Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-26

THE SOCIALIST PLAN,
A Strong Effort Being Made to Organ
iZe Branches in the Coke Re-
giOns by Alexander Jonas
EXISTING THINGS TO BE CHANGED,
Not by Tyrannical Methods, But by Edu-
cation, and Cooperative Common
wealths to be introduced.
EXISTING THINGS TO BE CHANGED,
BEAVER ON THE FLOOD COMMISSION.
Lawrence County Republicans Rave Faith in Major
McDOwelrs Integrity.

Alexander Jonas, one of the New York
leaders OF socialism in America, is stopping
at the Monongahela House. He is pleas
ant, middle-aged German, wears glasses.
and keeps his face cleanly shaven. In ap-
pearance he is not dangerous, even If his
ideas of society are somewhat radical. His
main object, however, is peace first, last and
all the time, and he hopes that human life
may some day be reorganized on another
basis through educational and persuasive
methods. On Sunday evening Mr.. Jonas
lectured to the members of the organization
in this neighborhood on the Southside, as
stated in yesterdays DISPATCH. He
has just come from a tour of the coke
regions, where he started branch societies at
Scottdale, Pennsville, Everson, and Hawk
ins. The least of these branches numbers 20
members, and the largest will reach 35.
OF the society at large he states there are
about 10000 members enlisted in America,
and be claims their numbers are increasing
annually and rapidly. Fully two-thirds are
Germans, and the other third is made mp Of
all classes of people. The societies are con-
fined principally to the large cities, both
east and west, with the greatest number pre-
dominating in the East, especially in New
York.
SOME OF HIS VIEWS.
Mr.. Jonas is an apt talker, and consented
yesterday to give a short exposition of
socialistic principles. He began BY saying:
'The newspapers of the country know less
about socialism than many of the masses,
snd their ideas are generally erroneous.
We do not teach the doctrine of everything
in common, as some suppose, out we advo-
cate cooperative commonwealths, in which
every man is paid according to his work,
and the man who doesn't work, therefore,
ought not to eat Under the present econ
omic system, part of the laborer's wages are
retained by what we call capitalists. In
deed, capital or wealth is nothing more
than unpaid wages-money that has been
withheld from the workman. Capital is
not a producer. The man who puts
there for ten years will have
that much money at the end of that time
II, however, he invests the capital in ewing
machines and puts girls to work they will
earn more, and what they produce individu-
ally should belong to them"
'But what does the man get who puts up
the $40, ,000?"
Nothing, unless he works, and then be
will get his share. The money he has rep
resents labor in the past, or accumulated
labor, and he has no more right to it than 1
have. We are not Anarchists and are dia-
metrically opposed to their methods. We
are revolutionary, in the sense that we de-
sire to introduce a new state of society, but
it will not be done by bloodshed unless the
mouopolists and trusts should force such an
issue. In that case they would be the rebels
er6 not the Socialists.
WORKING BY EDUCATION.
'We propose by education to win over the
people to our views. As we grow stronger
we will elect our Representatives to Con-
are able to make our own laws, and they
should not be accepted by the capitalists,
then a resort to arms would probably be had.
for that is what the moneyed classes would
do. Even to-day they hire lot of bandits
in the form of Pinkerton men, who are not
even authorized policemen, to coerce the
workmen.
"The time was in Germany when we only
cast 48 votes, but at the last election the
Socialist party polled 100, 600 ballots, and is
to-day the strongest party in Germany. 1t
was all done, you see, by peaceful methods.
Should Socialism ever succeed in America,
the form OF government will be changed.
There will still be government, but it will
be an administration of things, not OF per-
sons. There will be no crime, for crime is
largely the result of poverty, and poverty
will be abolished. Every man will have a
home OF his own, and can live in decent
style. He won't spend all his time in hard
work, but will have sufficient left for educa-
ton and enjoyment. There will be
no curtailing of liberties, for that
would be tyrannical, and only Czrrs and
Kaisers are despots- National affairs will
be administered on different basis, for the
benefit of all the people. 1t is not denied
that the wealthy are growing richer, and
the poor poorer. We would like to even
up matters, but the majority must be
willing"
Mr.. Jonas stated that the society in Pitts
burg and Allegheny numbered about 200
members, ana was on the increase. Mr..
Lather, who lives on the Southside, is
leading local spirit. The organization is
not secret Mr.. Jonas was at one time
editor of the New York Tolks Zeitung.
He will 60 East, from Pittsburg.