INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALIST RECONSTRUCTION VOL. I, No. 12 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 1918 PRICE, 10 CENTS Meyer London Socialist Disgrace THE circle of Socialist reaction, of the man Beckerman. But what kind of a blocking a motion to extend the time. worthy of revolutionary Socialism. betrayal of fundamental principles victory is it to elect a man to Congress The matter came up at a meeting of the Socialist party that does not at all by representatives of Socialism, is com who betrays Socialism and brazenly Central Committee, and by a vote of times adhere to fundamental principles pleted. Germany produced its Scheide flouts the party? Rather no represent 31 to 28, the Executive Committee was is a party that builds upon sand; it is, mann, Parvus, Sudekum and Wolfgang atives in Congress than a man who re instructed to nominate a candidate other moreover, a party that, when the test Heine, France its Albert Thomas and pudiates the attitude of the party. than Meyer Londou in the Twelfth Con comes, will act precisely as did the opMarcel Cachin; Austria its Dr. Renner When Meyer London speaks in Con gressional District. The Executive Com. portunistic, petty bourgeois Social and Victor Adler; England its Hynd gress, he speaks not as the representa mittee refused to act, and at a special Democratic Party of Germany.
man and Henderson; and the United tive of the Twelfth Congressional Dis. Central Committee meeting, Meyer The Socialist Party of the United States its Russell, Spargo, Walling and States is now being put to the test, and Meyer London.
the test must be met in spite of the policy There are members of the Socialist of evasion adoped by by the opportunParty who are fond of the sport of deSocialist Reconstruction in Europe ists. It is the test of principles and the nouncing Spargo, Walling Co. It is test of the class struggle. We have a comfortable and safe procedure to Revolutionary Socialism in Europe is making rapid progress under the impact of hopes that the party will on the whole kick the dead. But these very same the war and the proletarian revolution in Russia. At the Congress of the Socialist Party meet this test adequately, in spite of comrades are utterly silent about the of Norway, held in March, the left wing secured practical control of the party and revolu all and everything.
infamous attitude of Meyer London, his tionary resolutions were adopted. The moderates introduced resolutions against the dictatorship of the proletariat, against general strikes and revolutionary mass action, Shall our party be a party of Leibficuting of the declarations and instruc against military strikes. All these resolutions were defeated. The resolutions of the knecht, Lazzari, Lenin and Trotzky, or tions of the party, his betrayal of fun. left were adopted, as follows: shall it be a party of Scheidemann, damental Socialism. Even prior to Thomas, Hyndman and Meyer London?
America entry into the war, London Socialism cannot recognize the right of the ruling class to exploit the working class This is the great issue in our party, in acted against international Socialism; even when this exploitation is supported by the consent of the majority in the national every party affiliated with the Socialist and since, his conduct has been com parliament. The Norwegian labor party must, therefore, insist upon its right to use International. Comrades, upon you pletely reactionary and demoralizing. mass action or revolutionary measures in its struggle for the industrial liberation of the Socialism should have its own inde: working class T party whose most vital issue is the class struggle, it cannot be rests the responsibility. Repudiate indifferent to this struggle when it is being conducted by other class organizations. The Meyer London Repudiate the policy pendent class policy on war and peace; Congress, therefore, greets with joyihe creation of Workmen and Soldiers Councils of confusion and compromise!
but Meyer London has accepted the in Norway and sees in then an expression of the self reliance and self activity of the policy of the governinent; American working class population.
Socialism is compelled, by the declara.
II.
Blood that Doesn Count tion it adopted a year ago, to co operate The Congress hereby calls upon the workers of Norway to prepare and organize a THE New York Call is doing an exwith the minority Socialists of Europe strike on a national basis, with the support of labor union action, against military and cellent piece of work by re printing and support the Bolsheviki; yet Meyer defense service. We demand, furthermore, that a general strike be prepared to prevent war, and the declaration of war.
what Roosevelt, Taft, Nicholas Murray London accepts the policy of the majorButler, the intellectual and newspaper ity Socialists and denounces the Bol.
III.
sheviki.
Whereas, the National Labor Union Congress has refused to support a military hirelings of reaction generally, said about the Kaiser in the years preceding Eugene Debs publicly declares his strike; and, Whereas, separate organizations have been formed for those who are liable to the great war. The praise and adulaadherence to fundamental facts and military service; be it, tion they lavished upon the imperial principles, and is indicted. His courResolved, That there is no possibility of united action between the two main organi murderer makes interesting and signifiageous action was an inspiration to the zations in this matter; and be it further, cant reading today. The Call quotes an party, a rebuke to the wavering. And the working class, therefore, cannot relinquish the right to use this weapon in the struggle Resolved, That military strikes are fully compatible with Socialist principles that editorial in the New York Times of then Local New York nullifies Debs for its own emancipation.
June 8, 1913, celebrating the Kaiser action by renominating Meyer London twenty fifth anniversary of his reign, for Congress.
which burns verbal incense at the shrine The recent state convention of the London nomination was confirmed by of the Chief of the Huns. One sentence Socialist Party of New York adopted trict, but as the representative of the a resolution calling upon Meyer Lon Socialist Party. To have Meyer Lon a vote of 42 to 38.
in this editorial is particularly instructive: Since he (Kaiser Wilhelm) has don to introduce a bill in Congress for don represent the Socialist Party is to The New York Call did not print a ruled Germany he has not shed a drop the recognition of the Russian Soviet link the party with the European social single word about this opposition to of blood. Indeed? The Kaiser shed Republic. This Socialist representapatriots and betrayers of Socialism, Meyer London; neither did it state that tive in Congress did nothing of the when it should be linked with the in the Central Committee had repudiated demonstrations; his military hireling the blood of workers in strikes and sort; and shortly after appeared in trepid Italian Socialist Party, the Meyer London, nor by what vote the print criticizing the Bolsheviki and French minority Socialists, the Indemurdered scientifically and ruthlessly, Committee subsequently confirmed the coquetting with the counter revolution pendent Socialist Party of Germany, nomination.
90, 000 out of 100, 000 of the Herreros ary forces.
and the Bolsheviki.
in German Africa; more persons were The most discouraging feature of the murdered in minor colonial wars. Is As if the nomination of Meyer LonThe movement in Local New York to whole affair is not the votes cast for this blood which doesn count? But don were not sufficiently demoralizing, demoralize the party attitude on the Meyer London by those who agree with Local New York nominates Edward war started with the Socialist Aldermen him, but the votes cast for him by comthat is the psychology of capitalism.
France was at peace for forty years, Cassidy and Algernon Lee, both of voting for the Liberty Loan. At a gen rades who disagree with his policy. and yet France shed the blood of thouwhom repudiate the accepted attitude of eral party meeting to discuss this ac These latter votes were cast because of sands of persons in colonial wars; the the party on the war.
tion, Algernon Lee frankly justified the opportunism and motives of expediThere is danger ahead, comrades!
same is true of England and the United vote on pro war grounds. The action ency. And opportunism and expediency States.
There is an active movement in the was repudiated, but the work went on, Mexico, the Philippines and are the worst foes of revolutionary Central America the blood shed there and has culminated in the re nomina Socialism.
party to castrate its international Socalso doesn count. And that is the ialist attitude. The openly pro war tion of Meyer London for Congress. Socialist party is a social revolu hell of it. nation may be shedding group, which is small, is exploiting the The nomination of London met with tionary party, and not a party for the blood copiously, but if it is the blood fears, prejudices and opportunism of storm of protest. At a general party acquisition of office; it is an instrument of strikers, if it is the blood of natives the moderates to put over reactionary meeting to nclud nominations, of the proletarian revolution, and not shed in colonial wars the nation, is candidates and policy. Not all who radicals were in the majority, and tried an instrument of petty bourgeois poli at peace. It is dirty and disgusting; voted to re nominate Meyer London want to force a reconsideration. The attempt tics. To nominate a man for office sim. and the tragic part of it all is that this his policy; many, if not the majority, was balked by the stupidity, or duplicity ply because he may be elected, and in attitude prevails among conservative voted affirmatively on the plea that to of the chairman, and by the mean par spite of his misrepresenting our Social labor organizations. But history is rerepudiate London would mean losing liamentary tricks of the moderates, who ist principles, is a petty act of petty lentless; and out of the colonial wars the district the plea made by Alder prevented a vote by wasting time and bourgeois politicians, and not a gesture developed this great war.