The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-31
BY PAUL NoVIcK

| IN October 3 the New York Times
" announced ON its front page the
passing Of Morris Hillquit, National
Chairman Of the Socialist Party Of
the United States and its represen-
tative at the Congresses Of the Sec
ond International since 1904. Prea-
dent Roosevelt, in a message from
Washington, sent his coincidence.
The Governor OF the state Of New
York, Herbert Lehman, in q state
ment issued from his sick-bed, de-
plored the passing OF citizen Of sun
usual usefulness"
Indeed, the life Of Morris Hillquit
was one of unusual usefulness" In
migrating here from Riga Cat that
time RUSSIA In 1885, he soon be-
came active in the Socialist move
ment In New York. The party-at
that time the Socialist Labor Party
was dominated by immigrants from
Germany, the pioneers OF the So
cialist movement In the United
States. The traditions OF the bour-
geois revolution Of 1948 which
brought over the first big wave Of
German immigrants to the United
States, were still alive here, as were
the opportunist teachings Of F'erdi-
nand Lassal. It was this element
who in 1901 were mainly responsible
for the establishment of the Social
ist Party in the United States, after
number Of splits in the sectarianist
Socialist Labor Party led by Daniel
DeLeon. A group of Jewish Social
lists, mostly immigrants from Russia,
under petty bourgeois leadership, was
also represented at the convention in
1901, as well as the Debs groups (the
so-called Social Democratic Party
who were endeavoring to establish
Socialist colonies" in capitalist
America.
Hillquit, who had already attained
fame as a capable lawyer, became the
leader Of the party. One of his first
acts OF usefulness" was the struggle
against the movement for Industrial
Unionism, which was inaugurated in
1905 by DeLeon and Debs. That
struggle eventually led to the expul-
sion of William D. Haywood and
other revolutionists from the Social
ist Party.
Posing as q "Marxist," Hillquit
kept the Socialist Party on steady
course with the line Of the REFORM
lists of the Second International. APP
pearing as an opponent of Samuel
Gompers he steadfastly supported
the American Federation of Labor
led by Gompers, both rs leader of
the Socialist Party and as the paid
legal advisor and guiding spirit of
the A. F. Of L. unions in the needle
trades in New York, particularly the
international Ladies Garment Work
erS Union.
At THE congresses Of the Second
"A International in Amsterdam 5000
and Stuttgart (190D, Hillquit dis
tinguished" himself by introducing
resolution for the restriction of the
immigration of the backward" (yel-
low) race into the United States.
Having been defeated at the con-
crosses Hillquit had a similar reso-
luton passed by the convention of
the Socialist Party in January, 1908,
which was In line with the anti-in-
migrationist policy OF the reaction
airy leadership Of the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor.
However. it was not until after the
world war broke out that Hillquit
became unusually useful" After
maintaining position Of pacifist
neutrality" up to 1917, Hillquit
sharply changed his position as soon
as 1t became known that the United
States was about to enter the Euro
pean conflict. In prominently fea-
tured interview in the New York
Times Of Feb. II, 1917, Hillquit de-
clared
If the armies are raised by con-
scription, of course, we will have to
serve as other citizens. I do not be-
lieve that the Socialists will advocate
any general industrial strike to han
dtcap the country in It's war prepa-
rations and do not believe there
will be any such strike. I know Of no
instance in any country where we
have tried general strike either to
prevent or to end war"
Hillquit thereby served notice upon
the government Of the United States
not to take seriously the anti-war
talk of the Socialist Party. He as
sured the Wilson administration two
months before 1t declared war on
Germany that the Socialist Party will
do nothing to handicap the admins
tration in its war activities and that
the socialists will shoulder arms and
participate in the war on the side the
American capitalists will choose.
That statement, IKE similar state
ments made by other leaders Of the
Socialist Party, aroused general re-
sentiment among the membership.
Hilquit Immediately caught wind and
again made sharp turn. At the
party convention at st. Louis, in
April, 1917. it was no other than Hill
quit who presented the anti-war reso-
luton on behalf Of the majority of
the Committee on War and Militar-
ism. In that resolution the s. p. de-
clared that 'the only struggle which
would justify the workers in taking
up arms is the great struggle Of the
working class Of the world to free
itself from economic exploitation and
political oppression" The resolution
pledged the S. p. ITO the support Of
all mass movements in opposition to
CONSUMPTION" and to amy attempt to
raise money for payment Of war ex-
~