The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-24
AS WE SEE 1T.
BY T. J. o'FLAHERTY.

CONTINUED from page y
among them and he stayed, like the
boy on the burning decK when all
but he had fled" The clown of the
show was William H. Johnston, or
"B. & o. Bill" as he is now bap-
tised.
1T was a rather lively convention in
the sense that madhouse is live
ly, except when the chairman, John
ston, attempted to collect enough
money to pay the indebtedness of
the c. P. P. A. The silence was every
thing but golden. One socialist, who
hoped against hope that the S. P.
still had a chance OF capturing the
convention put up one hundred dol
lars. Other seasoned veterans of
many such fascos, asked each other:
whats the matter with vladeck?"
THE brotherhood officials are busy
1 business men. They did not
want to waste their time any longer.
Sheppard of the conductors was their
chief spokesman. He wanted the C.
P. P. A. to go along in its established
rut and suggested that those who did
not like that policy might politely go
TO pot. 1t was short speech and
not eloquent but there was some
power behind it, Morris Hillquit rose,
stepped catlike to the platform,
smiled sweetly in all directions, par
ticularly at the bushy hiruste annex
in which Sheppard's upper lip is am
pushed. Hillquit made a good speech
for the purpose. That must be ad-
mitted. He pictured the fozzilized
labor Takers in front Of him as potent
isl MacDonalds, Hendersons and Sid
ney Webbs, who had the pleasure of
kissing the king of England's toe.
The lips of the labor takers moisten-
ed but they withstood the tempta-
tons.
LIE did not mention endowed auto
mobiles or shares in biscuit fac
tories, but most of the labor leaders
in front of Hillquit owned labor banks
and could buy out the British royal
family. Hlilquit's speech won the
conference for the immediate forma-
ton of party, at least the applause
was heavy. But it was not any
heavier than the enthusiasm of the la
Dor leaders. One by one they got up
and said that they were business men
and could not commit their oFganiza-
tons to Hillquit's program, much tho
they sympathized with the beautiful
ideals. that Hillquit cherished. They
were friendly enemies. !A'os1
9IIG.lf
THE last straw that broke the bro
1 therhood camel's back was the
failure of the gathering to talk money
when the chairman very patiently
allowed plenty of time to lift the
burden off the shoulders Of the stag
gering c. P. P. A. Visions of the July
Bird conference rose up when Brock
from Detroit, delegate from the bro
therhood organizations, reminded the
socialists and others that they were
the guests Of the G. p. P, A. and
should act with becoming decorum.
1t was John Fitzpatrick's speech to
the Communists now directed at
socialists. Both the socialists and
tho o~-cA0fo1fofu NH Cd
the great majority Of the conference
were glad to get rid of the brother
hood convention vote If not of the
Brotherhood support. But when the
brotherhoods made themselves scarce
and the socialists thought they had
the convention by the neck, the real
trouble started. It was case Of dog
eat dog.
DEFORE the c. P. P. A. took the
. potion which sent IL of into
eternal sleep Eugene v. Debs, was
put up by the socialists to make a
speech. The party was getting rough
about now and Hillquit feared that
the brotherhoods would leave hurried
ly or call in the cops and eject the
poor relations. Debs. who rarely if
ever attended a socialist party con-
vention, was dragged into this gather
ing of freak-frauds in order to cap
italize the respect that his personality
has earned for him. His speech was
old and stale but 1t a typical old
fashioned speech and he even used
the word Revolutionary" once. The
Milwaukee Leader delegation gasped.
XETHILE Debs was wasting his
wv breath on this collection of adj
venturers labor lakers and nondes-
cripts, Morris Hlllquit was dickering
with Robertson, Sheppard, Mannion
and the other railroad chiefs. When
nahc got thru Shapnard annOuncQd