Communism; Industrial Workers of the World; Socialism
It was no other than this same Eugene V. Debs, the advocate of violence
and revolution, who on May 17, 1912, was nominated as the presidential
standard bearer of the Socialist Party. If ever elected, what a fine
president he would make, this "poor," "persecuted," self-styled
"flaming-revolutionist," now in jail! What an honorable party it must be
that nominated such a man for the fourth successive time to fill the
office of the presidency of our country! Indeed it was on the very same
day that the followers of Karl Marx chose Debs as their candidate to
rule the United States that they also declared, in the constitution of
their party, that any member who should advocate crime, sabotage or
other methods of violence, as a weapon of the working class to aid it in
its emancipation, should be expelled from membership in the party!
Never can political Socialists convince the American people of their
sincerity and honesty while they nominate for office men like Debs, send
to Congress representatives like Victor Berger, and choose as members of
their national executive committee persons of the stamp of William D.
Haywood. There was no better way for Socialists to convict themselves of
hypocrisy than by retaining in their constitution the clause against
sabotage, referred to above, while at the same time selling at their
National Office books like "Industrial Socialism" and publishing in
their papers and magazines articles advocating and approving "direct
action." By their deeds we judge them, and not by their hypocritical
words.
"The Call," on April 28, 1919, introduces with the following headlines
the long comment that it makes on the Hart-Nearing debate of April 27th
in New York City: "Revolution Is Only Solution of World-Wide Unrest,
Says Nearing." In the course of the article Scott Nearing's suggestion
of revolt is mentioned: "As against Professor Hart's proposal of a
League of Nations, I suggest revolution." The "New York Times," April
28, 1919, commented in part on the debate as follows:
"'Who wants war?' asked Professor Hart. 'Scott Nearing wants war
and the people who think as he does, want war. Revolution is
nothing but civil war and we see its result in the Russian
revolution. Russia passed through three revolutions and is that the
kind of result we want in order to overthrow what he calls this
robber nation?'
"A whirlwind of applause marked this and through the applause was
heard a chorus of voices shouting 'yes.' The meeting cheered
Nearing's frequent references to 'revolution,' to the Russian
Soviet Republic and applauded his radical utterances, although he
had requested that he be permitted to speak without interruption.
The theatre contained about 3,000 persons who filled all the seats,
the stage and stood in the aisles, after paying from 25 cents to
$1.50 admission.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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