Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-10-06
MINNIE EAPOlIS.
Why Socialists Cannot Indorsc the
Farm and Labor Party's Platform.

spllle lllllt past neel ulsnlaNlnE consider
able activity in their political agitation.
A well attended meeting was held last
Sunday, to act upon the report
of the committee elected September ,
to examine the national platforms of
the several political parties, and to re
port the bearing of each on the interests
of the working classes. The report of
the committee included a recent CORE
spondence between them and DR.. VIM.
W. folwell, professor of political econ
omy at the State University, and Hon.
John Lamb, State commissioner of
labor statistics. 1t also included a spe-
cial report on the platform of the Farm
and Labor Party of Minnesota, the con-
vention of which party the Minneapolis
socialists declined to attend The latter
report was adopted, and an extension of
time was given to the committee to
complete their main report, when they
shall have received all the replies de-
sired in regard to protection, free trade,
etc. This report is ordered to be made
IN about two weeks, and will be of inter
est, as 1t VIII contain important state
ments in political economy. The special
report is as follows;
when, as Socialists, we take into
critical consideration the platform
adopted by the Farm and Labor Party
at ST. Paul. August % last, we must lay
stress upon the following points which
are partly different from or antagonistic
to the principles laid down in the plat
form of the Socialist Labor Party of
North America:
"FrSt.-The name of the party, Farm
and Labor, already shows that the party
is compromise party, essentially con-
slstlng OF partly possessing, better-of
people of the trading and farming class,
who, owing to the superiority of the
large capitalists, are being forced down
into the ranks Of the absolutely depend
ent class of wage slaves. This natural
process the new party will try to pre-
vent by forcing the already largely de-
veloped process of organized social Co
operative production on a large scale
back TO primitive individual process of
production on small scale and thereby
it will act in an entirely reactionary di-
rection, because, in case of momentary
partial success in SO doing, it would de-
stroy the blessings which society has un-
questionably gained by the modern di-
vision of labor, based on indirect social
labor In short, the development in the
direction Of a more perfect order of So
ciety would be checked in an unneces-
sary manner.
"Second,-The object of the party is
utopian, because it has the intention of
controlling and directing railroads and
street railways, etc, which are now in
the possession of private persons or cor
paratlOns, in such a way as to allow the
possessors a so-caled fair rate of
interest on the actual cost when econom-
ically administered. Under existing
conditions of private ownership this is
simply an impossibility. There are abso-
ntely no means by which this object
could be reached
"7hTd. same objection is slso to
be found to paragraph of the State de-
mands, wherein it is said to be the duty
of owners of mortgages to pay property
taxes in proportion to the amount rep
resented in the mortgage. Under pres
ent conditions this object is also unob-
! tainable.
"FoTth.-The party is not a straight
genuine labor party because it does not
acknowledge the first ground principle
of straight labor platform, namely,
that Labor is the self-evident creator of
all wealth and civilization 1t accepts
a socalled fair and reasonable rate of
rent and interest, and thereby recog-
nlzes the private rossessOr of property
as a necessary factor in the creation of
wealth and civilization.
''With the above mentioned facts as a
basis, we must recognize the Farm and
! Labor Party as CapitalistiC reform and
compromising party, and as true labor
! party we are, as matter of course,
| bound to ignore aforesaid party.
"But whereas, the Farm and Labor
| Party, to certain extent nOtwithstand-
! ing. has placed itself in class opposition
| to the two predominating capitalistic
| parties, SO that in case of momentary
| success it may serve to disorganize or
| amalgamate the two corrupt parties and
! thereby clear the way for a straight So
clal revolutionary party, any individual
| socialist, who thinks the cause of labor
can be advanced by casting his vote for
| the candidates nominated by that con
vention, is at perfect liberty to do So.
1t will be well to note that the above
action was taken before any suggestion
Of independent political action by the
Socialist Labor Party was made. In
/ view of this fact the action of our Min
neap0lis comrades shows praise worthy
propagandistic spirit t-ED
a clever theft was praiseworthy