Workmen's advocate., August 18, 1888, Image 2

About Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891

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WORKMEN'S A.D VOCA.TB.
JlOfiKMWSAJ)VOCATt
AN OPril'Ul. JIM'tlNAI. OF
THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY
rriil .1 rH BI) EVEIIY WKKK
IT I. T HI - HK, Pun '1 1 1 K NATIONAL KXF.i.t'TH S
( UMMI l'I t:c.
(''lit rill Olllre.
3.1 Ininlli Mnil. Ni inl. till.
IutertittnK corrcxiMPiiitittire sollriteil fruin pro
letarlniis In nil jmrt nf tin- world. LhHith r
qulrlmt ariHWurs nliould i lain ri'turn iniHtturi'
SlliSCKllTION liATKS:
One Year qioi-aage free).
Six Months
I'AYAISLK IN AOVANCK,
1 00
NOTIl'K TO M lK III ItKHS. 'I'lic il.it.
altt'r your lifting ii"ii t In- lul'ln!-- lul.iil t.
taclicd to your ..'ii"-r it llit- 'ln' "f i-x 1 .1 1 li ! 1 -n
of xiiliH-rli'tloti. Tims nn-liKH inr.'Ui" thai
your mi liHi-rljit li .ii it h I In1 end ot Mure h,
lsxs. Si'tid votir sii!nrrlilloii money rally, and
notify us of any fault. In ilcllvi ry or error u
our .art
A I i.l T 1, lHSfi.
SOCIALIST POLITICS.
Thut tin' purely jnojuiaiul iriLic
policy of tlin Socialistic Labor Party
in the Finted States must kooiht or
litter develop into more extendi"!
activity, and include aetivc j 01 1 1 m i -pal
ion in the elect ions, as in Franeo
and ( lennativ, is bccomim; a wide
spread opinion among the active
members of tlie Tarty as well as
among those who arc in full sym
pathy with our platform, while not,
militant members. Thin we have
Hccn from our correspondence mH
interviews with men of both cate
gories. The palpahlc failure of numerous
attempts to organize labor parties
worthy of the name naturally dis
couraged many workingmen, and the
"fine Italian hand" of thocorrup
tionists in the premises has further
tended to dispel the faith which but
a year or two ago seemed to animate
the elforts of thousands of sincere
voters striving for a chance to de
posit a vote that expressed more
than mere dissatisfaction with the
incidents of capitalism.
This view of the situation crowds
upon us more and more; there must
bo a positive movement, a positive
political activity. Mere protesting
and fault-finding is becoming alto
ghtlier too wearisome for many ac
tive men in the Socialist ranks, and
it would seem that the only step to
to take before promulgating a live
political movement upon a Social
Democratic basis, is to determine
upon the details of organization and
tactics, in view of the more extended
field of action to be entered upon.
This subject may properly be dis
cussed in every Section, and practi
cal lessons may be taken from the
history of Socialist politics in Eu
rope. It is, of course, to be as
sumed that certain modifications
may be necessary in this country, but
in the main we have no doubt of the
value of the basic features of Ku
ropean Socialist tactics, especially
those of the Social-Democracy of
Germany and the parti des travail
leurs socialist?. of France.
First of all, absolute independence
of the Socialist Party from all reac
tionary parties (and compared with
the Socialist Party all others are re
actionary). Then the protective
measures for the purity of the politi
cal details, as for instance in the
manner of making nominations of
candidates for public office, where
each local political division is organ
ized, and submits the names of those
whom it considers worthy of placing
before the public a8 candidates to
the whole membership of the party
in the township or city for confirma
tion; the candidate or candidates
receiving a majority vote only being
declared nominated. Such meas
ures as these guard the party as far
as may be against the machinations
of possible cliques, and a candidate
so nominated has in advance the
support of at least his own partv
comrades, as well as the respect, as
a candidate, of thorns who are aware
of the test to which his name has
been put before it is presented to the
general pub lie.
As to the Socialist Platform, no
well-informed workingman will deny
its correctness, and the social and
political demands will bear the
closest invest igation and, in view of
the social and political conditions
prevailing, will prow: themselves
timely and possessed of a tendency
towards the desired end.
One more point must be accentu
ated; given thorough organization
and good discipline. Socialists will
not be disappointed when their
candidates poll small votes, nor will
they become careless when in the
course o time to nominate is to
elect, The latter contingency may
be far olT, but the former will pre
vail for many a campaign. To
calmly persevere and unfalteringly
perform the duties of citizens would
be the part of all Socialists should
the Party adopt an active political
program in the Tinted States, and
that this will eventually be done we
feel certain.
EDUCATION AND ORGAN IZA
TION.
hue organization is progrcs-ing
at an astounding rate among tht
workers, their education is a matter
of slower growth, and needs more
fostering care. Simply to organize
to band together, is not enough, nor
is it enough that, we Hock m great
numbers for the vague object of bet
tering our condition. A knowledge
of tlui rensqn why, in the first place,
there is a labor question tit all, is
needed by thousands of the work
men who are proud of the fact that
they ur'e organized. And
seiieo of that knowledge is
the ftb-
ipparent
when we consider that the tactics ob
served in many of our organizations
are patterned as near as may be after
those of the ruling class. Too much
weight is placed upon personality,
while principle is therefore forced in
the background. The mention of a
name in much of our labor litem
ture of tht! periodical sort is made to
carry with it certain ideas, precisely
as in our capitalistic press the politi
cal news of the day is a conglomera
tion of names with a filament of un
meaning words to connect them. It
is the very essence of individualism
and competition that, is still pre
dominant in the minds of our peo
ple. The opposite extreme of mak
ing individuals mere nullities coul
hardly he worse. In our societies
there is a desire for otlicial dignity
manifested that is often disgusting,
Let us be honest with ourselves
and submit to just criticism within
our ranks, thereby arriving at a rea
son lor what may become a fata
weakness.
Is it not possible that the systems
we work under may be such as pro
mote tins individualistic mania
which stands in the way of progress
The homage paid to the individua
who lias power creates a desire for
power in the individual, and as
consequence there is a competition
among the ambitious to exert powe
over oth.'rs. This is destructive
that leeimg 01 interdependence am:
solidarity which is the very founda
tion of good organization. There
fore we must devise a system by
which the piaeer to direct lies wit
the organization as a whole, and the
men who execute the will of the
many must be subject to constant
supervision by the organization. Fre
quent reports of their acts should be
had aud an interest in their proceed
ings manifested by the members.
To this end the members of the or
ganization must attend their meet
ings regularly and exert eternal vigi
lance. Another item: While it is desir
able to have large numbers interested
in the work of labor reform, it is an
pen question, the desirability of
uiving enormous memberships in
Inch body. A larire number of
small and well disciplined organiza
tions, agreeing upon general princi-
iles, can also arrive at an agreement
on tactics where they are all con
cerned, bv lomt committees; imd
piestiotiH can be more thoroughly
liseussed in smaller bodies where all
in take part in the debates. This
is the educational department of
our movement- the discussion of
the various phases of the labor ques
tion. Anythiri'' that stands in the
way of the educational development
of the people is a serious bar to
progress, and in our opinion a large
md unwieldy membership in one
body does prevent the development
of sound and healthy ideas noon the
abor question; and without advocat
ing unlimited prodigality in the use
ol our limited funds, we think that
the increased cost of maintainimr a
trge number of proportionately
small bodies would be more than
compensated for in the improvement
of the organizations and the individ
als composing them.
Let it be ever borne in mind that
the educational idea must under no
circumstances be neglected in the
workmen's organizations, for organi
zation without education is labor
thrown away.
A FOREIGN INVASION.
The Jesuit Father, F. T. McCarthy,
in a late lecture on ' Film ation," deliv
ered at the Church of our Lady of IVr-
u'tual Help m Host on, said: " When the
State steps in and assumes the role of
school-teacher, then there is the inva
sion of tlm individual right, the invasion
1 the domestic rights, the m vasion of
the rights of the church, and the inva
sion of divine rights. There is no oir
cumHtance under which the State is al
lowed to teach. It tin public school is
subversive of the rights of the individ
ual, subversive of the rights of the fam
ily, subversive of the rights of religion,
subversive of the Hivine ritrlits of (iod
Himself. It the puhlie school system of
America is a national fraud.'' 7Vnf7i.
Seeker,
There seems to be no necessity for
commenting upon the above. It
will be well for the Americans (and
we mean home and foreign born), to
consider whether it would not he
well to make the State more power
ful by making all the people directly
active in the administration, accord
ing to their ability. A study of
Socialism suggests a defense against
ecclesiastical intrigue .vhich would
be perpetual. Hut this should be
done before it is too late before the
people are corrupted.
NOTES.
The London (nnmonweal makes
the astonishing announcement that
three new papers recently established
in Italy, "all communist-anarchist"
papers, have entered the world of
" socialist " journalism.
The Socialists, not having assisted
in placing a "democratic" politi
cian or "republican" politician in
otViee, will be as lively after election
as before election. " First things
first."
T. H. Harry, a prominent mem
ber of the order of the Knights of
Labor, advises the amalgamation of
the various labor parties, including
the S. L. 1'., into "one grand
party." Patience, Thomas, it is
coining!
The "republican" and ''demo
cratic " politicians are quite success
ful as organizers and managers, but
they lack knowledge of political
economy. Thus we find in a " re
publican " tariff paper an allusion to
a Dr. Denslow, author or compiler
of a book which he calls " Principles
of the Kconomic Philosophy of So
ciety, Government and Industry."
describing him as a political econo
mist of great talent. Here is an
example of his doctrine: " The
distribution of wealth is the efficient
cause of wealth production."
A Socialist having asserted that
there " exists a deadly class antatr-
oniam " was accused by a political
opponent of invoking force. Then
to Bay that it rains would he to in
voke rain, or to say that the So
cialist's opponent was a fool would
be to invoke folly. Nonsense!
While Socialists may deprecate the
use of force, and under present cir
cumstances are certainly of the
opinion that the use of physical
force on their part would be nothing
short of the wildest folly, they
know that force is used against
them, ami against the proletariat
continually. Indeed, there is a
" deadly class antagonism." War
is not desirable, but the one-sided
deadliness of capitalism is none the
less horrible to those who have eyes
to see. To say that this is so is not
to invoke force. Hut there are cir
cumstances under which such invo
cation would be as consistent with
Socialists as with Quakers, or any
other peace-loving people.
WHAT OTHERS SAY.
I'ONSIDKKAHLK DUli IN IT.
The young German Emperor Wil
liam lias returned home after his
visit to Russia, Sweden and Den
mark. He and the Czar kissed each
other very atfectionately when they
met, and the people shouted with
joy to see royalty in fraternal em
brace. Everywhere the people are
ready to shout and cringe and tawu
when their royal rulers and heredi
tary oppressors appear. And the
more they are plundered and op
pressed and the deeper their degra
dation .the louder they will shout
aim tiie lower uiey win cringe anu
the more abject their unreasoning
servility. Poor human nature! There
is so much of the canine in its make
up. So many men who are slaves
bv instinct. Even here in this
boasted land of equality see how tho
partisans shout tor the party ma
chine that has been robbing them,
and almost deify the party leaders,
the most prominent agents in effect
ing that robbery. In Northern Eu
rope popular worship of an imperial
despot or in North America partisan
idolatry of a party boss, it is the
same slavish instinct, tho same dis
gusting spectacle. Southwest.
DESPOILING THE STKANOEK.
Receiver Dyer, appointed under
act of Congress to administer the
affairs of the Mormons, has obtained
possession of the following property:
Agregate of certain sums. . . .$157,fi(ii: 15
Church farm 150,000 00
Coal lands 100,000 00
Sheep (HO, 01 HI) (10,00(1 00
Catt lt, etc 75,000 00
(las Stock 75,000 00
Salt Lake tithing-yard 5(1,000 00
(iardo House 50,000 00
Theater stock '47,000 00
Telegraph stock 43,000 00
HihtorianH otlice 40,00(1 00
Dividends on gas wtock 4,000 00
Temple Square
(irand Total 7UO,(iO 15
Temple Square, on which no
value is placed, covers ten acres in
the heart of Salt Lake City, holding
the Tabernacle, the Assembly City
Hall, aud the great granite Temple,
with foundations sixteen feet thick
and walls ninety feet high, which,
though unfinished, has cost f2,5lX,
000 to date.
We trust tnat when Receiver
Dyer gets through confiscating the
church property of the Mormons he
will take hold of the church prop
erty of the Protestants and the
Catholics. He has the same right
to confiscate the property of one sect
as of the other. Hut he won't do
it.
And now that Congress has set the
legislative example, let us hope that
the State governments will profit by
it. lA't all States confiscate all
property in excess of r0,000 of all
sects. lift's take the church farms
and stock, steal the fruits of their
garden, gather in their stocks and
bonds aud cash, aud sell their real
estate under the auctioneer's hammer.
Probably a hundred millions could
be realized in this way in this city
and county alone, making the paltry
three or four millions garnered in
Salt Ijike City look small!
Why not? " If it is right in Utah
it is right m New York. Precisely
the same reason exists for such con
fiscation, and shall the Christians
who boast of their readiness to do
and dare for principle shrink from
doing the right because it would
touch their own pockets? Truth
Seeker.
" OL'TFLA N KINi i SOCIALISM,"
In a sermon by the Rev. Heber
Newton, preached in New York on
"The Dangers He fore the Repub
lic," he rightly said, "Our danger
lies in the disparity of fortunes.
Either the growth of ex
cesssive wealth will give a power
that will enslave the poor, or the re
volt of poverty will threaten the in
stitutions under which political
freedom fails to bring about eco
nomic emancipation." The rem
edy, he said, was to do away with
legitimate causes of discontent and
outflank socialism, which perhaps
means that we go a little farther in
the same direction than socialism
itself. lie said, "Wo must bring to
an end all legislative partialities, all
favoritism of the State, all legal in
justices, all statutory denials to the
rights of man to man to the common
provision for his needs which the
heavenly Father has made." This
may be the Reverend Doctor's idea
of " outflanking socialism," but ac
cording to many versed in tht- sience
of political economy this is socialism
pure ami simple, ami winch, coming
from the lips of any prominent La
bor reformer, would be vehemently
denounced.
What a pity that a good many
more good ministers of the gospel
were not proclaiming sentiments like
unto these of the Rev. Mr. Newton,
even were they mistaken as to the
particular school of economy into
which they should be classified.
J art ford Examiner.
WHAT SHALL SOCIALISTS DO?
The presidential campaign, with
its corruption, wire-pulling and all
manner of underhanded practices,
has fairly opened, and the form the
arguments are taking prove conclu
sively that the " leaven " which So
cialists have furnished during re
cent years is in a fair way towards
" leavening the whole lump."
With economic questions upper
most in this light between two spoils
parties, while people of all shades
and grades are discussing and in
quiring into the condition of the
people, it seems as if Socialists
should find cause for congratula
tion, and should push the agitation
of fundamental principles with fresh
vigor.
It seems, however, that instead of
appreciating the results of our past
agitation some men, who have here
tofore been considered Socialists,
have been lured from the straight
path by the enticing hopes for im
provement held out by the two dom
inant parties. Men whoa short time
ago solemnly warned workingmen
not to rely upon the promises made
by scheming politicians, to-day
openly avow that the emancipation
of labor can now only be secured by
supporting a free trade party, sup
posed to be the "democracy;" others,
who swore vengeance against the
" two corrupt parties," now fondly
embrace the " republican " siren of
protection. Some advise working
men to vote tho " democratic "
ticket, but to Btuff cotton up their
nostrils while doing it.
Can it be possible that those who
formerly seemed so anxious that
workingmen should hold principles
dearer than life, never had any
themselves? The suspicion that
their connection with the poor man's
cause was for "boodle" is, in my
opinion, warranted by their actions
at this time. I see no reason why
Socialists who do believe that free
trade is a prerequisite to industrial
freedom should support the party of
Cleveland, because this party more
or less distinctly repudiates free
trade, and bases its claim to work
ingmen's votes on a paltry reduction
of seven or eight per cent, from pres
ent tariff rates. On the other side
of the house I see no danger for
those who think protection is a ne
cessity, because the American houBe
of lords is under the control of the
protected barons, and no bill materi
ally benefitting the consumer can
pass. True Socialists know this.
That the platform on which we
stand is infinitely sup-rior to the
best planks contained in all the rest
put together, even though they were
to be honestly followed and made
effective, a consummation which no
one even faintly hopes for.
The traitors to labor's cause, no
matter how high their former stand
ing, should be relegated into the ob
scurity from which, through bluff
and bluster, they have emerged, and
he is a poor Socialist indeed who al
lows himself to be even temporarily
turned from the straight path which
science has demonstrated is the one
leading to victory. What Socialists
should do is, agitato tho principles
of Social Democracy now as in the
past, in the future as now, not seek
ing unholy alliances, nor stepping
aside to aid a car moving backward.
T. J. Mll.LKH.
INGERSOLL'S SUPERSTITION.
Ingersoll is a great word juggler.
Perhaps there is no man living who
can say a nonsensical thing in a
more believable way than the Colo
nel Several fair samples of this are
to be fouud in that readable and ar
tistically compounded melange of
llapdoodle which he uttered as a
eulogy of Roscoe Conkling. Let us
take one of many of these samples.
He said: "Conkling knew that a
promise could not be made often
! enough or emphatic enough to taKe
i the place of payment. He felt that
! the promise of the Government was
the promise of every citizen that a
j national obligation was a personal
; debt, and that no possible combma-
tion of words and pictures could
take the place of coin."
This was, of course, by way of ex
cuse or justification of Conkling's
course in supperting the funding
scheme swindle of the Wall street
gamblers. The idea Ingersoll seeks
to convey is, that as paper money is
not payment but merely a promise
to pay, therefore the making of tho
bonds payable in coin was not only
just but something absolutely de
manded by common honesty. Now,
even his enemies do not believe the
Colonel to be a fool, and he is pretty
well versed in the history of his
country, especially with the history
of his party and its leaders, and so
he knows that the debt which
the bonds represent was contracted
in greenbacks, and that it was
thoroughly understood by all tho
parties to the transaction that it was
to be payable in greenbacks. He
also knows that his own party,
through its acknowledged leaders,
held, after the war was over, that it
was payable in greenbacks, Mr. Sher
man decla.ing that for the bond
holder to demand payment in coin
would be arrantly dishonest. To be
sure, the republican party shifted its
position when it fell under the con
trol of the money power; but truth
is not dependent upon the faith of
parties.
The Colonel, being no fool, knows
that coin does not actually pay a
debt any more than paper money
does, for all money, whether coin or
paper, is merely a promise, ratified
and endorsed by the Government, to
give or find a quantity of the prod
ucts of Labor in exchange for a like
value. Ingersoll has much to say
from time to time about supersti
tion, but he would find it difficult to
point out a more degrading and nou
sensical superstition than the gold
idea of which he is the slave, and
which he upholds and defends by
cant phrases which do his intellect
as little credit as the mummery of
negro hoodooists do theirs. He has
much to say of the degrading and
brutalizing effects of religious super
stitions, but there cannot be much
to choose between even the worst of
these and that blind fetishism in
which he confesses belief, and which
teaches that the activity of Labor
and the comfort and happiness of
the whole human race shall be made
dependent on the accidental discov
ery of a yellow metal. Say to him
that the harmony which is seen in
nature, from the blade of grass to the
solar system, demonstrates the pres
ence of a design and the existence
of a designer, and he will laugh you
to scorn and sneer at you as a blinded
devotee of superstition. Hut he be
lieves, or Bays he does, that gold ex
ists for the purpose of enabling us
to make our exchanges, and that
the volume of thoBO exchanges ought
to be regulated not with reference
to our needs, but with regard solely
to the quantity of that metal which
may be found from time to time.
We say he says he believes this, for,
when we remember his nositinn at
the
close of the controversy with
Dr. Bland, we cannot think that he
actually does believe it Canadian
Labor lie former.
Look at address label on this paper.