Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-09
THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY.
A Platform of Comm nifty of Property
 And Co-operatIon of Wage Labor

A Platform of Comm unity of Property
 And Cooperation of Wage Labor.
 CINCINNATI, Oct. S.-The members of the socialist labor party met this morning at S:30 o'clock. Mir. s. E. Urbert retained the chair. After preliminary business was trans acted the following platform was adopted:
 As work only is the creator of all wealth and civilization, in justice therefore those that do the work should enjoy it's fruits Therefore we declare that just and equi- able distribution of the fruits of labor is i'm possible under present systems owing to the production by gigantic means since the discovery of steam power and the introduc- tion of machinery, the requirement of which is impossible except to the few. These mod ern means of production benefit only one class of society. Where man formerly worked for himself alone there are now hundreds and thousands who work in shops, factories and large farms. The results of their labor accrue only to the owners of the machinery, factories, mines and soil. The system destroys the middle class and creates separate classes of individuals, the wage worker and the bosses. The evils that arise from the system are: A planless system of general production; the destruction of nat tainty of the material existence of wage workers; the suffering of the proletarian masses and the colossal accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few
 These associations are proven by the pres ent condition of our wage workers who in the midst of their productions live in poverty
 
 most disagrseable work furnishes the wage worker only sustenance, those who work but little or not at all live in afhuence through these produ ctions. Such condition of af- fairs, which must grow worse under the ex- isting circumstances, is against the interest of manhood and is antagonistic to all justice and true Democracy. It destroys the very essence of our constitution, which says that all men shall enjoy life, liberty and the un- restrained pursuit of happiness. It shorters and threatens life by creating want and suf- fering. It destroys liberty by mak- ing the wage worker dependent upon his boss and also makes political of happiness. Happiness is not attainable where life or liberty is threatened. To change this state of affairs we seek to establish 8 sys- tenn of cooperative labor, that is, we demand not only that wage workers shall labor in common, but the result of that labor shall accrue to the laboring classes with all its benefit. This is possible only where the means of production are in the hands of the wage worker.
 We therefore demand that the right of pri- vate property, such machinery, factories etc., shall rest in the people. By this change the establishment of cooperative production and the distribution of it's benefits according to the wants and work of the producers will be possible under the control of organized society. To overcome the continued op- pression of the wage worker by the capital ists the socialistic labor party is formed. We seek practical realization of our demands by striving to gain possession of the political power through all practical means.