The Red Conspiracy
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The Red Conspiracy
BY
JOSEPH J. MERETO
1920
THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY
37 West 39th Street, New York
This book proves the existence of the Red Peril. We publish it to warn
America. We ask the help of every loyal American, organization and
institution to put "The Red Conspiracy" in every home, school and
library in the land. Price, cloth bound, $2.15 postpaid; in paper, $1.10
postpaid.
Chapters of the book and parts of chapters can also be supplied in
pamphlet and leaflet form for wide distribution. Write us for
particulars.
The National Historical Society
37 West 39th Street, New York
_Copyright, 1920, by
The National Historical Society_
INTRODUCTION
As a mark of sincere gratitude for all that he owes to his Country from
birth, the author of "The Red Conspiracy" hereby dedicates his work to
his fellow-countrymen, trusting that it will prove a bulwark of defense
for our Star-Spangled Banner and constitutional form of government, now
so violently assailed by disloyal American citizens, as well as by
Marxian rebels from abroad who have deceived many of the uneducated or
trained them in ways of evil.
While "The Red Conspiracy" will appeal strongly to all who are seeking a
clear and comprehensive knowledge of Socialism, Bolshevism, Communism
and I. W. W.'ism, it will be of special value to the workingmen of
America, as it will enable them easily to understand the fallacies of
the Revolutionists and at the same time make them realize the serious
dangers that would result from the adoption of any of the various
radical programs.
Friendship, indeed, the "Knights of the Red Flag" profess for the
laboring man. Such friendship, however, once it is understood will be
spurned, for it is one which would plunge the sons of toil into a
terrible abyss of injustice, deprivation and suffering--wrongs far
greater than those endured from abuses of capitalism and partial
corruption of some government officials.
At the very beginning of this work, the author wishes to express his
heartfelt sympathy for poor men and women who are treated unjustly by
employers, as well as with all who receive too small a recompense for
their wearisome labors. It is, indeed, a source of deep regret to us
that in consequence of injustice and uncharitableness, there are to be
found in this rich republic numbers of our fellow-countrymen, not merely
men and women but even innocent little children, who can scarcely
relieve the pangs of their hunger by the coarsest kinds of food and have
naught but rags for clothes and huts for homes. Feeling deep concern for
these poor people, and for all who suffer either from employers or from
defects of government, we trust that "The Red Conspiracy" will not only
help toward remedying many of the evils that now weigh heavily upon the
working class, but help to avert the far more dreadful evils that would
result from the adoption of Socialism, Bolshevism, Communism, and I. W.
W.'ism.
For many years the author has made a careful study of radicalism, and
during that time has read not only many thousands of Socialist and I. W.
W. papers, leaflets, pamphlets and books, but also most of the leading
works against Socialism in the English language. We have sought to
gather an illuminating collection of quotations, not merely from
standard Marxian publications, but from the speeches of Socialists of
unquestioned authority in the international movement. These open
confessions of the Revolutionists cannot fail to interest the reader and
will certainly arouse the deep indignation of every fair-minded person
against a propaganda of deception which is working fast to wreck modern
civilization.
No doubt the readers of "The Red Conspiracy" will be interested to learn
that many of the revelations made in this book are brought to light
through purchase by the author himself of revolutionary papers and
pamphlets on sale in the spring and summer of 1919 at the National
Headquarters of the Socialist Party, the Chas. H. Kerr Socialist
Publishing Company, and the National Headquarters of the I. W. W., all
in Chicago, and also in leading Socialist bookstores of Chicago, New
York, and Philadelphia. The matter obtained in these centres of
underworld corruption and anarchy could not have been procured had the
author ransacked every public library in the United States.
Though loyalty and patriotism should always inspire us to defend our
country against its foes, we must concede to the Socialists that human
government, whether national, state or municipal, is by no means free
from serious defects; and we are bound to admit that representatives of
the American people, as well as men engaged in business and commerce,
have too often been guilty of dishonesty, injustice and cruelty to the
suffering poor.
Law-abiding citizens, while very much regretting that wrongs such as
these should exist, confidently hope to reduce them to a reasonable
minimum by methods of social reform still more effective than those that
have already brought to an end not a few of the evils prevalent in days
gone by. Prudence and charity suggest to true social reformers
reasonable constitutional and lawful methods by which to correct abuses
instead of adding to their number by adopting Socialism. We have already
seen too much of the work of the "Reds" in Europe and in parts of
Mexico, and we do not wish to behold our fellow-countrymen shedding more
blood and suffering graver evils, under Socialism, than they did during
the terrible World War.
Loyal and patriotic citizens of America, judging from the progress that
has been made in the past in matters of social reform, have every reason
for looking forward confidently to the success of their efforts--unless,
indeed, the Revolutionists, by greatly increasing their numbers, should
divide the workingmen of our country into two big parties, comprising,
respectively, the Socialists and the anti-Socialists, whose main purpose
it would then be to fight each other instead of joining forces against
social abuses. If the Revolutionists should gain very large numbers of
recruits, there would be, on the one hand, a great party consisting of
those whose object it would be to destroy our present form of
government, as well as the entire industrial system, and, on the other,
an opposition party, embracing good citizens and men of common sense and
intelligence, who, because of their realization of the blessings which
privately-owned industries and our constitutional form of government
have bestowed upon the people of America, would be determined to shed
the last drop of their blood in defense of them.
The Socialists, however, are not satisfied with social reform, but are
bent on the total destruction of our system of government and industry,
holding the system itself, rather than the faults and shortcomings of
men, to be by its very nature responsible for all the economic evils of
the day. "Down with the Stars and Stripes" is their cry. "Abolish
religion and the present form of marriage." "Atheism and free-love must
reign supreme." Then, trusting that workingmen will admire anything,
provided that it be adorned in sufficiently glowing colors, they paint
such fabulous pictures of Socialism as the following:
"Hundreds of thousands of former representatives of the state will
enter various professions, and by their intelligence and strength
will help to increase the wealth and comfort of society. Neither
political nor common crimes will be known in the future. Thieves
will have disappeared because private property will have
disappeared, and in the new society everybody will be able to
satisfy his wants easily and conveniently by work. Nor will there
be tramps and vagabonds, for they are the product of a society
founded on private property, and with the abolition of this
institution they will cease to exist. Murder? Why? No one can
enrich himself at the expense of others, and even murder for
hatred or revenge is directly or indirectly connected with the
social system. Perjury, false testimony, fraud, theft of
inheritance, fraudulent failures? There will be no private property
against which these crimes could be committed. Arson? Who should
find satisfaction in committing arson when society has removed all
cause for hatred? Counterfeiting? Money will be but a mere chimera,
it would be love's labor lost! Blasphemy? Nonsense! It will be left
to good Almighty God himself to punish whoever has offended him,
provided that the existence of God is still a matter of
controversy." ("Woman Under Socialism," by Bebel, page 436 of the
1910 edition in English.)
As an immense number of American citizens would not be led astray by
these foolish promises, or by others equally absurd--recalling how
political and common crimes, theft, murder, arson, perjury, worthless
currency, blasphemy and political corruption have ruined Socialist
Russia and made it a hell on earth--a dreadful revolution would be
necessary to compel our countrymen to surrender their cherished rights.
The Socialists, if victorious, after having set up a new form of
government, modeled on their own low ideas of morality, would not only
substitute a free-love regime for the present form of marriage, but,
going still further, would avail themselves of every opportunity for
destroying religion. The evils, however, would by no means end here, for
the new government, whose rapid decay would begin from the very day of
its birth, would in a short time collapse and fall, and then the
citizens of America would have neither a government to protect them from
the ravages of criminals, whose number would be legion, nor yet any
suitable system of organized industries for the employment of men and
the production of the necessaries of life. Consequently, trials and
sufferings incomparably greater than any of the present day would befall
the people in the reign of anarchy that would ensue.
It is to preserve our fellow-countrymen from ever having to endure such
calamities that we have undertaken this work, in which it is proven
conclusively that the "Reds," unless quickly thwarted, will overwhelm us
with unspeakable horrors of crime, rebellion, anarchy and destitution.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION iii
Scope of Book, iii; Value to Workingmen, iii; Sympathy for Labor,
iii; Quotations from Socialist Authorities, iv; Revolutionists Set
Back the Cause of Labor, v; Bebel's Fabulous Picture of Socialist
Possibilities, v; Socialism Means War, vi.
CHAPTER I
SOCIALISM IN OTHER LANDS 1
Modern Socialism Dates from "Communist Manifesto," 1848, 1; Karl
Marx, 1; Engels, 1; International Workingmen's Association, 1;
"Capital" by Marx, the Socialist Bible, 2; Socialism in Germany, 2;
in Bavaria, 4; in Russia, 4; Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, 5;
Socialism in Austria-Hungary, 5; in France, 5; in Great Britain, 8;
in Italy, 9; in Spain, 9; in Belgium, 10; in Holland, 10; in
Bohemia, 10; in Sweden, 11; in Norway, 11; in Argentina, 11; in
Canada, 12; in Bulgaria, 12; in Mexico, 12; in Other Foreign Lands,
12.
CHAPTER II
GROWTH OF SOCIALISM IN THE UNITED STATES 13
Introduced from Europe, 13; Workingmen's Party, 13; Socialist Labor
Party, 13; Socialist Democracy of America, 13; Socialist Party of
America, 13; Socialist Periodicals, 14; Socialist Party Strife and
Bossism, 14; The Internatonal, 16; The First International, 16; The
Second International, 16; International Socialist Bureau, 17;
American Socialists and the International, 17; The Berne
Conference, 18; The Third (Moscow) International, 18; Debs and
American Socialists Recognized by Lenine, 20; American Socialists'
Straddle Resolution on Berne and Moscow, 21.
CHAPTER III
THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF AMERICA DEVELOPS A LEFT WING 23
Revolution Camouflaged as Evolution, 23; "Yellows," "Reds,"
"Rights" and "Lefts," 23; Origin of the Left Wing, 24;
Revolutionary Principles of the Left Wing, 24; Sympathy with
Russian Bolshevism, 25; Industrial Unionism Advocated, 26; Mass
Action and Strikes the Prelude to Armed Rebellion, 26; "Moderate"
Socialism Rejected by American Revolutionists, 28; To Overthrow the
United States Government, 30; Text of Call to Moscow International,
31; American Socialist Party for "Industrial Unionism," 34.
CHAPTER IV
THE FREE-FOR-ALL FIGHT BETWEEN THE RIGHT AND LEFT WINGS 35
Rowdies at Socialist Meetings, 35; Revolution in America "at Hand,"
36; "Existence of the Party at Stake," 37; "The Steering
Committee," 38; Hillquit Says Left Wing is Not "Too Radical," 40;
"Friendly Separation," 41; The Left Wing Gets More "Dictatorship"
Than It Wants, 42; The Rights Expel and Suspend Tens of Thousands,
42; The Socialists' "Immortal" Executive Committee, 42; Manifesto
of the Third (Moscow) International, 45.
CHAPTER V
BIRTH OF THE COMMUNIST AND COMMUNIST LABOR PARTIES 52
Left Wing Conference, 52; Left Wingers Split, 52; Call for a
Communist Convention, 53; Too Many Would-Be Lenines and Trotzkys,
54; The "Firing Squad," 55; National Emergency Convention, 55; Who
Called the "Cops"? 57; A Convention on Each Floor, 57; The
Communist and Communist Labor Parties Organize, 57; Their
Principles, 58; "Reds" No Worse Than "Yellows," 58; Bolshevism of
the Socialist Party, 59; Utterances at the Emergency Conference,
60; Revolutionary Character of the Socialist Party, 65;
Trachtenberg on Affiliation with Moscow International, 68;
Glassberg Letter, 69; Victor L. Berger, 70; American Socialists
Join the Third International, 74; Hillquit Encourages the
Communists, 74; The Socialist Party's Revolutionary Manifesto,
71-75.
CHAPTER VI
SOCIALISM IN THEORY 79
Socialist Office-holding is Not Socialism, 77, 85; Collective
Ownership, 80; I. W. W. Point of View, 80; Socialism Explained
Diversely by Its Leaders, 80; Hillquit's Notion, 81; Debs' Demand,
81; American Socialists to "Capture the Government," 82; Analysis
of Collective Ownership, 82; All Women to Work, 84; Atheism and
Free-Love, 85; Poetry from the "Call," 86; Don't Judge Socialism by
Reform Planks in Platforms, 87; Socialists Attack Their Own Social
Reform Program, 89; Unpatriotic Attitude of Socialists in the War,
92.
CHAPTER VII
SOCIALISM IN PRACTICE 94
Herron's Socialist Day Dream, 94; Communist Experiments in Russia
and Hungary, 94; Socialism in Yucatan, 96; "Zapata, Great Socialist
Leader of Southern Mexico," 97; Act of the Second: "Zapata, a
Tyrant, Who Played a Huge Joke on 100,000 Confiding Workers Whom He
Exploited," 101; Socialist Experiment in Russia, 103.
CHAPTER VIII
THE I. W. W. 105
A "Dangerous" Organization, 105; Its Origin, 105; Industrial
Unionism Explained, 106; Organization by Industries, 107; I. W. W.
Preamble, 107; Revolutionary Aims, 108; Conceptions of Right and
Wrong, 108; Violent Tactics, 100; Revolution by Means of the
"General Strike," 109; "Government Will Disappear," 110;
Remuneration for Work and the "Man-Day," 111; Doctrine and Examples
of Sabotage, 111.
CHAPTER IX
INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD IN ACTION 114
I. W. W. Trials and Socialist Support, 114; Revolutionary Threats,
115; Plotting Against the United States, 116; I. W. W.
Publications, 116; Propaganda Among Foreigners, 117; The Paterson
Strike, 117; The I. W. W. Atheistic and Anti-Religious, 118;
Arousing the Negro, 119; Arousing the Chinese, 120; I. W. W. Songs,
120; Socialists Favor the I. W. W., 122; Pretended Anti-Sabotage
Policy of the Socialist Party, 124; Gene Debs in Love with Bill
Haywood, 126; I. W. W. Attitude Toward Bolshevism, 128; Drawing
Together of Radicals, 129; "Left Wing" Socialists and the I. W. W.,
131; I. W. W. Help in Establishing Russian Bolshevism, 133;
Socialist Drift Toward I. W. W.'ism, 135; Growth of Syndicalism
Throughout the World, 136.
CHAPTER X
BOLSHEVIST RULE IN RUSSIA 138
Rise of Russian Bolshevists, 138; Bolshevist Constitution, 139;
Land Confiscation in Socialist Russia, 140; Peasant Warfare, 141;
The Russian Soviets, 142; "Liberty" in Socialist Russia, 145;
Justice in Bolsheviki-land, 146; Bolshevist Atheism and Religious
Persecution, 146; Church and State "Separated," 147; Michigan Left
Wing "Lets the Cat Out of the Bag," 149; Education Under Lenine's
Government, 151.
CHAPTER XI
RUSSIA RED WITH BLOOD AND BLACK WITH CRIME 153
The Red Terror, 153-5; "Take Our Lives But Spare Our Children,"
156; 500 Butchered in a Night, 157; Horrors of Bolshevik Prisons,
158; Atrocities and Tortures, 159; Petrograd, "City of the Dead,"
160; 76 Uprisings, 161; "Criminal Element" in Office, 161; "A Lapse
Into Barbarity," 162; Nationalization of Women, 163; "The Bureau of
Free Love," 166; Forcible Abolition of Celibacy, 167; The "Call"
Lauds Bolshevism, 168; "S. O. S., An Appeal to Humanity," 169;
"Every Pore" of Russia's "Body Shedding Blood," 170; Lenine Working
for World-Wide Bolshevism,[1] 170; Official Bolshevist[2] Organ in
New York, 172; American Socialists Want Bolshevism, 173;
Bolshevism's Economic Failure Revealed by Lincoln Eyre, 173; After
Destroying "Capitalism" Lenine Seeks "Foreign Capital," 174;
Bolshevism Has Sacrificed "the Health of Future Generations," 175;
Trotzky Offers "Foreign Capitalists" a "Share of the Profits" from
Russian Conscript Labor, 175.
CHAPTER XII
EUROPEAN SPARTACIDES AND COMMUNISTS 177
Spartacides of Germany, 177; Origin of Name, 177; Violent
Principles, 177; Rowdies and Ruffians Approved by American
Socialists, 177; Spartacan Terrorism, 178; Communists of Bavaria,
178; Terrorism in Munich, 179; The Peasants Rise While the
Communists Plunder, 179; American Socialists Allied With the Scum
of Bavaria, 179; Communists of Hungary, 180; Free-Lovers, 180;
Churches Converted Into Music Halls, 180; Budapest Painted Red,
180; American Socialists Lined Up With European Thugs, 181.
CHAPTER XIII
THE BOLSHEVISM OF AMERICAN SOCIALISTS 182
Pink Booklet "About Russia," 182; Lenine Tells Why Bolshevism
Requires "A World Revolution," 183; American Socialists "Greet"
Bolshevist "Ambassador," 184; Poem on Liebknecht, 185; The "Call"
Endorses Communism, Bolshevism and Spartacism, 186; Hillquit Hails
Foreign Radicals, 188; American Socialist Papers Are Bolshevist,
188-93; Debs a "Bolshevik" and "Flaming Revolutionist," 194.
CHAPTER XIV
VIOLENCE, BLOODSHED AND ARMED REBELLION 196
Socialist Riots, 196; Trouble at Gary, 197; Haywood Says Socialists
are Conspirators Against U. S. Government, 199; Jack London on the
International "Fighting Organization," 200; Berger Says Socialists
"Must Shoot," 201; "Blow Open the Vaults of the Banks," 202;
Haywood and Bohn Say the Socialist "Does Not Hesitate to Break" the
Laws, 203; "I am Law Abiding Under Protest," Says Debs, "and Bide
My Time," 203; Scott Nearing "Wants War," 205.
CHAPTER XV
PATRIOTISM RIDICULED AND DESPISED 207
Socialists Against Patriotism, 207; American Flag Scouted, 207;
"Honor the Uniform? No, Spit on It," 208; The "Call" Derides Our
Soldiers Returning from France, 208; "I Spit Upon Your Flag! I
Loathe the Stars and Stripes! To Hell With Your Flag! Down With the
Stars and Stripes! Run Up the Red Flag!" 210; Debs Attacks the
American Flag, 210.
CHAPTER XVI
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST OUR COUNTRY 212
I. W. W. Conspirators, 213; "The Future of Socialism Lies in the
General Strike, Armed Insurrection and Forcible Overthrow of All
Existing Social Conditions," 213; Left Wing Socialists by Strikes
and Industrial Unions to Establish "the Dictatorship of the
Proletariat," 215; Government Raids, 215; Communist Parties for
Overthrow of Government, 215-219; Socialist Party More Dangerous
Than the Communists, 219-21; American Socialists Part of the
"Invisible Empire," 222-4; Secret Resignations in the Socialist
Party, 225-6; Socialist Party for "Mass Action," "General Strikes"
and "Industrial Unionism" to Seize "the Industries and Control of
the Government of the United States," 227-32; Winnipeg General
Strike, 230-1; The Socialist Party Joins the Third (Moscow)
International, 232-7; Imitates Moscow's Program and Methods,
237-40; Socialists Acclaim Debs, the Convict, 242-5; Hillquit
Threatens the New York Legislature with a General Strike, 245-6;
Socialists Disguise Their Principles at the New York Assembly
Trial, 246-51; Walling Rejects Socialist Peace Pretensions, 251;
The Russian Soviet Government Talks Peace While Its International
Plots War, 252-7; Wholesale Law-Breaking of American Socialists
Justified at the Assembly Trial, 257-62; Their Traitorous
Principles and Propaganda, 263-66; Socialists "Enter the
Government" to Destroy It, 266; Forewarned Is Forearmed, 266-7.
CHAPTER XVII
SOCIALISM A PERIL TO WORKINGMEN 268
Socialist Chaos and Anarchy, 268; Discontent in the Socialist
State, 269; Perils of Confiscation, 270-2; Liberty Bonds and
Insurance, 273; Unworkable Labor Schemes, 273-7; Forcing Women to
Work, 277; Political Corruption, 277; Quarrels Over Religion and
Free-Love, 278; Lincoln Eyre Reveals Socialism's Economic Failure
in Russia, 279-91; "Lenine and Trotzky More Absolute Than Any
Czar," 281; Starvation and Disease, 282-3; Military Confiscation of
Russian Labor, 283-8; Lenine and Trotzky Invite "Foreign Capital"
to Share the Profits from Exploiting the Wage-Slaves of
Bolsheviki-land, 288-9; Death for Russian Wage-Slaves Who Strike
Against Their Socialist Task-Masters, 290.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST RELIGION ABROAD 292
Ingersoll Argument Refuted, 293; Economic Determinism, 293; Atheism
of European Socialists, 294-5; "There Must Be War Between Socialism
and the Church," 296; Socialists "All more or Less Avowed
Atheists," 297; "No Man Can Be Consistently Both a Socialist and a
Christian," 298; Socialism Persecutes Religion in Yucatan, 298.
CHAPTER XIX
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST RELIGION IN AMERICA 301
Socialism Turns Ministers Into Atheists, 301-2; Spargo Says
Socialism Cannot Tolerate Religious Schools, 302; Anti-Religious
Poems in "Call," 303; The "Call" Has "No Use" for "Christ," 304;
"Religion Spells Death to Socialism," as Socialism "Does to
Religion," 305; "Socialism Logical Only When It Denies the
Existence of God," 306; "Christmas Is a Crime," 307; Blasphemous
Socialist Catechism for Children, 308; A Socialist Says "Socialism
Is Anti-Christ," 309; Hypocrisy of Hillquit, Berger and Other
Leaders in Concealing the Socialist Party's Irreligion to Get
Votes, 310-15; Hillquit Says "Ninety-Nine Per Cent of Us" Are
"Agnostic," 311.
CHAPTER XX
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE FAMILY 317
Socialist Books Advocate Free-Love, 317; Socialists Dodge the Truth
by Arguments About Prostitution, 318-19; The "Call's" Poem on "The
Harlot," 320; Socialist Advocates of Free-Love, 320-2; Victor
Berger's Milwaukee Company Sells Free-Love Literature, 322;
Free-Love Stuff Sold by Kerr and Company and the National Office of
the Socialist Party, 323-9.
CHAPTER XXI
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE RACE 330
The "Call," chief Organ of the Socialist Party in New York, An
Obscene Vehicle of Propaganda for Race-Suicide, Teaching "All
Within Its Polluting Reach to Violate One of the Laws of the State
of New York," 330-41.
CHAPTER XXII
SOCIALIST ORGANIZATION AND "BORING IN" 342
Organizing Activity of Socialists, 342; Dues-Paying Members, Locals
and Branches, 342; 400 Socialist Periodicals in the United States,
343; Use of Books and Leaflets, 344; Financial Support by Rich
Radicals, 345; Red Propaganda to Proselytize Labor and Promote
Strikes, 346; Effect on the American Federation of Labor, 347; I.
W. W.'s "Boring from Within," 348; William R. Foster, An I. W. W.,
Leads the A. F. of L. Steel Strike, 348-9.