Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-09-14

in the expectation that equal services
will come to them in their time.
Observe, you honest workingmen
whose victims YOU are, and blame your
selves for 1t: for were you not blind
tools to serve them, If you were not
helping them into office, they would be
powerless. But you choose TO elect
your worst enemies into positions where
they serve you to your cost and fill
their own pockets. This is the source
from which your laws are coming; the
tribunal by which your economic, in
tellectual and moral interests are de-
termined, You may drudge all your
life and the end must prove misery, for
you are continually victimizcd by the
aforesaid element
And here we offer again a radical
remedy that will forever cut off the
leeches that deplete your needed sub
slstence. We propose that you shall
take part in public affairs in an intelli-
gent way. 1t is our purpose TO create
social conditions under which all may
prove their right to existence by use
full work. For this very purpose the
aVoCatlonS are to be organized as the
very foundation of society. The organ
izations shall within their respective
spheres determine and regulate their
interests. The measure of usefulnt 81
alone shall determine the worth of men.
There will be no opportunity for the
triCksters and despoilers; the leeches
will then be radically cut off, and you
may enjoy in safety the natural oppor-
tunlties life offers to you, because YOU
will then be protected by the power of
organized society. What objection can
be raised against this proposition on the
basis of justice:
That the system of the present day is
wrong injurious IN its results. is ad-
mitted by the adverse criticism of the
press, which is, nevertheless, strenu-
ously opposing a change. The question
occurs here, what service does the press
render when it comments at the end of
periods of legislative bodies in this
wise: THE now defunct legislature was
the most corrupt of any that ever were
in sesSion-the most ignorant and USE
less, and signs of relief are let loose at
the ending, for the time being, of dan
ger to public interests" But this same
press is testifying to the impotence, the
corruption, to the general worthlessness
and immortality at every adjournment
of these bodies and it is the very same
press which lauds the members of these
same legislatures and helps to re-elect
them when the party machine offers
them as candidates for reelection. Is it
not hypocrisy of the first order to criti-
eize as above cited and yet do all to
maintain the corrupt conditions? What
does the press do at election time after
the party caucus has made its nomina-
tions? We know the party machine is
responsible for what is done by the indi-
vidual in office, for these are really
under the domination Of the machine
yet the press simply bows to the corrupt
influences of the political machine and
serves it. | say it is abominable hypoc-
risy to criticise and moralize as above
and yet do nothing to remove the cause
of corruption.
We hear lamentations that our politi-
cal parties and public officers are cor
rupt to the core; we have it in our
power to change all this; yet we stand
impotently by and suffer these baneful
conditions to prevail. Does it not affect
your pride as men when you reflect
upon it?
We socialists want to bring change
about which shall be in consonance
with our understanding of right and
justice, and for the purpose of assuring
the well-being of all. When the peoples.
interests are taken in charge by those
who are directly concerned within the
natural sphere, we shall have then a
regulation that will be harmonious and
beneticent. To-day it is incompetence
and corruption that sways all our inter-
ests. The result is necessarily unsatis-
factory. Incompetence and corruption
are regulating our affairs, for which in
teIligence and honesty are the prime
qualities requisite. Where is our in
teligence. that we suffer these condi-
tons? We ought to hide our faces in
shame to tolerate them. The practices
in vogue in the political life of this ma
ton are notoriously corrupt, and the
result is a government by the incompe-
tent, the hunters after the spoils of
office. am convinced that if the spoils
are made impossible, this element will
vanish; they will not have any further
interest then in public affairs.
concluded merit iceek)