Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-03-08
THE RED FLAG.
uncalled For utterances Rebuked by m
Honest sociaIist-Earnest Satioualists
should Thank and Sustain Him.


Honest sociaIist-Earnest Nationalists
should Thank and sustain Him.
The following letter, which speaks for
itself was published in the Craftsman,
of Washington, ID. c., in last weeks
issue of that paper;
In the January Nationalist, page 70,
will be found the following statement,
which desire to comment upon, mas
much as it has caused one member Of
the Washington Nationalist Club to
make similar confessions:
Our Emblem. Stars and Stripes
is the national emblem. 1t symbolizes
the nation. As such it stands pre-.
eminently as the emblem of National
ism. While recognizing the universal
brotherhood of man we see no reason
why our flag should be the color of
blood. 1t is a good IDEA for all clubs at
public meetings to display prominently
the Stars and Stripes as the emblem Of
Natonaism.'
This is an extremely cheap and un-
called for sentiment; cheap, because it
is merely the echoing of the mob cry,
bred of Ignorance and fostered by a
hired press, rostrum, and pulpit, against
the banner Of the labor movement; I'M
called for because none of those who
like myself, hold that emblem of eman-
cipation dear, has at any time endeav-
ored to cause its adoption by Nation
alists.
Whatever motives may have prompted
those utterances, certainly they are not
consistent with the dignity of the cause
which Nationalist, according to their
principles, have espoused. They are,
to my thinking. born of very sordid
and unworthy inspiration.
They are due to feeling of extrelae
tmidity, or one of GmagineD shrewd
policy. Probably both have been instru-
mental in formulating the above cant.
| am impelled to take this view from my
own observations of the character of
some members of the Nationalist clubs,
with which l am acquainted.
There are the timid white-livered
Nationalists, who are continually apollo.
giving for heresies which might be ascrib.
ed to them; those who, while they
have peen charmed by the beauty Of
Bellamy's dream" are extremely anx.
ious that the dominant factors of to-day's
society shall not be hurt by any reform
they may advocate. They are, as a rule,
very contented with their present lot,
and their attempts at reform are, per-
haps, mere devices to tickle their mental
palate. The hard facts of terrible in
dustial wrong, crying for Justice and
though the heavens fall" will never be
realized by them. To them say: 1.-The
reformer is made of sterner material
than such as you" and | bid them re-
member the words of the revolutionist
of Nazareth: "A man cannot serve two
masters"
Then there is class Of Nationalists
who, like Joey B, are "develish sly, sir, :"
or think they are, They have an idea
that they are going to carry out what
no reformer has yet achieved nor never
will-to inaugurate radical changes in
social structure without stepping on any
body's corns. They believe that they
can bamboozle those who profit by the
iniquitoua industrial system of to-day
into believing that their aims are entirely
consistent with the present social con-
ditions. They believe that they can by
such little maneuvres as the above dis
claimer of all allegiance to the red flag
put to rest the suspicious of the guardl-
ans of Mammon and monopoly and thus
quietly and gradually inaugurate the
system Of co operation.
Now | would say to these apostles OF
non antagonism that they make very
great mistake when they believe that
they will succeed by any such little
tricks. They will wake up some morn
ing to find this timidlty, this catering TO
vulgar sentiments, this ingratitude to
their best allies and most ardent and
self-sacriticing co-workers, the Socialists,
this iine-edged policy, this kid-glove
agitation, to avail them nothing. 1t will
not ward off the odlum that the ruI-
ing (Which means exploiting and oppres-
sing) factors of society will fix upon
them, and which always attaches to the
progressive elements, if they mean to
honestly carry out the aims indicated in
their platforms, that is, 1.-THE aboi-
ton of the slavery which the present
industrial system has wrought"
In view of the above considerations, it
would seem to me that it would have
been more manly if this plea by antici-
patton had never been maze.
Whatever socialists land | among
them) may think of national flags their
deepest veneration will always 20 to the
flag of fags-the red flag consecrated
by the blood of the martyrs, by anguish