The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-19
BY MAX SCHACHTMAN

4 Llebknecht Day on January 10Th
of this year brings again to the fore
front the martyr Of the revolution
airy movement in Germany and one
of the foremost representatives of
the spirit of revolt and struggle that
is now leading the German working
class to the overthrow of capitalism
and the Inauguration of soviet re-
public.
Of the five leading spirits in the
early communist movement in Ger
many, Luxembourg, jog. hes, Mehr-
ing, Zatkin, and Liebkuecht, the last
was not the best equipped theore-
tician. But Liebkneeht was endowed
with an unfagging devotion and a
fearless passion for the fight of the
workers against the capitalist mas
tiers. When towards finched and
traitors sneered, Liebknecht kept the
red flag of revolution waving aloft.
He was born in Leipzig in Au-
gust, 1871; the same year in which
his famous father, Wilhelm Lieb-
knecht, was arrested en- the charge
of high treason against the gov
ernment. Karl studied first in Leip-
zig, then in the university of Berlin,
from which he received his DOCTORS
degree in political economy and law
In Berlin, after a period of organ
izing literary societies for the study
of social problems. ne became ac-
quainted with the socialist move
ment. BY his untiring efforts, he
became one Of the leading spirits
in the party. He stood strongly
against any attempts OF the revision
lists led by Bernstein to emasculate
the class program of the socialists.
Fights Militarism.
1t was thru his anti-militarist ac-
tivities that Liebknecht became
known all over the nation. In Sep
TENDER, 1906, he delivered a lecture
on Militarism to a conference of
young people in Germany. The lee
ture was enlarged upon and printed
as a book. After some time, the
authorities conhscated the book,
charged the author with high treason
and after a farcical trial of three
days found him guilty and had him
sentenced to year and a half i'm
prisonment. 1t was afterwards dis
covered that the Kaiser had kept
constantly in touch with the pro-
ceedings of the trial by a special
wire. Liebknecht declined to plead
guilty and took the entire rcspon-
sibility upon himself. Upon hear
ing the sentence pronounced he said
boldly:
"The aim of my life is the over
throw of monarchy as well as the
emancipation of the exploited work
ing class from political and economic
bondage. AS my father, who APP
peared before this court exactly So
years ago to defend himself against
the charge Of treason, was ultimate
ly pronounced victor, so l believe
the day not far distant when the
principles which l represent will be
recognized as patriotic, as honor
able, as true" 4
Elected to Landtag.
In answer to the reactionary meas
ure of the government, the workers
of Berlin elected him to the Prus-
sian Landtag. There it was that
he started his attacks against Prus-
sian militarism with a bitterness
and keeness that made the reaction
airy Junkers writhe in their seats.
Nothing could halt him; he knew
how to make revolutionary use of
bourgeois parliaments in spite of
innumerable tricks used by the Right
to call him to order, to hiss him
down, to shout, and even to go to the
extreme of removing him from the
floor of the chamber.
Liebknecht represented the work.
ers of Germany in other bodies. He
was their spokesman in the common
council of Berlin. In 1912 the work.
ers Of Potsdam-Spandau selected him
to represent them in the national
Reichstag. The joy of the workers
all over the country was great, for
Leibknecht had gained a reputation
of integrity, fearlessness and of be-
ing an incorporating fighter. He
had been elected in spite Of all the
Vaccinations of the governmental
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