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“...then
in existence. The People made more gains in circulation, and
there was not a labor leader pure and simple or impure and
simple who did not know and fear that little paper published
at 184 William street. New York. Within the five years that
De Leon had been a member of the Socialist Labor Party a
transformation had taken place in the movement. It was no
mushroom growth, but a succession of steady gains made in
all directions and in many ways. There was growth not only
in numbers, but the warm breath of social revolution could be
felt in the atmosphere wherever The People was circulated,
wherever the Socialist Labor Party gained a foothold.
The first real national convention (though nominally called
the ninth annual convention) of the Socialist Labor Party was
held in 1896, at Grand Central Palace, New York city. It was
the first real convention of the party not only because all in-
dustrial centers were represented, but mainly because it was a
convention representing the membership...”
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“...years Ago I encountered an individual in a remote part of
Schoharie County, who told me with candor that when the
Democrats were in power we did not have half enough rain.
Similarly there were mental cripples who blamed De Leon for
everything.
In the 28th Assembly District, the district where De Leon
lived, the party organization was about evenly divided between
the loyal S. L. P. men and those who were leaning toward the
opposition. At the business meetings of this district there
were always warm debates. At times De Leon was even
threatened with physical harm by the very fellows who were
afraid to fight the labor fakers in the unions. At every meet-
ing of that district some new slander was hurled at De Leon
by the oppositionists. When De Leon demanded facts, the
slanderers were stuck. They could only make allegations in a
general way; when a specific statement was demanded they
could not give any.
Dc Leons Vulgar Language
The spokesman of the opposition in that district was one
Loewenthal...”
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“...public, and Debs as the hero of Woodstock jail. De Leon I
introduced as the man without friendsand, hesitating there
a moment, I addedamong labor fakers.
The principles and form of organization of the Industrial
Workers of the World became the all-absorbing topic in the
world of labor. It certainly looked as though the new union
would carry everything before it. Workingmen flocked to the
meetings where the speakers of the I. W. W. were to dwell
upon industrial unionism; the atmosphere was getting warm
with the heat generated by the propaganda of revolutionary
economic action of the working class.
Labor Leaders Feared the End
An injury to one is the concern of all, was to be applied
in the everyday struggles of the workers; no more craft divi-
sions to divide the workers; no high initiation fees and dues
to bar them from unionizing; no more labor fakers to use the
union as a ladder to climlb to political office while preaching
no politics in the union.
One thing was sure, that should the I....”
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