The daily worker., 1933-02-21
BY Bwreb

last, q man of action is making
politics in Germany; that there
fore the time is finally coming in
which honest workers may again
be treated like knaves pure and
simple E. .."
WE SEE that We not only have
" venerable and honorable" Hin
denburg misled by diShonorable
elements; we also have rascally
knaves like Won Papen and Hugen-
berg united with honorable knights
like Adolph Hitler. Sinners and
saints, knaves and knights, COL
lection of seeming contradictions
yet really only collection of po-
litical road agents who united to
hold up the German masses in
order to save the position and the
profits of the capitalist masters
of Germany.
Scouting on the byways, ready
to arrest if possible, surely ready
to report and denounce any work
ers' expedition which intends to
put an end to the pests of high
waymen, is the social democratic
party of Germany. That party
proceeds from the same premise
as dc Hitler, Hugenberg and Hin
denberg: "We must be the doctors
of capitalism" These different
doctors may differ in their dag
nosis; they may squabble about
the required remedies; but they all
want to bring capitalism back to
health and prosperity; since this is
possible only with the use of con-
siderable quantities of the life
blood of the working class of
Germany, they are all ready to
let the German workers blood.
TRIBUTES
FROM THEIR FRIENDS
Social democracy has long rid
itself of such influences Of Marxism
as may embarrass it in its func-
tionS as the doctor of caitalism.
The leaders of German capitalism
have repeatedly paid tribute to this
fact. The "Koelnische Zeitung" of
July "a, 1880, declared: "One hears
much about the Marxism of social
democracy, and one fears it; yet
this Marxism has long been stifled
in the process of the bourgeoisifi-
cation Of that party"
The 'Deutsche Allgemeine Zei-
tung" of April 81, 1881, said: The
gradual Transformation of social
democracy into the biggest bour-
geois party is not denied by us but
rather acknowledged; this transfOr-
nation is worthy of every support" !"
When we hear Hitler today crying
about the danger of the MarXism
of social democracy we must not
interpret that as a sign of fear
which this Marxism inspires in the
bourgeoisie. We must see in it
rather an effort of the bourgeoisie
to help social democracy to play
its role. 1t is a method of the
capitalists to "sell" the social demo-
cratic party to the dissatisfied
German workers.
NOW let social democracy testify
~ itself to its MarXlsm. Social
democrat Sollmann, who was re-
ported in the New York Times a
few days ago as appealing to the
Communist workers to make a
united front with the Socialist
Party against the leaders Of the
Communist Party, declared net Sc
long ago that under the organized
capitalism Of today with its polit-
ical democracy, it is no longer true
that "the workers have nothing tc
lose but their chains" Now, ac-
cording to Sollmann, the workers
have something to lose beside theiI
chains; therefore 1t is against theil
interests to overthrow the existing
system. Social democratic logic is
simple; since the workers now have
something to lose (whatever that
may be- they must not overthrow
but preserve the present order. Fol
the sake of the democratic decora-
tions which cover the walls of the
capitalist system the workers SHOULD
no longer aim at breaking dowr
these walls of their social prison
but should, instead, fight to pre-
serve them.
These theories are By no means
confined to social democracy o.
Germany; they are the fundamen.
tai theories of social democracy o.
the world. Hillquit shares then
with Noske: Grsesinsky shares
tllanl With Norman ThosassA -.
III --ls-.-a~-fl1fEa- ZxGss-sAH