Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-03-16

that he did not believe that there could
be any material improvement in the
condition of the working classes so long
as the present industrial system Contin-
ued to exist He looked upon the labor
question as a property question, in just
the same sense as the slavery question
was property question. He held then,
and he holds now, that as the only way
in which the chattel slave could be really
helped was to abolish the property basis
on which the institution of chattel slav-
cry rested, SO the only way in which the
wage slaves can be really helped is to
abolish the property basis on which our
entire industrial and commercial system
rests, So the present writer could never
give his endorsement to so-called labor
reform measures, nor Conscientlously
join party that had such measures an
essential part of its platform OF agita-
ton. At this early period the s. l., p.
was known az the Workingmen's Party
of the United States, and the writer was
for few months member of it, and
assisted to organize branch" of the
Party in Boston. That branch was,
however, only a provisional one, and it
was distinctly understood that unless
the labor reform planks in the platform
of the Party were eXpunged by con-
gress or convention about to be held,
the branch would withdraw. The de-
sired changes were not made, and as a
consequence the branch withdrew, and
the writer has never been member Of
the party since.
have related this little bit Of history
for purpose, and the purpose is to
make another appeal to the Party on
behalf of, as believe, a large number
of independent and conscientious social
lists, who are virtually excluded from
the organization, not because they are
not good socialists but because they
will not compromise their principles or
give their sanction to measures which
they cannot approve. Why will the
Party persist in forcing upon its mem
bers creed that | believe not one so
calist in hundred believes in? never
look at the long string of political and
social demands without thinking of the
thirty nine articles Of the Church of
England, or some other antiquated list
of theological dogmas.
1t is not asked that any socialist shall
he called upon to repudiate them, or
any one of them. All that is asked is
that the acceptance of them shall no
longer be condition of membership in
the only socialstiC organization we have
in the land. Let every socialist be at
| liberty to accept them or reject them, as
he thinks proper, Let us have simple
and concise statement of the cardinal
principles of socialism and nothing more.
| Let the Party cut loose from all other
parties and from all other organizations,
and stand alone. Let us no longer en-
courage the poor victims of the iron law
of wages in their futile efforts to lift
themselves up by their Wristbands. Let
us throw aside the JesuitiCal doctrine
! that "the end justifies the means" In
| short, let us stand before the world for
what we are. Our principles are revo-
lutionary; let us acknowledge it. Let
ls be logical Let us be consistent.
| And above ALL let us be practical; and
it is not to be practical when we join the
cry Of the ignorant masses for imprac-
| ticable, and sometimes even unsOClallst
ic objects.
Even if policy alone is to be consid-
cred, the course that have indicated is
| the course that wisdom and common
! sense dictates. There is no necessity to
| antagOniZe the movement Of "Organlzed
| labor" We can show our sympathy for
every protest against the evils that all
wage workers have to endure, and for
the efforts that they make with such
persistence to redress them. They are
| doing the best they know. But it is
| 4 JaI, &c
a crime for socialists to take part in
them. The planks i'll the Party plat
| form chiefly intended to attract to our
ranks men who seek only immediate
| benefits serve to weaken and not to
strengthen our movement. We want
none but socialists in our organizations.
And we want the world to understand
us, which it never will do 50 long as our
simple, straightforward, just and logi-
cal demands are confused with what Mr..
Bierce calls ''unheavenly fad-, that have
no more to do with socialism than they
have with astronomy"
This letter is not written in a sp rit of
| ill-natured criticism, but in IA spirit Of
earnest socialistic and fraiernal regard
for all socialists, and Of devotion t. the
cause. W. q. II. SMART.
A SCANDINAVIAN SOCIALIST PAPER.
To the U'Orkmen'S AdrOcute:
Please give space to the following ap-
peal to the members of our party:
C0mrddcs. As has been stated before
in our party Journal, it may hc knovu
to most Of you that the tanduayi N
comrades OF this city have for SOME
time past been working for and prepar-
ing the issue of Scandinavian Social
istlc paper. Friday last the board OF
directors took the final step by de
Gliding that the paper shall now be is
sued, and the first number may be out