The most depressing in this case is the weakness of August [Bebel], which can be explained by his illness. He had confronted me over the article about Cünow's book in Vorwärts, because it was to revolutionary! The word revolution seems to give him immediat fysical discomfort. In his obituary of Natalie Liebknecht he writes about the "years of movement" instead of years of revolution.
Currently the situation is this: the most powerful social democratic party in the world has the most subordinate bureau. August [Bebel] has lost all his force, while he was, among all politicians, the only one with a borad [great] vision over the last years. Singer has good instincts and worked mainly with Bebel, but without him or against him he cannot move the slow mass.
[...] Tell me, who else can take the place of Bebel in the leadership?