The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-26
SOCIALISTS CAME
To SHED A TEAR
OVER S.P'S BIER
The Corpse Did Not
Even Wriggle

Il
After several weeks Of advertising
and beating of drums, announcing
the coming Of the socialist Messiah
who would lead the faithful into the
promised land of socialism, the "all-
day conference" Of the socialists of
Minneapolis was about as dead a prop
osition as WAS ever seen outside
graveyard stan
One dozen persons, that is the
count, swear 1t by my fathers beard,
appeared topick up their rusty swords
and resume the adjourned battle with
the forces 0foevil. And a more dis
credited collection Of takers never
gathered under one roof.
Van Lear Crowned King.
There was Murray King for in
stance, the champion red-baiter of the
Star" in whose breast the divine fires
Of revolt did not kindle until Van
! Lear gave him the toe Of his boot
and jerked him off the payroll. There
was the red-baiter Albert G. Bastis
from the sixth ward, the meter expert,
and Lynn Thompson, county commits
sioner. Instead Of being a conference
to rejuvenate a sickly party it turned
out to be a funeral ceremony. It was
generally admitted that the group of
renegade socialists that gathered
there qualified for the role of pallbear-
ers.
The only workers visible around the
place, outside of few Communists
who managed to get in, were the work
ers who were repairing the car tracks
near the building in which the confer
ence was held.
Debs was disguised with the crowd
or rather with its smallness. He dwelt
reminiscently on the glorious past of
the socialist party when crowds
cheered HIS words at is a strange
thing that has happened to the social
list movement here" said Debs. "Only
a few years ago spoke to cheering
thousands in the armory."
They Need the Money.
Most Of the local social partyites did
not want the socialist party to enter
politics, but it should have paper
and carry on educational work. The
main merit Of this plan would be that
1t would provide few very necessary
jobs for deserving socialists.
Gabriel Soltis, spoke during the
open discussion He reminded Debs |
that when he was here in 1928 his
parting advice to the socialists was to
enter socialist candidate for mayor
in the elections. Soltis charged the |
socialists with having betrayed the
workers and selling them to Leach, |
the republican candidate for mayor. |
He pointed out that they prevented
Debs from holding a meeting in Min
neapolis during the farmer-labor cam |
paign of last year, for fear his prison |
record might hurt the cause" Debs |
in reply said. IF what you say is true
comrade, il is no wonder the social
list party is dead here"
The FIowerpot Scene.
The takers were very much excited
over this bombshelI Of Soltis, and re-
sorted to many tricks. One genius by /
the name Of Dave Shier, seized a flow
er pot and rushing up to Debs en-
braced him vigorously and stuck the
flower pot under his nose, hoping that
1t would prevent him from seeing Sol
tbs. AS Shier had already spoken to
Debs the sudden uncomfortable gust
of affection caused some surprise, un-
til its object was learned.
During the afternoon session. while
discussing the policy of the promised
American Appeal" the national
weekly which is scheduled to appear
next year, Soltis declared that any pa
per that would not stand for the unit
ed front Of labor against capitalism.
would not receive the support of the
american working class. This drove
Henry into frenzy. He said
L would follow the policy Of the S. p.
and would support internationally. the
McDonalds, Vanderveldes and the
other traitors that Soltis denounced.
Debs agreed with Soltis, but showed
hat he did not understand the united
'front.' by making a bitter attack on the
Communists, bringing up the old gag
hat they sabotaged his release from
prison and that they were too COW.
irdly OF defend armed insurrection
Turing the Michigan trials.
After Debs wound up his attack on
he Workers Party, the meeting ad-
burned, having accomplished nothing
except the official burial of the social
st party Of Minneapolis.
Several of the socialists laughed as
me OF thems was heard to remark:
Well, this is how Abe Cahan's money
s going"