Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-01-01
A SOCIALISTS CREED.

Tie meeting of the Congregationa!ist
Ministers at Chicago Sunday was addressed
by August Spies, the socialist, who for halt
an Hour spoke on the subject of socialism
and the methods proposed by it's supporters
for$obtaining the results wished for. Mr.
sJfes said that socialists are not organizing
a4evolutior they are simply the birds OF a
sbrm that now is brewing. They DO not
advocate bloodshed, but wish to prevent il
as much as possible. 'Supposing," said ne
I1Ihat there is great, world wide uprising,
ahd the governments uphold the capitalists,
LID will take time and millions oflives before
the movement can be made successful. On
The other hand, if the powers tha. be sup.
Bort the great majority, and g thousand or
DO of capitalists are killed, what OF that?" I
IA The speaker went on TO say that social
Ism was no experiment with him; for years
! it had heen in practical operation in the
| omposing room of his paper, where forty
men comprised q society, and appointed one
of their number to receive the gross earnings
of the Office and divide them up equally.
Thus the old and imfrm compositors were
enabled to make living which could not
be done in any other way He said that be
~Ouiu ouSiSO pLlC Cuipl COS vi q loSIOIy "
go to the proprietorand say to him :-"Give US
the factory and we will pension you for life" !"
The factory was then to be run on the
same principle as his composing room
There were plenty of men in every COM
munity who had the powers of management
and organization if the opportunity for dis
playing such lowers was given them, and
TO committee ofsuch men chosen by their
companions the management OF the business
should be intrusted.
In reply to the suggestion that there would
be no inducement for men to work he re-
piled that work was necessity TO every
properly constituted man, and that a man'a
conduct is due 10 the chemical and mechani-
cal construction of his body. Any man re.
fusing to work should be treated as an in.
valid and sent to hospital. When asked
how many socialists there were in the coun-
try Mr.. Spies said there were about five
hundred thousand; but their number
would be quadrupled if the knights of
Labor could be made to see things in the
proper light. The knights denounced the
violent measures advocated by the social
lists, saying that they were un American; but
in the event of strike the knights were
sure to adopt the despised methods and re-
sort to violence.
He said that it was natural socialism
should break with Christianity, for it s:as
built entirely on materialistic foundation.
You, gentlemen, have been preaching for
years." said he, land, except 10 few indi.
vidual cases, what have you accomplished? !?
Nothing that can see. There is as much
suffering and as much stealing as there ever
was" In reply toa question, he said the
present system of marriage was simply one
form of concubinage ''The rich mother"
he said, stakes her daughter to the recep-
ton or the social gathering to get a husband
for her. This husband is not selected for
what he is himself, but for the amount in
his pocketbook. The girl is sold to him if
he can pay the price. The working girl
tires of her toll and longs to be above it.
Money enough to give her this desire is her
price" He was interrupted at this point
by several of his auditors. who stated there
was no foundation in fact for what he had
said in regard to marriage. He answered
that he believed careful study of the
matrimonial market as it was conducted
under the present condition of society would
bear him out in his statement Under the
new order of things which the socialists
would inaugurate free love in its most ideal
form would take the place of marriage.
The family would be the child Of the COM
munity.