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“...WITH DE LEON SINCE '89. 5
earnest, that the time for experimenting with all sorts of
uTfi hat the Socialist Labor Party
should become a real political party, not only a party of prop-
aganda. Several Sections, under the leadership of W Rosen-
berg and F. Bushe, editor of the Workmen-'s Advocate, the of-
ficial p^ty organ^-the American Section of New York among
em 00k the stand that the time had arrived for the Social-
ists to enter the political arena not here and there and at in-
definite periods, but to unfurl the banner of International So-
cialism on American soil without compromise or fusion with
any other political party. It was here that the New Yorker
Volkszeitung did its nefarious work by using its influence to
drive both Rosenberg and Bushe out of the party, and all
those who stood with them as well.
Rosenberg and Bushe thought they had the whole party
organization to back them up, and without doubt the majority
S infliL r"* But what wa a little
tene o...”
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“...WITH DE LEON SINCE 89. 15
not least, the road to victory, tfhe road of uncompromising rev-
olutionary tactics was clearly pointed out. Truthful Reeorder
of Labors Struggles, Unflinching Advocate of Labors
Rights, Intrepid Foe of Labors Oppressorsthese were the
mottoes of The People.
Those for whom the pace set was too swift were asked to
stay in the rear; a few did slink away. Still, there were those
who thought that if the name Socialist were dropped, progress
would be more rapid. To them De Leon replied that no his-
toric movement can sail under false colors.
There were not many who openly opposed De Leon in the
party. In New York, now and then, a fusionist to whom the
S. L. P. seemed to follow a path top narrow would stand up
for more tolerance, broadness, and fusion. Such was Char-
les Sotheran, wlho, being somewhat of a spellbinder, made a
little fuss for a while. Sotheran, however ridiculous this may
sound today, charged De Leon with wanting to establish tac...”
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“...IW
DANIEL DE LEONAN ORATION.
He found the movement with no fixed purpose, drifting
with every wind and tide, without compass or direction. It
was a party of fuiion, confusion and compromise, lacking
self-confidence and self-sufficiency, seeking to hide its weak-
nesses behind the skirts of every movement, no matter how
absurd, that professed to oppose the powers that be. It was
a tail for the Greenback-Labor Party and the United Labor
Party, and lost its identity as a Socialist movement in each,
until the master hand of De Leon plucked it like a brand
from the burning and established it as the only political party
in America that was thoroughly self-sufficient and could
stand alone, refusing compromise and condemning fusion
the undaunted Socialist Labor Party. He gave it a purpose
and a goal.
He found it a movement in the hands of those, however
well meaning, who could not grasp the genius or spirit of
American institutions, and who while conforming in dress
and...”
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“...DANIEL DE LEONAN ORATION.
181
every fool, whose pet views or private interests were endan-
gred, arrayed himself against him. Ambition, envy, hatred,
malice, and downright dishonesty and ignorance, recogniz-
ing that he was the head and front of this movement, as-
sailed him personally and sought to stay his hand. But he
met them all staunchly and, conscious of the right, fearless-
ly pursued his course and left to us a movement whose ene-
mies are without and not within.
He bequeathed to us a movement self-reliant, confident
of itself, scorning compromise and fusion, in harmony with
the spirit and progress of American institutions and Amer-
ican capitalist development. He gave it a literature and a
language all its own, in keeping with its great purpose and
sufficient for its great needs. When he entered the party he
found Socialism a qualifying adjectiveand he left it a noun.
He found it credulous: he left it critical. He found it un-
informed, intractable...”
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