Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-09-07
grire 3 Geuts

men, and that all our efforts in this Gi-
rection must be futile. This idea has
served to many as an excuse for not
voting a socialist ticket, or for advising
not to use the ballot. To these we say
that what may not be possible now may
be possible in the future after repeated
efforts. We must never get tired of
trying. 1t takes more strokes than one
to fell tree.
Independent political action, however,
may serve our purposes in an indirect
way without the election of our candi-
dates. Parties in power may make con-
cessions in order to deter voters to cast
their ballots in favor of the Socialists.
To prove this, it is sufficient to refer to
the Prohibitionists. See what they
have achieved by their independent po-
litcal action. The democratic" and
the republican" party both vie
with each other in the enactment of
laws to please Prohibitonists. Both
parties, by their efforts, try to convince
the Prohibitionists that there is no need
for their independent action, and laws
are made which would never have been
put into the constitutions or statute
books but for the independent political
action of the Prohibitionists. The old
parties are constituted so that they can
be forced to do nothing from within;
all force must be applied from without.
Every vote cast for socialist ticket
is a protest against the existing eco
nomic system, and we cannot protest
too often and too much. The existence
of the Socialist Labor Party is stand
ing protest against the wickedness of
our social system, Every vote cast in
favor of this party gives strength to
that protest and adds to its effective
ness. You may be sure the time will
come, nay, must come, when this pro.
test will be needed.
The evils of our social system are
growing from day to day. The time is
not far off when they will become sim
ply unbearable, They are nearly so
already. 1t should be understood now as
well as hereafter that the labor question
is not merely question of wages and
hours of work. but that it is ques-
ton of radical change Of our social
structure. 1t must be understood that
the wage system is inconsistent with
the degree of public liberty which we
have, at least in theory, and is destined
to 60. Economically speaking, the wage
system is only another form Of the slave
system, only that the force of circum-
stances has taken the place of the physi-
cal force of the slave-driver.
There is no rational reason why soci-
ETY. should not be arranged upon plan
which enables every one to use his
working force for himself, and only for
himself. There is no rational reason
upon earth why production should not
be carried on comparatively by State
aid, or under State supervision, and why
the distribution of the products shall
not be a public business, a State func-
ton. Whatever the faults may be
which can be found with such system,
it cannot be as bad AZ the present sys-
TEN.
There is not only no reason why such
a cooperative system should not be in
troduced there is, on the contrary,
every reason to believe that such sys-
tenn is the only system possible in the
future. The use of labor-saving ma.
chinery makes cooperation absolutely
necessary, and surely nobody would
abolish machinery, even if he could.
The workingmen in factory cooperate,
but they cooperate for the benefit of
their employer. They could cooperate
for their own benefit if they had the
means. They would have them if the
State, that is, organized society, would
furnish them. And in order to make
the change in the economic system com.
plete, competition between the produc-
ers must also be abolished, and the dis
tribution of the products must take
place also under the supervision of the
social organism, that is, the State.
This may seem difficult or impossible tn
many, but it is necessary, absolutely
necessary, and society has never failed
to accomplish what appeared to be nee
essary. Such social system will be
the necessary outcome Of the present
system. We will grow into it; but the
quicker we grow into it, the better for
us and the better for our children. The
sooner a social system, which creates
economic classes, which enriches few
and impoverishes the masses, goes out
OF existence the better. Poverty and
liberty cannot exist alongside of each
other for any length of time. The poor
can never be free. We must either give
up our liberty or change our social
structure. There is no other change
possible than the one we socialists have
in view, considering that a change can
only take place in the natural course of
development, and that the present is
always the basis for the future.
We socialists have recognized this
We socialists show you better system
of social organization; one that will
and must come at all events. What
objection can you have to help us aceel-
crate the speed of development? You
have nothing to lose and everything to
gain by ininIng lis