Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-05-23
LABOR lYCEUM LECTURE.
Comrade Seller. of Bridgeport. ON
Socialism and the h. Of L."

1t was an interested audience that
gathered at loomiss last Sunday
afternoon. to hear and discuss the
subject of the speakers theme
Socialism and the Knights Of La
Dor.
ApoIoglzing to the reporters OF
the capitalist press for not appearing
in Prince Albert coat and heavy
gold watch-chain, which, according
to the capitalist press, are the una
voldabIe paraphernala of IA labor
agltator, Mr., Seller said:
The Order of Knights of Labor is COM
posed Of various elements. There are
those who carry the burden Of the move
ment, agitate, educate and organize the
workers where and whenever they can;
expose themselves to the villilicatiun Of
a Satanic press, and to the maedictiuns
of an umchristian pulpit; their only OBJ
ject in life being TO bring about better
and more equitable state of society,
These men and women are all Socialists.
They may not know it themselves they
may repudiate the very name; but if
belief in socialistic platform make the
believer Socialist. then certainly every
honest and intelligent Knight Of Labor
Is a Socialist.
There are two planks of the Knights
of Labor platform that are plainly So
cialstic, the 18th and 18th, which read:
THAT the Government shall obtain pos
session, by purchase, under the right of
eminent domain, of all telegraphs, tee-
phones and railroads, and that hereafter
no charter or license be issued to any
corporation for construction or opera
ton of any means of transporting intel
ligencc, passengers or freight, ITO
establish cooperative institutions. such
as will tend to supersede the wage sss-
tenn, by the introduction Of "A co.opera-
tive industrial system" II this is not
the quintessence Of Socialism, what is
it?
There are those Knights of Labor who
are too lazy to study their platform;
whose sole knowledge OF the social ques-
ton is merely a faint idea Of Associated
Press lies, who dislike the Labor Press
because it is not sensational spicy
enough. They are not Socialists The
politicians Of either party can count
them as their voting cattle
That goody goody element tso often
found among respectable society with
profession of meekness on their hus
and a consciousness of sancuty in their
mind have not yet discovered among
the X. of l..
The speaker showed the absurdity Of
confounding anarchsm extreme indi-
yidualism hOggiShneSs with Socialism
mutualism, Independence
Some knayes or fools are trying to
fasten the responsibility for the Chicago
riots on Socialism
Supposng the man who threw that
bomb III Chicago was a "Republican,'
would you, my friends who believe in
some of your COmpatriots in England
trying to abolish monarchism by acts OF
violence, blame yourself or republcanism
for the act Of some fanatic republican
If, as the Associated Press says, that
Chicago miscreant threw his destructive
missile from mere vlCiousness, then he
should reap the result of his criminal
folly; if, as his friends claim, he acted in
self defence, then no court Of justice can
condemn him for murder.
The Socialistic Labor Party OF America
has never counselled violence, no matter
how much the capitalistc press would
like IA have them do If
The above is but Il scant synopsis
Of the interesting speech, which was
we'll received. After the speech
questions were asked by several Of
the audience, and answered by Mr..
Seller, followed by one or two short
speeches by others Of the audience.
A pleasing feature Of the exercises
was a prelude and interlude Of mt
sic upon the piano by i young lady
Of talent.