The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-18

ement in Dakota. Men settle there with their
families. A corporation comes along with 500
Chinese to compete with them, and says to the
settlers: 4 am at liberty to employ the Chi
nese. You Americans are at liberty to go TO
-. Is 1t any wonder il these settlers were to
tors?
Now an attempt has been made over and
over again to induce our legislators to adopt the
opposite principle in matters of business-thak
is, to pass laws beneficial to a great MANY.
though possibly inconvenient for Capitalists.
Workingmen have tried to influence parties in
their favor, and have been disappointea and
now they see clearly that 1t is of vital import
ance for them to preserve the theoretical liberty
and equality which the capitalists will Weld
only through force.
"As then, tho state-that is. legislators, gov
errors and judges-deciines to be the force that
will act upon the just and well-defned PROPOSE
tons OF the laboring classes, and as the capital
lists and employers of labor are in possession OF
the power of the whole community. waee-work-
ers think they are justified in arming for the
purpose Of bringing about a different state Of
things" (.
Herr Alexander Jonas, of the yolkszeitung,
who Is as prominent among socialists as Herr
Most is among anarchists, maintains that thou
sands OF men are arming and drilling all over
the country. And they do not call themselves
anarchists or socialists" he assured the reporter,
hut simply workingmen. In this city the
number of armed men is probably three times an
great as the entire State militia. A revolution
or two may be quelled, but the people arc bound
to be victorious in the end. Some employers
may be disposed to treat their men
well, but. owing to the competi-
their lawful rights. That is why socialists ara
determined to abolish the system of capitalistic
production. 1t is unjust simply because it COM
pels dozens. hundreds, thousands of men to toll,
year after year, for the benefit of one or several
individuals. and does not provide employmene
for all who are able and willing to work. There
are thousands of unemployed men in the United
States at present, and there are hundreds OF
thousands who are barely paid living wages. The
wage slaves of this country are. / say, nearly. il
not quite. as bad off as those Of Europe. The
statistics of 1880 proved that the average pay
ment for each worker was not quite So per week.
And yet capitalists dare to tell workingmen that
it is their own fault il they are not able to save
money. 1t is this possession by the few Of the
complicated and gigantic means of production
that causes the misery of the millions. It is
this power of the capitalists that causes the
helpiessness of the masses.
"a crash must come. and when it does the VIC
torious revolutlonists will not be slow to substi-
tute for the system of capitalistic production
one under which all workers, will receive the
just reward of their labor. When the change
win take place no one can say. Revolutions are
not made. They are the result of the natural
development of society,""
a prominent Knight of Labor, who would not
allow his name to be published, said that he did
not believe very many workmen in this country
were preparing for q revolution. ''There are
probably not more than two hundred
drilling in this city, he continued, land Of that
number. not more than one hundred have rifles
In the entire country | don't believe that more
than five hundred are armed. / belong to a rife
club myself and know what I am talking about.
The order of Knighss of Labor, as such, does
not approve of drilling. Its ritual, however, con-
rains these words. which you may interpret as
you please: we mean no conflict with
legitimate enterprise, no antagonism to neces-
sary capital, but we mean to fight men, who, in
their haste and greed, blinded by self-interest,
overlook the interests of others and violate the
rights of those whom they deem helpless This
ritual, l may tell you, is read to every member
when he is initiated.
IAN ex-assembly of the order is drilling at
present. So is the United Cornice makers and
Tinsmiths' Union, OF Wholesome of the mem
bers are Knights Of Labor. The order. how
ever, does not recommend members to arm
themselves. All it says is that it is always
ready TO sustain men who are driven to desperar
ton. 1t believes in agitation, education and or
ganization. Hundreds Of its members are
ready to strike a blow when the time for action
comes. And that time may come soon, for, if
the eight-hour movement fails, a procession Of
all the unemployed men in this city will be or
ganiZed, and, IL the authorities interfere then,
the workingmen will use their arms with good
effect. The fact that all the prominent Social
lists in Now York are we'll to do is q proof that it
is not misery alone which makes men revolu-
tionists."