MIA > Archive > Wilhelm Liebknecht
Original source: English-language news reports in the Connecticut-based socialist newspaper Workmen’s Advocate.
Transcription Source: As reprinted in Wilhelm Liebknecht and German Social Democracy: A Documentary History, pp. 397-404.
Public Domain: This work is free of any copyright restrictions.
Transcription and Markup: Bill Wright for marxists.org, June 2023.
Articles originally compiled by Robert Bills.
Dr. Edward Aveling and his wife, son-in-law and daughter of Karl Marx, will visit this country in September, on an extensive lecture tour.
H. M. Hyndman, the well-known orator and author of The Historical Basis of Socialism and other publications on social science, will also arrive in September. He intends to stay among us for several months.
Herr Liebknecht, the scholar and Socialist member of the German Reichstag, has accepted an invitation by the Socialistic Labor Party, and will be with us for three months this autumn. He is master of the English language.
Lawrence Gronlund, author of The Cooperative Commonwealth, at present on a lecture tour in England, Scotland and France, is writing a book on “Danton,” or the French Revolution from a Socialist standpoint. It will go to press in September. Next spring Mr. Gronlund will return to this country and devote himself to our common cause.
—Labor Lyceum
Series 2. WORKMEN’S ADVOCATE No. 44 (New Haven, Connecticut, Sunday, August 1, 1886)
The Nestor of the German Social Democracy, William Liebknecht, arrived in New York last Monday by the steamer “Servia.” Notwithstanding his many years of almost uninterrupted battle against “the powers that be,” he is a vigorous-looking man, with slightly gray hair and beard, and in private conversation full of humor. He was received by a large delegation from various unions, melding Bricklayer’s Union, No. 11, the Carl Sahm Club, Shoemakers, Painters, Carpenters, the Central Labor Union, the Socialist Sections, and the staff of the [New York] Volkszeitung.
Herr Liebknecht will speak in this city at Germania Hall on Saturday evening, October 2, under the auspices of the local Socialist sections.
Series 2. WORKMEN’S ADVOCATE No. 51 (New Haven, Connecticut, Sunday, September 19, 1886)
New York turned out over 25,000 strong to greet the distinguished guests of the Socialist Party at Brommer’s Union Park, on the Souther Boulevard, last Sunday. The gigantic pavilion was crowded to the doors long before the arrival of the guests, but the people were entertained meanwhile with vocal and instrumental music of a high order, according to a liberal program. The Carl Sahm Club orchestra and the Egalité, Lasalle, Orpheus, Morrisania and New York Socialist Singing Societies vied with each other in charming harmony and songs of freedom. It was a people’s day, and the spirit of the occasion was manifest in the hopeful as well as determined countenances of the multitude.
At about four o’clock the guests appeared on the tribune, and the applause that greeted them was tremendous. Short speeches of welcome were made by Messrs. Walther, of New York and Busche, of New Haven, on behalf of the German and American Socialists respectively.
Mr. Liebknecht then stepped forward and said that he was overcome by the magnificent reception of himself and his friends. He had long hesitated to cross the ocean to come here, for he believed that his battleground was in Germany. But the battle for Socialism was spreading, and the decision of his comrades in the old country overcame his scruples, and he was here. He brought the hearty greetings of the German Socialists to their brothers in America. “The German Social Democracy would not have granted me this furlough were they not convinced of the importance of the movement here for the future welfare of labor. The glorious enthusiasm of this meeting is a guarantee that you will assist us in our work of agitation, and we assure you that we shall perform our duty with all our might.”
Then Dr. Aveling stood up before the cheering crowd. He spoke clearly and deliberately, expressing his gratification at the manner of their reception, impressing it upon the minds of his hearers that Socialism intended to change the present condition of society by organization and education. Noticing the array of policemen present Dr. Aveling said: “I hope the police will go back to their employers and tell them that a Socialist meeting needs no police. We can preserve order without their presence.” He complimented the Germans for their zeal in the cause and declared that the American workmen would soon “feel the necessity for cooperating in the work of reforms.”
Mrs. Aveling was greeted with a veritable storm of applause. Her voice could not reach many of the thousands that stood before her, but they understood the meaning of her presence — they knew that she was the worthy daughter of Karl Marx come to continue his work. After Mrs. Aveling had finished speaking, the orchestra played the “Marseillaise” and when the inspiring strains died away, the editor of The New York Volkszeitung, Mr. Schewitsch, was recognized and called upon by many in the audience to speak. He responded in a short speech, ending with the words: “Workers of all countries, unite.”
After the speeches, the guests passed through the crowd, and many kind words were spoken. A policeman became excited when he saw an old friend of Liebknecht’s place his hand on the shoulder of the veteran, and elbowed toward him to arrest him. He was restrained by cooler heads, but the animus of this proceeding was plain to the bystanders — he was suffering from a disease peculiar to New York policemen — club mania.
The elevated railroad was taxed to its utmost to transfer the great crowd back to the city, and yet the great dailies pretended not to notice the extraordinary importance of the meeting.
Henry George came in for a round of applause when his name was mentioned by Mr. Schewitsch, and the list of names for his canvass were considerably augmented during the day. The affair was the greatest of the kind ever held in New York, and was only an earnest of what is coming ere long.
Series 2. WORKMEN’S ADVOCATE No. 52 (New Haven, Connecticut, Sunday, September 26, 1886)
The tour of our distinguished Comrades Liebknecht and Aveling has been a series of successes. The more important the cities in which they have spoken the greater are the results. Detroit and Milwaukee had brilliant assemblages which will without doubt bear fruit in good season. The meeting in Chicago on 5th inst., however, was simply grand. The Capitalistic press conceded an audience of 3,500. An interesting report of the western tour had reached us and we give it in full:
The visit to Chicago was not unnaturally looked forward to with more interest, perhaps almost anxiety, than that to any other town in the states. In the first place the town is in a very ferment of excitement; it has for months been more or less in a state of siege. Nowhere perhaps at the present time does party feeling on all sides run so high as here. Then, too, Chicago has been considered the stronghold of anarchism. It is true that the Anarchism there today smacks strangely of scientific Socialism. Thus, after preaching against all organization, and especially against political action, we suddenly find these Herrn Anarchisten demanding organization, and claiming the marvelous triumphs of the Labor Party at the late election as their special work! However, “there is more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just,” and if for the future Anarchists are content to adopt our program and work for it their sins may be forgiven them. As a matter of fact, the so-called Anarchists are no Anarchists at all. As usual, there are about one man and a half who are Anarchists and who make more noise than twelve other men. As usual, too, these one and a half have behaved disgracefully. The one paper that misrepresented Liebknecht and the Avelings, and attacked them in that peculiarly refined and delicate fashion affected by Herr [Johann] Most and his followers, was the Chicago Arbeiter Zeitung. However, as the offender has had a very thorough beating for his behavior, we will hope that he will learn better manners for the future, and we need say no more about the matter.
The Liberal League — composed of many well-known Chicago people — had invited the Avelings to be present on Sunday night, and the hall where their meetings are held was packed, and a very pleasant, and we believe useful, hour or two were spent there. Dr. Aveling spoke for some half hour or so, setting forth the central doctrine of Socialism. After the speech, which was listened to with the deepest attention by the singularly intelligent, educated audience (counting among their number many prominent lawyers, doctors, Knights of Labor, women’s rights advocates, Freethinkers, etc.), those who wished to ask questions were requested to do so. Many of the usual type, and many that showed very unusual anxiety to master the meaning of Socialism, were asked, and responded to by Dr. and Mrs. Aveling. Then time was allowed for discussion. Here again many of the stereotyped remarks were made, and on the other hand also some more intelligent arguments brought forward. These having been summed up and replied to by Dr. Aveling, the meeting broke up after first voting nem. con. (only some dozen people out of the two to three hundred present not voting) that “those present believe the theory of surplus value to be true, and are of the opinion that the wage system should be abolished.” This was put by our excellent friend and Comrade Morgan, and so many cried out they would “second it” that it is impossible to say who the seconder really was. Among them we may mention Schilling, Simpson, Warner and two ladies whose names we do not know.
The Chicago press having been giving our friends admirable free advertisements in the shape of “interviews,” “personals,” “leaders,” “letters,” it was a foregone conclusion that the meeting to be held on Monday night at Aurora Turner Hall would be a great success. But probably neither friends nor foes expected quite such a success as we had. The only people who said it was not a success were the disappointed ones who couldn’t get in! As it was, too many friends had been admitted, for the gallery threatened to give way and bent quite in at the center. And small wonder. People were standing on the forms, between the forms, almost upon each other. In the body of the hall it was the same, and as several of our friends said, “We couldn’t all applaud at once because we were packed so closely that some of us could not move our arms unless those standing by put theirs down to give us a turn.”
Both Dr. and Mrs. Aveling spoke at some length, about two hours between them, after having been introduced in a very pithy little speech by Mr. Morgan, one of the best workers in our party. Dr. Aveling and Mrs. Aveling both, while disclaiming all connection with Anarchism, made forcible appeals for a new trial for the men so unfairly condemned. They said that such a trial was not to be asked for as a favor, but as a right, and in the name of common justice. Both speakers also dealt with the press, and we need hardly say that although the reports of the Chicago papers were tolerably fair, these portions of the speeches that denounced or ridiculed the papers have not appeared in extenso. But the audience was thoroughly delighted, and the only people who spent a maurais quart d’ heure were the reporters present. The enthusiasm of the meeting was immense, and every “point” made by the speakers told, especially when the people were called upon to join the S. L. P., to make this a large American Socialistic Party, and to carry on the work begun at the last election. We are certain that an incalculable amount of good has been done the cause by their visit, and much of the confusion engendered of Anarchistic muddleheadedness cleared up.
We should also add that while the Chicago people were delighted with the result of their meetings, our visitors were no less delighted. They have repeatedly said that they have nowhere found more excellent comrades than here, and a section that numbers among it such men as are working for the party in Chicago cannot fail to make that party a great power.
On Tuesday morning before leaving Chicago, the Avelings had to speak at Bloomington that evening. An informal kind of meeting was gotten up by a young Chicago doctor and his wife, both intensely interested in the Socialist movement, and anxious to have some of the “cultured” people meet and talk with our English agitators. At this meeting a bishop, numerous clergymen, businessmen and lawyers, grandes dames, lady doctors and writers were present, and an interesting debate followed, both Dr. Aveling and his wife telling the good folk that their “culture” wasn’t anything to be very proud of. It was interesting to note that many of these people, the better among them, were entirely on the socialistic side, and not a few had “voted the labor tick.” One “lady” present was much exercised in mind because Socialists are supposed to favor the holding of women in common! And the “lady” had great difficulty in understanding that woman was not a commodity, though under our present wretched system her womanhood is but too often the only commodity she commands, and just as the man sells his labor-power she sells her womanhood, whether for marriage or as a prostitute.
After a stay in Chicago that will long be remembered by both the visitors and those visited, the Avelings went off to Bloomington. Though it poured with rain, although the workers in Bloomington are still comparatively well off, the meeting was a good one. The speakers laid themselves out specially to showing that though comparatively well off by the very necessity of things, these people must sooner or later be forced into the ranks of the poor or more wretched workers or of the unemployed, while the small shopkeepers were invariably doomed to be “gobbled” by the big ones. Some good new members were made, and the last words spoken to the Avelings as they went away early the next morning were that when they came again there would be “a large American section.”
On Wednesday night the Avelings spoke at La Salle, the hall being filled in every corner, almost entirely by the workers for the mines, glass and engine works, a Scotchman, Mr. MacLaughlin, being chairman. Among those present was, however, also one of the millionaires of La Salle, one [Edward C.] Hegeler, the largest zinc-works employer. He is a man with great pretensions to superior intellect and scientific attainment. He is a friend and follower of Herbert Spencer, and a great “individualist.” As to the opinion of his unfortunate employees (though as things go Hegeler is a tolerably decent person) that is not quite at one with him. The work they do is of the most unhealthy and dangerous kind, and their scarred and burned and disfigured faces are hardly human. The misery of the La Salle people is intense. The “best” wages, wretchedly insufficient for even the common decencies of life, and Poles are constantly being imported to undersell the rest of the workers. Lately, some of the Poles, beginning to understand, had joined hands with their American and German fellows, and at once the employers, the Individualist Hegeler among them, sent for a fresh batch of people! These not speaking the language, used to the most miserable existence, and positively hopeless, are of course mere slaves, and must work for any wages. This the Avelings made very clear, and their simple exposition of the manner in which the wealth of all the employers comes from unpaid labor evidently impressed the people deeply. A collection was taken and Mr. Hegeler actually gave five dollars. But far more interesting is the fact that of their little [funds] the wretched people also gave to help the cause, ten dollars being given by them. In the face of such facts, how can we help feeling proud and hopeful of the work that our party is doing?
Second Year. WORKMEN’S ADVOCATE No. 8. (New Haven, Connecticut, Sunday, November 21, 1886)
Just after the forms of the last issue of this paper were closed on Thursday evening, the 24th inst., Comrade William Liebknecht was bidding goodbye to the Socialists of America through their representatives in New York. The great hall of Cooper Union was crowded with men and women who came to see and hear our distinguished guest for the last time before his departure for Europe. The platform was draped with the red flag of all nations. Secretary Rosenberg called I the meeting to order. The Socialist Singing Society sang [Heinrich] Heine’s “Weavers” with good effect, and the orchestra of the Progressive Musical Union rendered several selections. Comrade Walther of the New York Executive Board welcomed Mr. Liebknecht back to New York in a short speech. He said, in substance:
“We have arranged this festivity in order to make as pleasant as possible the last days which our good friend Liebknecht will pass on American soil. Our welcome showed Herr Liebknecht, Dr. Aveling, and his wife that the social democratic agitation lived and flourished here as well as in Europe. He will now tell you of the impressions obtained during his tour through the country.”
Round after round of applause greeted our visiting comrade as he stepped forward. He said:
“Do not expect a set speech from me tonight, my friends, but I shall speak to you from my heart the things which dwell therein.” He then proceeded to give his impressions of the situation in this country. He said he had been struck by the Catholicity of Socialism. In every town he visited he addressed a large, intelligent audience of Socialists. This spoke not only for the universality of the socialistic belief, but also for the numerical strength of their party. Referring to the newspaper men whom he had met during his stay in America, Herr Liebknecht said that “at first they misrepresented the movement; they confounded us with Anarchists, dynamiters, and goodness knows what. Toward the end of my visit I have noticed a marked improvement. They have treated my comrades and myself with courtesy, and appear to be desirous of finding out what our movement really means.”
In conclusion, he said: “They may say that we are only a few handfuls of Germans who meet together and call ourselves Socialists. In answer I point to the battalion of working men, sixty-eight thousand strong, who worked and voted for Henry George. There will be five, six, ten men [who] spring up for every one of these at the next election. Courage! I was the opening wedge. Your adversaries only polled about 150,000 for their bourgeois candidates, and these votes were drawn from the dregs of the community. Let your cry be, Forward! and victory is assured.”
Chairman Rosenberg then introduced the following resolution, which was adopted amid great applause:
“We, members of the Socialistic Labor Party and working men of New York, in Cooper Union assembled, extend here with our heartfelt thanks to the Social Democracy of Germany for having on our invitation delegated to us their best, truest representative, Comrade William Liebknecht, not for any purpose of extending financial help to the party, but for strengthening the socialistic agitation in this country, as well as the bonds of international brotherhood between the working people of the old and new worlds.
“Together with this expression of thanks, we extend a hearty greeting to our comrade about to depart, and give him the assurance that the Socialists of the United States appreciate fully the work of propaganda done by our brother, William Liebknecht, and that they will never forget to aid their brothers on the other side of the ocean whenever they will need our help in their struggle for the emancipation of the toiling masses.”
The audience then dispersed, singing the inspiring “Marseillaise.”
After leaving the hall Herr Liebknecht and his daughter went to Brooklyn, where they attended a farewell concert and ball given in his honor in the Brooklyn Labor Lyceum.
On Saturday morning Comrade Liebknecht sailed for Europe to return, perhaps, with August Bebel, for a second tour through the United States.[a]
Second Year. WORKMEN’S ADVOCATE No. 10 (New Haven, Connecticut, Sunday, December 5, 1886)
[a] Wilhelm Liebknecht never got the chance to make this promised second trip to the United States before his death in 1900. Instead, this promise was taken up by his son Karl Liebknecht, who went on his own speaking tour in 1910, this time only in the German language. An excellent study of his visit by Philip S. Foner is available to read on Archive.org here.
August Bebel did indeed promise to visit the United States as well, but his political commitments never allowed him enough time to make the long ocean voyage. After years of regretful delays, he finally cancelled his planned tour in 1908, citing his failing health.
Last updated on 21 July 2023