Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-06-05

ing classes physically, mentally and NOR
ally; and vc had now arrived at the time
when we should cease to be mere agitators
and should push forward demands for the
immediate Gmelioration Of the condition OF
the people. Politically, Social Democrats
were complete Democrats, and were press
ing forward universal adult suffrage, pay
ment of members of Parliament and for all
public works, the Initiative and Referen-
dunn ESQ that no project should become law
until the whole people had had opportunity
to vote on the question: and the abolition
Of the House Of Lords-not domination by
the present Capitalistic House of Commons;
he would prefer the House of Lords to that.
With regard to foreign affairs, the
speaker denounced in strong terms the
system Of secret diplomacy, and urged
that the people Of this country had right
to know what statesmen were doing in their
name. (Cheers.) Mr.. Chamberlain, they
were told, had insuperable zeal in travelling
from Birmingham to London in the mid
night express. (Laughter.) OF course,
he got e5, 900 year for it; and he supposed
his hearers would not take the job at the
price. (Laughter.) Politics were means
to an end, and their forefathers had fought,
gone to prison, and even died that they
might enjoy the privileges they now
possessed, and of which they make such
despicable use. Hear, hear.) 1t was
perfectly true that il America and France,
where there was no queen, no House OF
Lords, and almost universal suffrage, the
domination of Capitalism was just as rank,
which showed us that they were yet long
way off Social Democracy; and that meant
they had to educate the people of this
country so that they could understand
these matters, and use the political engines
for their complete emancipation. Cheers
In any palliatives they proposed, Social
Democrats did not swerve one iota from
the principles of their program; but there
were certain palliatives which might be
demanded as helping them on the road to
complete Social Democracy, and which
would make them physically better able to
bring about the Social Revolution.
Social Democrats had been denounced as
impractical men--all men were impractical
who wanted something governing classes
did not want to give-but they had pro-
posed many things which were nov so fully
adopted by other parties that Socialists did
not need to push them-such as the eight
hours day, trade union rates of wages, the
abolition of the sweater and contractor in
Government and municipal departments,
etc. Mr.. Byles, the Chairman of his Bradford
meeting, had referred to Socialists as 1.-THE
sappers and MINERS in the army of prog
ress; the pioneers who were smoothing
the road for those who were to come after. -
Referring to the Post Office, Comrade
Hyndman designated it as a gigantic sweat
ing den, and incidentally mentioned that
he had made certain charges of wrongs
suffered under the existing system. Lord
Tweedmouth had denied the truth of these
statements but unless the latter gentleman
acknowledged their truth, he would placard
him as liar. Three millions annually was
taken out of the Post Office to relieve the
upper and middle class tax payers. He
recommended the reconstruction of the
Post Office on cooperative basis, and
said the Government had no right to sweat
its own servants; equal payment should be
given for equal service to both men and
women, and long hours should be abolished.
(Cheers.) He demanded that the Tory
Government, with their 1872 majority,
should do something to alleviate the con-
dition of their employees. In Government
departments at Woolwich they were pay.
ing men wages it was impossible to live
on; it was indeed a marvel to him how they
did live at all
The next point touched upon was the
railways, which the lecturer said was
necessary that the State should hold. He
gave examples showing that preferential
rates were given to foreigners to the
detriment of home industries, causing the
prices of commodities to be greatly enhanced
to the workers. The railways were not
built by the owners of them, but by the
fathers of the working population of this
country; they were given to their owners
by capitalist House Of Commons; and we
have now to pay an annual tribute af thirty
six millions to the railway companies for
the privilege of using them. Hear, hear.)
Sir Albert Rollit, Mr.. Labouchere, and
others professed themselves in favor of
naturalization of railways, but they were
in no -Qaughter)- it was their
business to hurry up, as it was monopoly
quite ready 10 be taken up by the State to-
morrow 1t was the same with regard to
the coal mines. The two should be worked
together in the interest of all. (Hear, hear
These taken under control by the State, they
mighth then begin to make the engines,
carriages and trucks, and then extend their
operations to other industries. 1t was a
marvel to him that the men did not clamor
for this. but they had not got the pluck.
For three generations they had been
crushed down, and the very life had been
crushed out of them. Thorough agitation
was necessary, and if they would not be
active for the sake of others, he appealed
to his hearers to be active for their own,
because any day might find them thrown
into the unemployed army, and they would
then bitterly regret they had not listened
70 +ba Socialists They <yera told that