John,

Fritz Tarnow, Kapitalistische Wirtschaf anarchie und Arbeiterklasse, in
Sozial- demokratischer Parteitag in Leipzig, Berlin 1931, p.45.

[p. 45] “We stand at the sick-bed of capitalism, not merely as a
diagnostician, but also—what shall I say?—as a doctor who seeks to cure? or
as a joyful heir, who can scarcely wait for the end and would like best of
all to help it along a little with poison? This picture expresses our whole
situation.”

Tarnow, as leader of the Woodworker’s Union, said this at the 1931 congress
of the SPD or Democratic Socialist Party convention.

Hope this helps.

Ryan Michael Daza



***
For another translation see:
"Managerial prerogative and the question of control" by John Storey page
181(Routledge and Kegan Paul: London, 1983; ISBN: 9780710092038)

Here the translation is: "Are we sitting at the bed of capitalism, not only
as doctors who want to cure the patient, but as prospective heirs who cannot
wait for the end and would like to hasten it by administering poison? We are
condemned I think to be doctors who seriously wish a cure, and yet we have
to retain the feeling that we are heirs who wish to receive the entire
legacy of the capitalist system today rather than tomorrow. This double
role, doctor and heir, is a damned difficult task"


For a recent source see:
"Germany 1918-1945" by J. A. Cloake page 23 (Oxford UP, 1997; ISBN:
9780199132775)


For any early english translation:
"Socialism, fascism, communism" edited by Joseph Shaplen page 29 (American
League for Democratic Socialism, 1934)


Mabye even:
"Bibliographie der Sozialwissenschaften" page 972 (Statisches Reichsamt,
Germany, 1931)

A. Sturmthal, "The Tradegy of European Labour" page 71 (1944)