The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-02
CITLOW REPLIES
TO SOCIALISTS
ATTACK ON W. P.
Declares S. P. Leaders
Were Against Debs


Eugene V. Debs, Benjamin Gitlow,
Workers (Communist) Party candi-
date for governor and for,many years
an associate of Debs in the Socialist
Party, issued the following state
ment:
"The Workers (Communist) Party
considers that in the death of Eu-
gene V. Debs one Of Americas great
est working class leaders has died.
His record was one of unflinching
struggle against capitalism and on
behalf OF the working class. He was
always on the left wing of the So
cialist Party and in sharp disagree
ment with the policies of the lead
ers that at present predominant. Ber-
ger, Hillquit Panken. Abe Cahan-
these were always his political OPP
ponents within the party. Their op-
position to Debs even reached to the
point of persecution.
Attic he was their one great figure,
it is only in the last few years that
they permitted him to become a mem
Der Of their National Executive Com
mittee and in the presidential cam
paign Of 1912, the state committee Of
The state of California refused to per-
NIT their candidate for president, to
speak there because he was too left"
and too revolutionary for them. This
incident is only one of Macy instanc-
IS in which the conservative wing of
The party expressed its antagonism
and its fear of Debs' revolutionary
character.
Debs Against Hillquit.
Since the world war and the
treachery of the Socialist Party lead
ership in the matter of the war and
Of the Russian revolution, the right
wing-the wing of Berger, Hillquit,
Panken and Abe Cahan-has been in
undisputed control of the Socialist
Party. Debs repeatedly denounced
their actions and adopted policies
contrary to their point of view. When
they denounced Soviet Russia. he ex-
pressed his sympathy with Soviet
Russia. When he went on trial the
last time, he said, I am a BolsheviK
from the crown of my head to the
oles Of my feet
Supported T. U. E. L.
While the Socialist Party was
lighting the Trade Union Educational
League, Debs supported it. When the
socialist Party denounced the Friends
Of Soviet Russia, thus stabbing the
victims Of the Russian famine in the
back, Debs accepted a post on the
executive committee of the Friends
d Soviet Russia. The Socialist Par
~ attacked the International Labor
Oefense-Debs accepted a post on its
executive committee. The Socialist
Party attacked the left wing in the
trade unions-Debs supported the left
wing. In his last years as in his first.
ne was in direct contradiction TO the
Socialist Partyis right wing leadership
and only his old sentimental attach
ment to that party prevented his leay-
ing 1t long after it ceased to fight
tor the things he represented and in
iced became the enemy of causes for
which he continued to fight.
Recognized His Honesty.
Since the world war. the Socialist
Party, under its present right wing
leadership, has played a role antagon.
istic to the interest of the working
class and with the death of Debs, who
was used in pitiful fashion in these
last years to still give revolution
airy cloak to counter revolutionary
leader and its last pretense to be n
party such as Debs once tried to make
it.
The Communists. while repeatedly
pointing out in open letters to Debs
and in leaflets, that he was making
fatal mistake In staying with the
Socialist Party, has always recogniz.
ed his honesty and his revolutionary
integrity. Tho we have criticized his
lack of political clarity and weakness
in not openly breaking with his poll
teal opponents, we recognized as we
always have the great role that Debs
has played in the history of the Amer
lean working class. He remained re.
evolutionary when the official leaders
OF the Socialist Party went to the
right wing and betrayed the interests
OF the workers. We had to break with
the Socialist Party because of the
treachery Of It's leadership but Debs
did not have the strength in his de-
kclining years to make that break.
The Socialist Party is dying but
the revolutionary tradition he repre-.
scented lives on In the Workers (Com.
nunisD Party The Socialist Party
will pass away and be forgotten but
Debs will live on and the tradition
he represented corrected and deyel.
oped will be carried on by the Work.
ers (Communsp Party until the vic.
tory OF the American working class Is
assured and we have a Workers and
Farmers government and a Socialist
order in the United States"