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St. Louis Labor: Emergency Convention of Socialist Party [Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 1919] 1 Emergency Convention of Socialist Party by “A Staff Correspondent” Published in St. Louis Labor, whole no. 970 (Sept. 6, 1919), pg. 1; whole no. 971 (Sept. 13, 1919), pp. 2, 4. Likely author was William Brandt. CHICAGO, Sept. 1 [1919].— Efforts of the so- the organization in shreds and thus make it an easy called Left Wing faction to capture the Emergency prey for the enemy. Convention of the Socialist Party, which opened here He bitterly scored Left Wing talk of capturing Saturday morning [Aug. 30, 1919], were effectively the party for revolutionary Socialism, thus implying frustrated Friday night, when it was decided by a con- that it was not a revolutionary party. There were thun- ference of delegates to issue cards of admission to ac- ders of applause when he declared that the party had credited delegates only. This thwarted the plans of the stood as true to its principles as any Socialist party in Left Wingers and made the accredited delegates — history. elected from states where there was no contest — masters of the situation. • • • • • The convention was called to order by Adolph Germer, National Executive Secretary. Seymour Sted- CHICAGO, Sept. 2 [1919].— The convention man, Chicago, was elected temporary chairman. is getting down to business, with about 130 reliable The record showed that there were 136 uncon- delegates. G.A. Hoehn is a member of the Platform tested delegates entitled to seats, and that there were Committee. The report of the committee for investi- 31 contests. The states having contests on were Ne- gating the fraudulent referendum vote charges was braska, Oregon, Minnesota, California, and Kansas. unanimously adopted. This committee consisted of This made the Committee on Contests the most im- William M. Brandt, St. Louis; Louis A. Arnold, Mil- portant of all, and a plan was suggested whereby the waukee; Otto Branstetter, Chicago; and Henry Askeli committee would carry on its sessions in the presence of the Finnish Language Federation. of the balance of the delegates, in order that they might The report of the National Executive Commit- hear all the testimony and be able to use independent tee was read. It states, among other things, that some judgment in each case. 2,000 Socialists have been arrested during the last few Before the convention assembled, Saturday, Left years, and that the era of persecution is by no means Wingers, led by John Reed, New York, who shouted, ended. It then gives an account of the “vicious, ven- “Come on, Left Wingers,” to the crowd outside the omous, and uncalled for attacks” upon the party and building, entered the convention hall and planted its National Executive by the so-called Left Wing, and themselves in front seats. quotes Left Wing papers as declaring that their object Germer entered the hall and requested them to is to disrupt the party. “We have no apologies to make,” leave, but they refused. It was necessary to call an officer the National Executive Committee says, “to Left Wings before they would retire. or any of its wings. The National Executive Commit- In calling the convention to order, Secretary tee has tried to make the best of the most trying situ- Germer said the section controversy led to a healthy ation the party has ever faced. It welcomes honest criti- movement, provided it did not go far enough to tear cism and difference of opinions. But for those who 1 2 St. Louis Labor: Emergency Convention of Socialist Party [Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 1919] have wrought ruin in their confessed attempts to ‘rup- the members. ture the party,’ it voices the opinion of the honest The tabulation showed the most deliberate fraud, members in saying that such conduct is a gross viola- votes cast for one candidate being given to Left Wing tion of Socialist ethics, Socialist solidarity, and Social- slate candidates. The Cortland (NY) Russian branch, ist principles.” for instance, reported 28 Hillquit votes for O’Hare Our esteemed friend, Harry Tichenor, who came for International Secretary. In some states where the here to take part in the Communist convention, State Secretary was a Left Winger, loyal branches com- “bolted” this convention after being with it but a few plained of not being supplied with ballots, and thus hours. Whether he joined the Wagenknecht [Com- losing their votes. munist Labor Party] convention or started a conven- According to the report of the Secretary [Ger- tion of his own, I am unable to say at this time. mer], the membership of the party has shrunk during the war from 117,000 to 42,217. Of course, most of • • • • • the losses are due to the Left Wing secession. The convention passed resolutions in favor of CHICAGO, Sept. 3 [1919].— After stating that political freedom for Ireland and India. the administration might take the nomination of Eu- It denounced the United States Congress for gene V. Debs for President at this time as a challenge denying to Victor Berger the right to take his seat in and that the move might operate to prolong his stay the House of Representatives, to which he is undoubt- in prison, Attorney Seymour Stedman offered a reso- edly entitled. lution in the national Emergency Convention Tues- Another resolution adopted by the convention day [Sept. 2, 1919], tendering Debs the nomination declares in favor of a general strike, to begin October with the provision that Debs himself was to decide 8th [1919], for the purpose of forcing the liberation whether such action would be wise at this time and of Thomas Mooney, Eugene V. Debs, and all other whether he would accept. political and industrial prisoners. The resolution was sent to committee for fur- ther consideration. Stedman told the convention that • • • • • Debs was advanced in years and was in poor health. Referring to his possible nomination by some other Wednesday, September 3. body, he said, “I am not inclined to play politics with a man’s life.” The national Socialist convention Wednesday Stedman said that Debs’ removal to Atlanta was [Sept. 3, 1919] passed unanimously a resolution de- regarded as irregular by some of Debs’ lawyers, but manding that Congressman Victor L. Berger be al- that habeas corpus proceedings, if undertaken, might lowed to take his seat in the House of Representatives, drag in court a year and prevent any other efforts for and holding that the effort to keep him out was a di- his release. rect attack on the right of the worker to participate in The convention sent a telegram to the Socialist government. The resolution read as follows: Party in Italy, which is about to hold its convention, Whereas, The organized moneyed interests of the expressing comradeship and commending it for the country are doing all in their power to prevent our Socialist “noble stand against the world war.” representative, Victor L. Berger, from obtaining his seat in Congress; and The referendum frauds, by means of which the Whereas, The only offense he is charged with is that of Left Wing faction had tried to vote itself into control adhering to the platform and principles of the Socialist Party, of the party, were really worthy of the most contempt- and it is, therefore, a direct attack upon the efforts and the rights of the workers to participate in government; and ible political tricksters that ever dishonored a party. Whereas, The success of the attack upon our rights Case after case was given where the number of will wipe out one of the bulwarks of constitutional represen- votes reported were in excess of the membership. In tative government; therefore, Resolved, That we, the Socialist Party of the United others the ballots were marked by a single individual States, in convention assembled, demand of Congress that and then signed with different inks and in pencil by it immediately seat Comrade Victor L. Berger, and that copies St. Louis Labor: Emergency Convention of Socialist Party [Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 1919] 3 of this resolution be forwarded to the Speaker of the House committee from the states in question was appointed and to each of the members conducting the Berger hearing before the house. to make a report. The committee consists of [Abraham] Becker- Favor Free Ireland. man, New York; [Birch] Wilson, Pennsylvania; Peach, Connecticut; [A.] Rubenstein, Michigan; and [Rose] The resolution was adopted with enthusiasm Weiss, New Jersey. after being amended so as to send copies to all mem- A collection of $52.50 was taken Wednesday for bers of Congress. the striking cigar makers in Chicago, following an A resolution favoring self-determination for Ire- address by one of their committee. land was unanimously passed. The resolution called The convention completed the makeup of its for the withdrawal of the army of occupation in the committees by Tuesday noon [Sept. 2, 1919], and no Green Isle and demanded that the United States rec- session was held afternoon or night, so that the com- ognize the Irish Republic. mittee members might be free to give their undivided A resolution also was passed on the negro situa- time to their committee work. The interest in the com- tion in this country, and denouncing mob violence. mittee sessions was keen and a great deal of care and There was wild applause when a telegram was thought was put on the matters on which they were read by the New York delegation announcing that in expected to report. the Tuesday primaries in New York, the regular So- The most important committee is that on Reso- cialists had won out in all the contested districts of the lutions, Party Principles, and Pan-American and In- state save one by overwhelming majorities and in face ternational Relations, although the Committee on of Left Wing attacks.
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