudin ought to know better
than to throw plant into this con-
vention," shouted Mr.. Hillquit. "A dis
cussion Of this subject may lead to a
great deal of trouble This is good and
. sufficient reason why the resolution
should be laid on the table" The sub
Ject was shelved.
The substance of the Boudin resolu-
tlon was that "the demands for the
withdrawal of the United States armed
forces from Europe were not in con-
sonance with the principles of inter
national socialism and are deprecated.'' -
A burst of boots and Kisses greeted
an assertion by DR.. Anna Ingermann
that the Bolshevik government in Rus
sia had resulted in starvation for the
! people" She declared the Bolsheviki
had played into the hands of the Ger
mans. Her talk was against a motion
to send messages of sympathy to the
bolshevik leaders, Lenine and Trotzky
Edward Rlndgren said it was absurd
/ to propose that Congressman London
introduce a measure in Congress sup
PORTING the Bolsheviki, because Mr.
London recently in public speech had
said the Socialists should have nothing
to do with them. Mr.. London is q
renegade from our parry and we should
treat him as SUCH" he said.
A dozen delegates were CT their feet
shouting, "lt's a lie! Mr.. London
! never said that!"
More hammering of the gavel, min
gled with the uproar, brought anothe,
request that the delegates should be
quiet so that the neighbors could
sleep. 1t had been learned that a
squad of police were in the building
and were asking the male delegates o1
draft age tu show registration cards.
1t was most mijn:SN when the
convention heard that Eugene V
Debs had been arrested. Assembly,
ran Abraham !. Shiplacoff then intro
duced q resolution that ut is well
cea fact that Comrade Debs is being
victimized for his devotion to and sac
1iilce for the working classes" and that
the CONVENTION should send him a mes
sage of sympathy.
Similar messages were sent to the
w. w. on trial in Chicago and to
imprisoned Socialists" pledging them
"to continue the fight for the cause in
support of which YOU have suffered"
About u dozen other resolutions were
adopted One, referring to the war,
said the party recognizes that the
great national conflicts are mainly the
outcome of the imperialstic aims of
the ruling classes of the world. in
which the working class has no part"
Other resolutions were: Opposing
| the suppression of publications by the
Postoffice Department.; favoring the
Federal woman's suffrage amendments:
supporting the Soviet government of
! Russia; condemning the action of the
Supreme Court in declaring the Fed
cral child labor law unconstitutional: ::
opposing universal military training,
and opposing "the restriction of civil
liberties in war tine"