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“...REMINISCENCES OF DANIEL DE LEON. 15
delegate not voting. It is interesting to note that even such
a dyed-in-the-wool labor skate as one G. A. Hoehn, of St.
Louis, caved in and voted in favor of taking that revolution-
ary step forward, though, no doubt, never for a moment in-
tending to live up to his vote. But for all that it had been a
battle royal, the speeches made setting forth clearly the new
road the Party was to journey on. Sanial and Vogt took a
very prominent part in that debate and De Leons effort,
closing the same, was particularly brilliant.
Gold and Silver in 1896
The political situation of that day was interesting and
was also decidedly hot. The capitalist forces had, at the out-
set of the Presidential campaign, divided along the line of the
creditor and debtor divisions of capitalist interests, the for-
mer waving the full dinner-pail, while the latter allegedly-
objected to the crucifixion of mankind "on a cross of gold.
The Republicans, headed by...”
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“... the exclusion of law-
yers; c) Episode of speechesDebs, I, etc.; d) Episode of
debate on adoption of preamble.
I have arranged with the stenographer for this sequence,
subject to Chases decision, he, possibly finding practical or...”
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“... season is so solemn that I shall speak solemnly.
Upon the wisdom of your acts it now depends whether the
ball is to be kicked over the goal within appreciable time, or
not. The S. L. P., of which it has been slanderously said is
run by one man, myself, just because it is a self-directing
body, is sane enough to listen with respectful attention (even
tho it may disagree) to one who has so long filled my post
in its ranks. My individual efforts may be relied upon by
you, if you desire them, towards the Work that circumstances
have combined to cut out for you.
Men who are incapable of appreciating straight-forward
and consistent action have long been pronouncing the S. L.
P. dead, more lately also the I. W. W., and myself as merely
anxious to hang on to something. The soundness of the
.S. L. P. principle, coupled with the power of its press, in-
sures it against any such death. As I stated in the course
of the recent debate AS TO POLITICSso long as its mis-
sion remains...”
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“..., except
in one particular, the date of his birth, which I have correct-
ed according to his own statement.
"Modest and unassuming, with a manner and countenance
as open as that of a boy, De Leons appearance gives the lie
to the claims of his enemies that he is a boss among S. L. P.
men. When speaking, De Leon presents a striking appear-
ance as he calmly and logically strings together the facts of
his argument or coolly picks to pieces the statements of an
opponent in debate.
De Leons career is no less remarkable than his person-
ality. Born on Dec. 14, 1852, on the island of Curacoa, off the
coast of Venezuela, he was early sent to Europe to be edu-
cated in a school at Hildesheim, Germany, and later transfer-
red to the famous University of Leyden, from which he gradu-
ated in 1872, having mastered German, Spanish, Dutch, Latin,
French, English and ancient Greek, and made a deep study
of History, Philosophy and Mathematics, besides being able
to read Italian, Portuguese...”
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“...128
DANIEL DE LEONOUR COMRADE.
more. This is probably the view of the N. E. C. and should
not be misconstrued as being opposition.
Fraternally,
(Signed) O. M. Howard.
Holyoke, Mass., March 27, 1899.
Mr. D. De Leon.
Dear Comrade:Comrade Malloney wrote to me today
asking for a letter I had received from the Debs Headquarters
in Chicago. (There is going to be a debate between Malloney
and Gordon at Winchester.) In looking up this letter I came
across two letters you wrote to me at the time of the Casson
affair and I owe it to you to admit what you prophesied has
happened. What seemed to me then a harsh and dogmatical
letter seems now a bit of mighty good and friendly advice.
Events proved your words true. I have sent the letters to
Malloney to read them to his audience in case Gordon should
come out with his old chestnuts about your bossism and tyr-
anny, etc. It took me several years to see the truth, but it is
all the plainer now after reading your letters, and then...”
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“...WITH DE LEON SINCE 89. 21
at the time Gompers had in mind.] I read it, but found there
was nothing in it. He advised me to read some book called
Politische Zeitwinke, but before parting he saw in one of my
coat pockets a copy of The People and in the other a copy of
Labor. This paper, said Gompers, pointing to Labor, is all
right; we have no fault to find with Labor, but that other pa-
per you have there is no good. Beware of the man who writes
up that sheet.
That was enough for me. If I had ever had any doubt as
to the correctness of De Leons attitude toward labor leaders
of the Gompers kind, Gompers removed it. Here was the gen-
eralissimo of labor leaders telling me that he read Das
Kapital but found nothing in it; praising one Socialist pa-
per and denouncing the other. To be sure, I dropped the pa-
per praised by Gompers like a hot potato.
At this convention Gompers boastfully declared that he
was willing to debate the question with any Socialist, but that
it...”
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“...Works by DanielJ De Leon
As to Politics,
- Bergers Hit and Misses.
Burning Question of Trades Unionism.
De Leon-Berry Debate.
De Leon-Carmody Debate.
De Leon-Harriman Debate.
Father Gassoniana
- Fifteen Questions
Flashlights of the Amsterdam Congress.
Industrial Unionism.
James Madison and Karl Marx.
Marx on Mallock.
Money.
- Reform or Revolution.
' Socialism vs. Anarchism.
Socialist Reconstruction of Society.
Two Pages from Roman History.
The Trusts.
Unity.
Vulgar Economy.
Watson on the Gridiron.
What Means This Strike?
Woman Suffrage....”
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