626 THE CLASS STRUGGLE EDITORIALS 62 tation of having candidated for almost every office in the gift of his party without ever having been elected, whose reputation as a cheap wit after dinner speaker makes him a popular guest at such intellectual feasts, charged the red flag in a venomous speech that delighted the assembled artists and scientists to such a degree that they rose to their feet and cheered this brave defender of simon pure Americanism, when he cried out, striking a melodramatic attitude: Let us dedicate ourselves so that never again shall be raised the voice or the symbol of disloyalty to what is decent on this earth.
The red flag of anarchy must go or the red blood of the martyrs has been shed in vain.
But Mr. Schwab, the labor hater from the Bethlehem Steel Company, recently the much heralded one dollar man shipbuilder, who, only a few months ago showed so much understanding for the ideals of the Socialist movement, that some of our more optimistic comrades were almost ready to welcome him into the party, rehabilitated himself by doing his bit against the red flag of so called Socialism. He closed with the demand that the red flag must be wiped off of this democratic earth if democracy shall survive.
Three days later the obedient tool of capitalism, Mayor Hylan, issued his red flag order to the police commissioner.
And again three days later, in the Board of Aldermen, Kenneally, Charles Murphy own alderman, introduced a Red Flag ordinance, that was adopted a week later against the Socialist votes and that of one lone Democrat by the servile henchmen who are our city fathers. Since then Chicago and Minneapolis have passed similar ordinances, so that it is safe to assume that, very soon, we will have a universal Red Flag prohibition in the United States, especially as the National Security League has already announced its intention of having such a bill introduced in Congress.
The National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party that will be in session in January must plan an energetic and aggressive campaign against the red flag anathema. The fight against the red flag is by far more important than is generally understood, for its purpose is not merely a fight against a symbol, but against the aggressive and revolutionary character of our movement. The capitalists of this country have no objections to academic banquet speeches and intercollegiate conferences. But they do object to the demonstrative emphasis laid upon the revolutionary character of an aggressive and militant fighting machine. They object to the red flag because it is the incarnation of this spirit, as the open challenge to oppressing, exploiting capitalist misrule, and as the insignia of international solidarity with the revolutionary forces in Europe. And, above all, it should not be forgotten, that this anti red flag campaign is a part of the great drive upon public opinion against the Bolsheviki in Russia and the radicals in Germany. The American public must be mentally and spiritually prepared to enter into the coming onslaught against revolutionary Europe, and nothing will do this so effectively as the creation of a wholesome fear of the red flag and of all that it signifies.
It is a mistake to regard this exception law against the socialist movement as unimportant. The fight for the red flag is more than the fight for a mere meaningless symbol. We should go into the battle with all the enthusiasm of which our movement is capable, and use every weapon that is in our possession to force its retraction. Our delegation to the Board of Aldermen should break, once and for all, with their Sysiphus task of exclusively proposing and sponsoring reform measures that never see the light of day. They should adopt new aggressive and obstructive methods, and in the interests of the party they represent, should vote against every and all financial bills and appropriations in the Board until the Red Flag ordinance has been repealed and the police department has stopped its work for a boycott of Socialist meetings by the hall owners, e. until the Socialist Party of Greater New York has been restored to an equal footing with all other political organizations.