The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-09-20

England ceased icing protected coun-
try. and threw wide open her portals
to the commerce of the world From
then till now she has been developing
her free trade principles You here
on the other hand have been seeking
to protect yourselves by tariff laws.
Several of the old nations of the world
have been doing likewise, but whether
under protection in America or free
trade in England the fortunes of the
rich continue to grow, whilst the
miseries of the poor do not decrease.
Protection protects rents aad interest,
but not labor. Free trade enlarges
the area over which the trader may
barter his goods, but does not free the
worker from the dominion of capital
Trade unionism has done much for the
worker and is calculated to do even
more, but we cannot shut our eyes to
the fact that trade unionism does not
find work for the unemployed; does
not restore the land of the nation to
the people, and is at best a barrier
which protects the worker against the
more glaring of the evils which capital
ism would otherwise impose upon him.
1t is the first step toward the organi-
cation of industry, and the workman
who is not a trade unionist is the ally
of the landlord and the sweater.
"Now 1 come to sum up. We have
seen that the oppression of the worker
is not due to the form of government
under which he lives, therefore, we
conclude that no reform in the system
of government will materially improve
his position. 1t is not due to the
absence of thrift, nor to his intemper-
ance, nor to any cause over which he
has hitherto had any control, but to
the fact that the land, without which
he cannot live, and the instruments of
production, without which he cannot
| produce wealth, are owned by a Sec
| ton of the community, and are used
by that section to make rents and
profits. Labor in the hands of the
capitalists is commodity to be used
like piece of machinery. To state
the case in this fashion is also to sug-
| gest a remedy. There are certain
things indispensable to life-food and
| raiment and house accommodation.
We should laugh to scorn any proposal
to make private property of the air we
breath, or the sunlight we enjoy. In
like manner I submit that all things
essential to life should be owned and
controlled by the community for the
community.
Competition. it is stated, is neces-
sary to the development of the people.
That may be SO, but competition in
the production of our food supplies is
suicidal and when you come to think
of it, all our trade and commerce has
for its foundation this fact, that PEG.
pie must produce food and raiment if
they are to live.
II am not stickler for form. 1 care
not by what name you call that sys-
tenn of industry under which the idler
at both ends of the scale would be
eliminated. 1t may be named social
ism; it may be named collectivism; it
may be spoken of as a cooperative
commonwealth or an industrial COM
monwealth. The name to me is moth
ing. but 1 am concerned in seeing an
attempt made to realize a happier con.
dition of life for the masses of the PEG.
pie than is possible for them to-day.
The applicatio of the remedy here
outlined is a matter of some impor-
| tance.
The state, 1 have already limited,
protects property. even at the sacrifice
of human life; the whole of the ma
chinery of government from the senate
down to your city council is in the
hands of the owners of property. Why:
Because they have succeeded in divid-
ing the workers into two hostile camrs,
which they call respectively democrats
and republicans. 1 wish you to observe
that within your recollection demo-
Gratis and republicans have in turn
| welded the scepter of power, but the
great tide of human misery has flowed
on all the same unchecked and undi-
minished. A rich man, whether he
calls himself republican or democrat,
is first of all property owner in the
house Of representatives to which
you send him and will naturally give
preference to the claims of property
when these conflict with the claims
of labor. l ask you, there
fore, to have done with party politics
in the present accepted sense. and
party government There are but two
parties in the state, the rich and the
poor. This division runs through So
ciety. runs through religion-you will
| find it in your churches-and should
run through politics Democrats and
repu blicans alike will use workingmen
to prop up their system and support
themselves, but the moment labor
com bines to assert itself then demo-
Gratis and republicans alike will com
bine to oppose it. Socialism l believe
to be, then, the only remedy. the only
permanent remedy for the releasing of
our industrial system and independent
political action, the chief method for
realizing our object Within five years
from now the organized workers of the
| world will have their international
organizations, seeking to secure the
active cooperation of the people of all
lands, all nationalities, all tongues, in
resisting the growing arrogance of
capital Capital knows no nationality,
neither should labor. and call upon
the Eorkingmen of America, the coun
try which has pioneered the world of
political freedom, to take their place
in the vanguard of the industrial army,
which is seeking to emancipate the
workers from the bondage in which he
is held by capital and to secure eco
nolnic freedom. without which polit-
ical freedom is but shadow"
They are Coming.