Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-08-15
WATERBURY, LABOR LYCEUM.
Popular n. OF l.. Lectures :. Seller,
Of Bridgeport, on Socialism.

WATERBURY. August l0,-Our
Labor Lyceum, which meets every
other Sunday, and is conducted I'M
der the auspices of the Knights of
Labor, is steadily growing in popu-
larity, and the results Of the lectures
and discussions are sure to be of
great benefit to the working people
of this enterprising little city. Last
Sunday Brother S. Seller, Of Bridge
port, addressed large and attentive
audience upon the subject Of $50
ciaIism." His remarks were fire.
quently interrupted by applause, and
no doubt did q great dead towards
dispelling the odium which ignorance
and knavery have put upon this
most vital question Of the day, He
spoke substantially as follows
"Women and men of Labor, ladies and
gentlemen of leisure to the
capitalistic press Socialist is a ferocious-
looking creature, half stage robbcr, half
stage struck; his diet consists of beer.
dynamite and fat capitalists, whenever
he can catch them; his religion is destruc-
ton; he invariably carries Il red flag land
sometimes when that color gives ont, a
black nag); he instinctively hates purity,
law and order; he would turn the world
A., 4 t,l,n Il
industrious rich and give to the dissolute
poor This, my friends, is the pen-pic-
ture of a Socialist drawn by the capital
istic press. One instance to show you
that the press of barbarian Russia
is not behind our editors in this kind Of
journalism: When the female Socialist.
Vera Sassulitch, was tried by a jury Of
her countrymen for shooting at high
official who had maltreated her brother.
the Russian press Informed the public Of
the coarse and brutal appearance of the
accused; "bare of all womanlincss, hOr-
rible to behold" When. to the astoniSh-
ment Of everybody, the jury acquitted
her, the same press notified the public
that her discharge was not due to the JUS
tce of her case, but to her personal
Dtdut1, NIlhI til,li VIZ Ib'lSt anu
bribed the jurors
1t is indeed deplorable that the public
press should stoop to such means of Wilt
tication; still more deplorable that the
public will patiently submit to il and
even encourage il by their financial sup
port. If it be true that the public press
merely reflects the character of the pub
lie then the decomposition of modern So
ciety is fast becoming apparent,
Let us anayze this socialislic mon
strosity: First, they say say we want to
deprive one class of society, the indus
trious. the deserving, and give to the
other, the shiftlesS, undeserving. If
this was our object we would not need
to preach Socialism,, for such a state
of society exists to,ddB, and anyone vino
is not blinded by prejudice and self
interest can see it. We would not aboI-
ish property, but restore il 10 It's rjghifHi
orner, Labor, the only creator Of all
lcedttH.
We would not turn the world upside
down, make the lahorer capitalist and the
capitalist laborer: this wond emo change
of condition at all; we Udm 10 desir0g
classes altogether, make all healthy and
sane adults producers to the best Of their
ability and natural calling, and consumers
according To their reasonable wants.
This would tighten the burden of the in
dividual, make labor a pleasure instead
of burden, and put the blessings Of t
and science. produced 10y generations of
hands and brains. within the reach of
ALL
Second. Do we oppose religious wor-
ship? Yes and no. We are uncompro-
missing enemies of the worship of the
Golden Calf; of the conventional hypoc-
risy which stalks everywhere under the
name of religion. We are enemies of