The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-10-07
Il. Enter Mr.. Morris Hillquit, Chairman of
the Socialist Party.)
By PAUL NOvICK.


By PAUL NovICK.
(The following is the first of series of
articles by Comrade Paul Novick on the $50
cialst' party of America. Workers will
= find these articles of much value in their
discussions On the parties and platforms in
the present election campaign.-Editor.)
Norris Hillqut is not merely a rich cor
poration lawyer. Morris Hillquit is the chair
nan of the socialist" party, its brains, its
tAeoretcian. Morris Hillquit is the lifelong
representative of the American Socialists" on
tie executive committee of the Second ("So-
cialist') International He has just returned
from one of the sessions of that committee, in
Zurich. Morris Hillquit is a symbol of Amer
ian and international Socialism, its guiding
spirit lat least, as far as American socialism"
is concerned.)
Then who is Morris Hillquit?
''The American Labor Who's Who," published
by the Rand School in 1925 tells us: lawyer,
member OF the national executive commit
tee Of the socialist party at various times, born
in Riga (Latvia), came to the U. S. in 1885,
lecturer, author, PA Riverside Drive. There
are, however, some pertinent points of infor-
nation about this gentleman, which the ESQ
cialist" publishing house has omitted and
know the face, or the soul, of the Socialist"
party.
Hillquit is for years known as one of the
shareholders of the Burns Coal Trust Wheth-
er he still is shareholder we do not know.
It all depends on the amount of dividend these
shares bring now. If the shares are still as
profitable as when Hillquit bought them there
is, according to present-day socialism" no
reason why he should have sold them
True, there is reason. The Burns Coal
Trust is an open shop concern, strikebreak-
ing concern that is exploiting its workers mer-
cilessly. But all this was known to the brains
of the Socialist" party when the shares were
bought, in the first place. A good profit,
however, or heavy dividends, is a major fac
tor in all dealings of the chairman of the $50
cialist" party, even if it is profit derived from
"closed" or open-shop exploitation.
Mr. Hillquit is supposed to be an authority
on Marks capital" More so, he is an
authority on Wall Street capital, or rather
Wall Street stocks in which he began dabbling
years ago. 1t is not known whether he has
lost anything in the recent crashes-many a
socialist" has lost heavily-but it is common
knowledge that Hillquit has always been
gambling, beg pardon-"investiag."
The socialist" spirit behind these gamblings
has moved Mr.. Hillquit in 1924 to send in
the Cloakrnakers' Union bill for twenty-five
thousand dollars for representing that union
on the conferences of former Governor Smiths
commission which was Investigating" condi-
lions in the ladies' garment trade. The $4,000
out of the garment workers money was duly
paid, Of course. Mr.. Hillquit was always
@dear" friend to the garment workers.
Which brings US directly to the shares Of
the Cloakmakers' Union that were entrusted
in 1926 into the hands of Hillquit's partner,
Frsdericl, Umhey (who is, by the way, not
admitted to the BARI. A year and half ago
the Daily Worker and the Freiheit had charged
Hillquit with manipulating with these shares
and thereby acquiring" for himself over forty
thousand dollars belonging to the cloakmakers.
That charge was widely broadcast among the
workers. For this Hillquit had the comrades,
Robert Minor and Moissaye Olgin, arrested.
Eillquit did not want an open hearing before
a magistrates court, which is the usual pro-
cedure in Iel suits. Hillquit was afraid of
an open hearing. He therefore got in touch
with mis- Tammany friends-judges, lawyers,
poEticians-and they allowed him what very
few are allowed in such cases. namely, to avoid
an open hearing. Hillquit went to the district
attorney and after conference with the Tam
many man behind closed doors swore out a
warrant for an arrest of the editors of the two
Communist papers. Hillquit did not want the
workers to hear his side of the case. He did
not want TO give the Communist editors
chance to refute his arguments. He tried to
hush up the matter with the aid of Tammany.
Comrades Minor and Olgin were supposed
to have been brought to trial year ago, o.
tober, 1929. The case was never brought to
court The official version is that delega-
tion Of the Schlesinger company union (that
is, Of his own ring involved in the manipu,a-
tions) had asked him mot to bother" with the
Communists and to withdraw the charges
Hilqlit felt "insulted," you know, just as John
F. Curry, head of Tammany Hall had recently
felt, which was the only reason why he would
not tell anything about selling judicial robes
ut $4,000 apiece.
AS banker Hillquit was probably justified
in being ''insulted" at the affrontery of the