s back, and that they had been there
to this day.

With this very generous and kindly introduction we went on to a frank
talk on the general attitude of Socialists toward the instinct of
hero-worship in human nature.

A Socialist had said only a few days before, speaking of a certain
municipal movement in which the people were interested, that he thought
it really had a very good chance to succeed "if only the heroes could be
staved off a little longer." He deprecated the almost incurable idea
people seemed to have that nothing could ever be done in this world
without being all mixed up with heroes.

My mind kept recurring in a perplexed way to this remark for a few days
after I had heard it, and I soon came on the following letter from a
prominent Socialist which had been read at a dinner the night before:

"I am glad to join with others of my comrades in conveying
greetings to Comrade Cahan on the occasion of the fiftieth
anniversary of his birth and in recognition of the eminent
services that he has rendered in the Socialist movement.

"Yet my gladness is not untinged with a certain note of
apprehension lest in expressing so conspicuously our esteem of
an honoured comrade we obscure the broader scene which, if
equally illumined, would disclose tens of thousands of other
comrades, labouring with equal devotion, and each no less
worthy of praise....

"In our rejoicing over the services of Comrade Cahan let us
not forget that the facilities that he and that each of us
enjoy are the products of thousands of other men and women,
and sometimes of children too.

"In our rejoicing let us recall that we cannot safely assume
that any comrade's services to the movement have been greater
than the movement's services to him; that we are but
fellow-workers together, deriving help and perhaps inspiration
one from another and each from all.

"In our rejoicing let us place the emphasis rather upon the
services of the many to each, than upon the services of any
one of the many."

I have not quoted from this letter because I disagree with the idea in
it. I am ready to admit that though the idea is a somewhat dampening one
perhaps for a banquet, that it is true and important.

What I object to in the letter is the Fear in it.

In spite of the fineness and truth of the motive that lies, I know,
underneath every line, the letter is balef