The honor to which reference has been made has come to me through no
fault of my own. It has been said that some men are born great, some
achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. It is even
so with what are called honors. Some men have honors thrust upon them. I
find myself in that class. I did what little I could to prevent myself
from being nominated by the convention now in session at Chicago, but
the nomination sought me out, and in spite of myself I stand in your
presence this afternoon the nominee of the Socialist party for the
presidency of the United States.
Long, long ago I made up my mind never again to be a candidate for any
political office within the gift of the people. I was constrained to
violate that vow because when I joined the Socialist party I was taught
that the desire of the individual was subordinate to the party will, and
that when the party commanded it was my duty to obey. There was a time
in my life when I had the vanities of youth, when I sought that bubble
called fame. I have outlived it. I have reached that point when I am
capable of placing an estimate upon my own relative insignificance. I
have come to realize that there is no honor in any real sense of that
term to any man unless he is capable of freely consecrating himself to
the service of his fellow men.
To the extent that I am able to help those who are unable to help
themselves, to that extent, and to that extent alone, do I honor myself
and the party to which I belong. So far as the presidency of the United
States is concerned, I would spurn it were it not that it conferred the
power to serve the working class, and he who enters that office with any
other conception of it prostitutes and does not honor that office.