The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-24
Third Pay Hopes
Are Blasted AS
Rail Chiefs Quit
(Continukd Erom page u

It is quite certain Gene Debs was
not expected to make the kind of
speech he did. He was told to speak
for a new party. He did in a way,
but he wasn't on his feet five minutes
before he forgot where he was and
launched into one of his propaganda
talks Of the old days. The progress
siye" women gasped. the rail chiefs
squirmed in their seats.
"R. & O." 5ilI Nervous.
"B. & 0. Bilp' tombstone, the chair
man, became nervous. He tapped
furtively with his gavel for Debs to
stop. Gene didn't hear.
There are two classes in society.
The working class and the possessing
class. These classes can never be
reconciled." It was pitiful. There he
stood propounding the doctrine he
has been preaching for thirty years,
and there sat before him convention
Of class coliaborators, socialist rene
gades and middle class politicians.
HSw the Trick was Played.
In the meantime, HillQuit did his
work. The rail union heads agreed
to withdraw. The G. P. P. A. ad-
iourned sine die. A session was called
for the evening.
The credentials committee report
showed that labor representation to
the convention was practically nom
existent. A half dozen local labor
bodies, three state declarations had
sent credentials, but the delegates
were not present. The rest were
from the socialist party, state COM
mittees Of the c. P. P. A. and an ar
ray of progressive groups Of doubt
full standing with the oficialdom of
the Amalgamated, l. L. G. w. u, and
Furriers' Union. A few local and
county labor parties were seated with
out vote. When the night session
convened to organize the new party,
the alignment was clear.
There were two distinct forces at
work. The socialist party fighting
for its skin in Hillquit's demand for
an American labor party, and the pro-
gressives trying to launch a liberal
movement to pick up the loose poll
teal ends of the LaFollette campaign.
Then the Fun Began.
The "progressives" fired the first
gun. They submitted a resolution
favoring a national progressive poll
tical party based On individual men,
berships. The socialists re-introduced
Hillquit's proposal for a labor party.
Then the fun began. First a socialist
speaker would arise and boast of
the good behavior Of the S. P. in
the LaFollette cagopaign and say that
the socialist party had no intention
Of capturing the convention for So
cialism. va.t
Then a progressive would get up
and say that he would have nothing
to do with a party anything like the
socialist party. And so it went.
Hillquit was asked a direct ques-
ton by one of the delegates as to
the willingness of the socialist party
to lose its identity in the new party.
Hillquit smiled and said the socialist
party lost it's political identity three
years ago and that it wishes to con-
tinue merely as an educational me-
dunn.
The "progressives" were plain
spoken. McKaig of Idaho, said, "The
socialists have got to forget their
party If they want a progressive
party. The moment you stick this
class conscious stuff over, you lose
Idaho.
Delegate Johnstone,s doctor of
divinity from Maryland, charged the
convention with organizing a move
ment away from LaFollette and pre-
dicted its downfall
The further the debate advanced,
the more complicated matters be-
came. JOS nston was in a quandary
AS chairman, he very seldom knew
what was before the house. AS a
matter of fact, nothing was. Motions
were made, seconded and forgotten
only to be succeeded by other mo-
tons. No relief was in sight. It was
finally proposed that committee be
appointed to bring in a report on
the character of the future party.
Submit Two Reports.
Two reports were brought in, Sun
day morning, after Johnston, presum-
ably suffering from the effects of
very bad night, had thrown another
pail of cold water in his opening adj
dress. t4Is
One, the majority report, submit
ted by Hayes of New York, reiterated
the progressive demand for a party
based on individual memberships and
geographical lines with the compro-
mise that the executive committee Of
the new party could use its discretion
in admitting labor groups. George
Roewer, Jr., for the socialists, sub
mitted Hillquits labor party proposal
as the minority report.
are fkely, II they win their shops to
Debate Takes on Blue Tinse.
The fight began all over again. The
same speakers arose and said the