Now this same Social Democracy is saying that it is “a particularly vile trick “ that the Nazis are not voting for Hindenburg. Today, the Social Democratic party hacks see the old field marshal as their last hope. Vorwärts wrote on 21 February 1932:
“A lack of Social Democratic votes will mean, with mathematical certainty, the victory of Fascist Reaction. Unless something happens at the last minute to completely alter the political situation, the slogan of the Social Democrats has to be vote for Hindenburg.”
In 1925 the Social Democrats lied to the masses by saying that Hindenburg meant war. In 1932, the same party hacks are claiming that Hindenburg is the guarantee of peace. Now Hitler means war. But the lies and swindles are not helping the Social Democratic functionaries much any longer. Members of the SPD have gradually had their eyes opened; they no longer believe everything in their newspapers. One presumed too much in recent years. Building the battle cruiser and the policy of toleration have made some old comrades suspicious. Social Democratic workers, who have had to swallow a lot from their party in recent years, have become skeptical. They see how the Red party hacks ignore one party program point after the other, things they formerly preached. Those few who still support the SPD ask, with good cause, the reasons for the continuing changes by their “leader”-comrades.