Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-01-26

the oppression of the people who have
hidden their feelings which, likes smoul-
dering fire, threaten at any moment to
be famed into blaze. Had there
never been socialists, the fever of
dissatisfaction would still have been in
the minds Of men. When a few men
are seen to grow wealthy while perform
ing no labor, no philosophy is needed to
teach the workingman that IL is being
robbed. lie may for time be unable to
account for it, but he still knows it to
he the truth. He has no time to study
causes, he Only sees effects. and in time
evinCes a deadly enmity against those
who possess wealth. The French Revo-
luton was the outgrowth of such a state
of ill-directed hatred.
The socialist is not the author of this.
nor an enemy to peace and welfare, but
Is necessary to MAINTAIN peace. He is
the escape valve to the concentrated
force of anger and hatred in the hearts
Of the multitude. He has compelled
the world to see and hear that some
thing is wrong. He sees the inequality
of our system of production and distri-
button, and maintains that IA radical
NildllEt II ll'NtcNdi w WI l'NN lIltNt
evils. He is both philosopher and a
prophet. He warns those who would
oppose the advance of human progress
to cease, else destruction dire and terri
BILE will he melted out to them. We
have shown that socialism is "A criticism
of existing institutions and have claimed
it to be philosophy, but if that were
all that we could claim for it, it would
be of little use to mankind. 1t has
grander mission. 1t teaches the broth.
erhOod of the entire human race, and
has constructed n theory of human re-
lations, which will eventually do away
with wrong and oppression.
Governments have now come to be
the bulwarks of property, and for the
protection of those in the possession of
wealth and ignoring the rights of the
people. The socialist knows that only
by rendering impossible the accumula-
ton of wealth in the hands of few can
the evils of which he complains be rem
edied, and he therefore proposes a
system for attaining that end. He sees
that society has become an organized
body, in which no member can act with.
ont involving the rest in a greater or
less degree in the consequence of that
act, and consequently that all the ad-
vantages which the organization of So
cety confer, belong of right to the
whole body and not to the individual
class. The wealth of the present could
not have been accumulated, were ii not
for the organization of society, and be-
longs of right to that body. But by
this we do not ask for the redistribution
Of property. For such a measure would
not only be wrong but futile as rene
dy, as our financial geniuses would very
soon recollect that of which they had
been deprived.
The speaker here touched in a general
way upon the conditions of things as
they would be under a socialistic system,
and IN closing ssid
We AS socialists are simply laboring
for the eQualizing of human conditions.
We are the enemies of no man, or class
of men. Our task may seem to be a
thankless and hopeless one, but those
who labor for reform must not expect
gratitude or remuneration. But Is not
the consciousness of fulfilling our duty
a greater reward than that which comes
from the lips and purses Of men? Has
not every move in the last quarter Of a
century, which has had reference to the
welfare of the people as whole,a social
stic tendency? Our public schools and
post office are more or less perfectly de-
veloped examples. The capitalist feels
the insecurity of his position, and tries
to kill the opponents of labor principles,
to suppress free speech and free assemb-
lage. Slavery committed suicide in the
hanging of John Brown, and Capital
signed It's own death warrant in the exc
cution of August Spies and his fellow
martyrs, and in its own rage gives us
reason to hope for its speedy overthrow.
Thus with the darkness of night around
us, we see signs fthe dawning of new
era.