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“... such of our members who are born
strategists and who think that these unity conferences pan
be used to maneuver the S. P. into an untenable position.
These fail to understand the peculiar jelly-fish character of
the S. P. organization. They reason from an S. L. P. organ-
ization viewpointtoo much so. It is true that the S. L. P.,
caught in a position that violates accepted tenets of the move-
ment, would suffer in standing and in morale, but the S. P.
never.
And if there be such of our members as really yearn for
unity with the S. P. on sentimental grounds, who have not
gotten over deploring the split and all that sort of thing,
let these by all means unite and leave us alone to fight our
own battles. At best they do not understand and live entire-
ly in the past. Political parties and movements are not im-
mutable; they are organic structures changing with changing
conditions of which conditions they are the products. The
lay of the land in the United States is today...”
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“... International
movement which would surely lead to disaster? The hour has
arrived when the workers must harken to his warning that
right without might is as weak as an infant, and that the power
of the Labor Movement consists, not in Ijeautiful, sentimental
phrases, not in long condemnatory resolutions, not in imitations
of crooked capitalist politics, but only in a powerful, class-
conscious Socialist organization, which, at the same time as it
secures the political power for the workers, also creates the
economic power which is necessary to back up that right.
However, De Leon would feel deeply wounded could he
perceive our giving over a single moment at this hour, when
action is needed, to moping over his death. Such was not his
idea of a soldier in the revolutionary movement. Not for that
did he train and inspire us. He has given his contribution to
to the Movementthe tactics and the constructive basis. It is
for us to build. And in this work of building, in this activity,
De...”
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“... from Chicago. Keir Hardie was ac-
con>panied by Frank Smith, an ex-Salvation Army colonel, a
very clever speaker, but wholly sentimental, who soon after-...”
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“... officials all
consulted De Leon and acted upon his advice!
Nomination of Preston
Another Presidential election came in 1908. The Socialist
Labor Party held its national convention in New York city
For ^e first time in the history of political parties there was
nominated for President of the United States a man who was
accused of murder. The Socialist Labor Party in convention
assembled did nominate as its standard bearer a man whom
the capitalists of Nevada sought to brand as a murderer.
Morrie R. Preston, an official of the Industrial Workers of
the World, in exercising the right to picket, was attacked
by the proprietor of a restaurant the employes of which
were out on strike. The proprietor leveled a pistol at Pres-
ton; Preston in self-defense drew his gun and laid low the
man who wanted to take his life. Class justice, capitalist
class justice, declared that Preston was guilty of murder.
It was not for any sentimental reason that Preston was
picked out by the Socialist...”
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