Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-04-10

command, and he possessed profound
knowledge of the science of Socialism and
Of the movement.
1t was on September /, 1882, that the
group Of labor men whom he had gathered
issued the first true Socialist programme in
Poland. In this document II list Of politi-
cal demands was formulated in addition to
the Socialist creed. The latter asserted the
right Of the people to the land and instru-
ments Of labor as collective property of
workers in the Socialist state; the neces-
sity of wage labor being replaced by col
lective labor organized by the industrial
and agricultural associations, and the right
Of every individual to enjoy the product of
collective labor proportionately to the guam
tity Of work which he or she has effected.
Numerous local committees were soon at
work propagating the doctrines of this pro-
gramme.
In February. 1888, it happened that the
Project Of Police at Warsaw issued an or
der for assimilating all women workers
with the prostitutes in the matter Of peri
odical nspection-exemption being granted
to those provided with certificate Of good
conduct from their masters! The new
party at once secretly printed an appeal for
open resistance to this infamous decree.
The effect was so startling that the Project
never dared to carry his sanitary policy
into execution. On the other hand
the party gained prestige and took the
opportunity to proclaim to the
women workers that Socialism alone
would protect their destinies and their
honor. The "Proletariath also interviewed
in labor disputes on many occasions, send
ing notices to the capitalists which were
generally efficacious. Action by the strike
was resorted to with increasing frequency
The growth Of the movement re attracted
to Warsaw many Poles who had been
studying at the superior schools of Russia,
and at the same time helping on the Rus
sian revolutionary agitation. Through
these adherents, the ''Proletariat' be-
came allied to the Russian society," The
Will of the People
At this time the principal means Of
action in Russia were terrorists, and one
of the newcomers, Stanislaus Kunitzki, a
student of the age Of "a, undertook the
conduct of similar action in Poland, where
the more advanced economic conditions
had hitherto suggested less violent courses.
1t must be remembered, however, in con-
nection with what follows, that the PRO
letariat'' depended on secrecy, and that in
dividual members held the lives OF many
conrad IS in their hands. For defensive
reasons the Central Committee pronounced
death sentence ON three traitors, and two
of these were actually murdered. But
propaganda and agitation remained the
principal pre- occupation Of the party.
Publications printed or imported in clan
destine fashion were largely circulated, and
twenty proclamations were issued. The
influence of the party gradually extended
to Piussian and Austrian Poland, the
present day result in the latter case espe
cially being a very great success.
The police sought to destroy the party
through the agency Of spies. Debski, the
editor of the Bulletin, had an encounter
with one of these, but was fortunate
enough to escape from the country. The
whole machinery of persecution was set in
motion, and two informants were presently
forthcoming. Other prisoners, reduced to
madness. made accusations against people
right and left. More than a hundred men
and women were dispatched to Siberia,
twenty nine being reserved by Gourko
for the tender mercies of the court
martial. Eighteen of these were work
men; ten students OF officers; the twenty
ninth, traitor, was also student. The
trial was brutaly conducted, perfdity
and intimidation of witnesses being freely
resorted to. The very advocates Of the
prisoners were menaced, although they
all proclaimed their aversion to Socialism
Warynski delivered defense Of an hours
duration, telling the court that he and his
friends were merely representatives Of
scientific theory and that the economic
transformation is being carried out by the
force of things. The concentration Of
capital, naturalization of railways and
labor legislation, phenomena common to all
Europe being decisive evidences of this
fact.
He also referred to the English trades I'M
ions as terrorists during the period of their
depression, although now legally recog-
nized ''We do not organize the revolu
ton, - he said; 1--WE organize for the revo-
lution.'' Most of the other prisoners also
delivered speeches in favor OF Socialism.
Six men were condemned to death, two sub
sequently having their sentences committed
to twenty years hard labor in the Siberian
mines. The others were also condemned
to terms of Imprisonment varying from
twenty to six years. The four called
upon to pay the penalty of their lives
Kunitzki, Ossoski and
Pietrusinski-werea aged respectively 3S, "A,
% and 81. Their execution (by hanging)
took place in the Citadel of Warsaw at "a.
m. of the aSth January, 1886. They met
their deaths most bravely-each one ex
at the end, Long live the Social
Revolution - and Long live the Prole-
tariat?'' "Loug live Liberty"'
Four years elapsed before the movement
fully recovered from this blow; but those