Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-08-25

German and scandinavian Sections of
the Socialist Labor Party in Minneapo
lis, feel it to be due to those who made
the call and also to ourselves to state as
briefly as possible the reasons which
have induced us, after a protracted dis
Cussion and careful deliberations to re-
spectfully decline to send any delegates
to the proposed convention.
The reasons which seem to US to make
this course of action necessary and
proper are as follows;
Eirst-The Socialist Labor Party,
spread as il is under one name or
another over all the civilized world, en-
braCng in its ranks men of all languages
and subject to all forms of government,
and being both in numbers and in intu.
enCe by far the most important labor
organization ON the planet the terror
of tyrants and usurpers everywhere
has but comparatively few members in
Minneapolis, where the movement is yet
in its infancy; therefore, if there were
no other objections, il is not to be eX-
pected that its principles or its policy
would receive much consideration in
shaping the platform or the action of
the proposed convention, and the pres
enCe of its delegates would only be a
cause of useless contention and an un-
warrantable interference with plans and
purposes with which we, as Socialists,
have nothing in common.
Secondly-The Socialist Labor Party
is essentially a revolutionary party. 1t
demands the total abolition of the pres
ent industrial and commercial system.
1t declares the present economic system
of the world, and all political systems
that rest upon it, to be radically and
fundamentally wrong, the evil results of
which are not abuses, but natural and
inevitable consequences that it is folly
to attempt to remove by any superficial
remedies. 1t has, therefore, no belief in
the practicability, nor even in the desir-
ability of any well-intended but mistaken
efforts at reform. For this reason. also,
the Socialist Labor Party cannot con
sistently and honestly unite in action
with labor organizations whose efforts
are wholly or mainly directed to the ac-
complishment Of such Utopian reforms
Thirdly-It is a well known axiom of
socialism that "political liberty without
economic freedom is but an empty
phrase therefore, every well informed
Socialist believes from the bottom of his
heart that the much vamted ballot "
in the hands Of the wage laborer,
Under the present system and used for
the purpose of reforms but "a deIu-
sion and a snare" How, then, can any
Socialist be expected, and how can any
Socialist expect to join in political
movement for reform having the " bal
lot" for It's instrumentaIity-- thus
give his sanction to a political supersti-
ton that, more than any other popular
error Of the present day, needs exposure
and annihilation?
Looking forward to that happy time
when the dependent classes Of this so
called democratic republic, in common
with the same classes in Europe, shall
feel the oppression and degradation Of
their social status, and shall have higher
motives and incentives to organization
than mere animal instincts, such as the
desire for a little more pay or little
less labor, we are and always shall be
your faithful friends,
SECTIONS or MINNEAPOLlS, $. l.. p.
Adopted in Joint session August l2th,
1883.
II. F. BOERMA, Chdi1moE,
ALBERT f. BRAYTON, SEE 'cfdrg.