The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-25

pointed radicals and adventurers that
were thrown up by C. P. P. A. The
socialist party sold its heritage for
the promise to pay of a bankrupt. 1t
is significant that the miscarriage
should make its appearance in hotel,
situated in the old "levee" district of
Chicago.
lust for feather to put in Hill
~ quits cap, the organization that
was once the representative of the
revolutionary working class move
ment in America is now degenerated
into an educational society" and, oh
shades of Marx! what education the
socialist party renegades will offer the
workers. Hillquit has a reputation
for being brilliant leader. He is
clever. But it is the cleverness of a
lawyer skilled in sharp practice.
THERE was nothing else for the So
cialists to do. They have compro-
missed themselves out of existence.
They brazenly admitted that they re-
nounced their principles. Their lead
ers laughed cynically when Commun-
ist visitors reproached them with
lack of even common political dec
ency. There were few delegates
there who sincerely wanted labor
party. They applauded Hillquit,
thinking he meant to stand by his
guns. But Hillquit's resolution de-
elaring for labor party was only a
trick used from time immemorial by
hagglers at a fair They usually ask
much more for what they have to sell
than they expect to receive.
CEVERAL Of the right wing dele
~ gates (Hillquit occupied the ex-
treme left wing of the articulate Sec
ton Of the convention) objected to
the use Of the words social and in
dustrial democracy" but DR.. Norman
Thomas, in a very ministerial man
ner announced that this term was
quite popular, and inferred that it
didn't mean anything anyway. 1t
would be quite unpleasant to go forth
into the political wilderness without
some principles, the DR.. averred.
DY this time the right wing dele
- gates were getting suspicious of
everything that came from the social
list faction. Hays of New York, who
seemed to be little party of his own,
and was waiting for his chance to
establish his reputation as founder
of at least one party, succeeded in
slipping over a short motion that COM
mitted the conference to the forma-
ton of party before 1t had time to
say Jack Robinson" This made the
right wingers leary of new inovations,
so they even got suspicious of Nor
man Thomas principles. Thomas is
a most polite individual and very mild
except when he is irritated by the
Communists.
JAMES O'NEAL pointed out that
- social and industrial democracy
was quite alright, that it was even
used by such respectable organiza-
tions as the A. F. of L. and the C. P.
p. A. This did not satisfy a white
haired delegate from Idaho, who thot
the term was used by the C. p. p. A.
in the days when it was sowing its
wild oats. Now that it was dead it
was unfair to saddle it with the indis-
cretions of its youth.
n PERSON with the heavenly name
~ of Western Starr was particularly
severe on the socialists. He is now
q lawyer in the District of Columbia,
and is rather proud of the fact that
he got rid of his principles early in
the season. He now looks with i'll
concealed contempt at the late arriv-
ais, like Hillquit and Oneal Another
person who hammered the socialists
was VIII Durant, typical Greenwich
Village freak, with little streak of
hair running down from his lower lip
to the tip Of his chin.
EARLY in the evening the boys and
= girls were more or less polite but
as midnight approached and nothing
was being accomplished tongues be-
gan to loosen. The socialists were
now getting the medicine they had
prepared for the Communists at sink
lar conventions. or course the social
lists disavowed all intentions Of cap
turing the delegates! But unfortun-
ately Delegate Johnson from Mary
land attended the st. Paul June II
convention and saw the Communists
get half-nelson on It. He reminded
his fellow delegates of that little
drama. other delegates limited that
the socialists would earn the undying
gratitude OF the conference and per-
a.