The Labor enquirer., 1885-04-11
SOCIAL POLITICS.
Before the Principals Appear
BY the Scouts Will Come Down
z and Reconnoitre.
We Would Strongly Advise the
Workers and their Leaders to
ah Abstain from Politics.
Stop Your Ears to Everything Of That
q Kind and Press on to One Goal
u ~ That Of Socialism.

| o AlnQ anu fTesS Oh 10 Une UOal-
/ a That Of Socialism.
The time is rapidly approaching when
the political hacks will be busy all ovel
the country footing for the votes of the
workingmen, and when the gentlemen
who condescend to serve their country
by misrepresenting it in the house Of
commons, will be hail fellow-well-met
with any voter tn at will be the dupe Of
their Establishments.
Before the principals appear on the
scene the icots will come down and re-
connoitre. They are jovial fellows,
these scouts Always ready to stand
treat, and always willing to put man
who has influence over his fellows and
and their votes on to some we'll paid
| little job. For instance an aerial railway
is projected from the top of st. Paul's to
the monument, and it is necessary to
obtain the consent of those householders
over whose houses the line may pass.
On the recommendation of these scouts
nothing is easier than to get four or five
guineas for calling promiscuously on
these householders. Of course the ap-
pointment is not given for nothing. The
scout and the favored one will under
stand each other. 1t is bribe and the
man who takes it is expected to work
for the scouts employer at the election,
and he usually ,fulfills his part of the
bargain. This preliminary skirmishing
is already going on. The scouts and
toots are busy in all directions; right
glad are they when they can get hold
of man who by past good work has
won some influence over his fellow
workers, and who through the pinch of
of poverty is open to attack. They will
fatter his vanity, find him some little
lucrative employment, and use him if
they can to influence his fellow-workers
to vote for whichever political candidate
they happen to serve.
OF course the eend Of it is simply that
the man gradually loses what little in
fuence he had over, and the good
name he enjoyed among his fellows,
and they will have one more instance of
how easily they can be sold, and their
distrust of leaders Of their own class will
become greater, and the toots will laugh
at the ease with which the workers can
be bought. The successful candidates
walk into parliament, promptly forget
their bland promises about looking after
the interests of the workers, and as
pro omptly set to work to defend their
own personal interests as owners of
rookeries, owners of public-houses, bond
holders, and what is most important,
owners of the land and capital of the ma
ton.
The owners of the rookeries will have
a royal commission to stife any bitter
cry of the outCast poor. Wars will be
waged to protect the dividends of the
bondholders, ard the markets of the
manufacturers. The owners of the pub
lie houses and gin palaces will not be
harassed with any inconvenient legisla-
ton. In short whether our middle-class
government be conservative or liberal
tory or radical, there are certain things
it strenuously upholds, and first and
foremost is this power of the individuals
who hold the land and capital of the ma
ton to force the workers to toll on bare
subsistence wages that the few may live
in idleness and luxury.
We would strongly advise the workers
and their leaders to stand aloof from
politics as they are now; we would ad-
wise the leaders to beware of these toots
and their employers our candidates
and especially would we advise the
workers to distrust, disown and repu-
diate any of their leaders whom they
may find hobnobbing with these GLIB
emissaries At. every election meeting
you workers should ask the candidate il
he will vote for naturalization of the
land, communal appropriation of the
railways, and Gammunal holding of al
machinery and capital; if he refuses tc
pledge himself to these points, he is nc
fit representative of yours, and yor
should oppose him by all means in YOU
power.
Be assured the political organizations o
to-day will try all they know he W to raise
false and illusory issues; you will have
foreign policies of all shades trotted out
the Russian schemes, the danger o
India, the Vaccinations of Bismarck
the cupidity of the French, all these ane
more will be dinned into your ears
But do as Christians did in the Valley
of the Shadow of Death, stop your ear
to everything of that kind and press OF
to one goal-that of Socialism, and So
cialism alone.-Justice.
Bells Propositions.
Editor Labor ENQUIRER