The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-10-21
WHY SOCIALISTS?
A Stirring Address to the Working
men


nominees, respectively, for mayor,
treasurer, constable and sergeant. 1t
is so admirably put that we reproduce
it for Montana voters to read. For ed
ucational purposes in this campaign
this document is unequalled:
The undersigned nominees of the
socialist party of Newport News for
the various offices set against their
names, in coming out before the pub
lie and asking the support of our
class and all other fair minded. voters
feel that some reason should be CIV
en- for our action.
We earnestly call your attention to
the fact that your condition, as a
class, is constantly growing worse
from year to year. Wages are shrink
ing, expenses are swelling, and we
are becoming more and more the
helpless slaves of capitalism and
that, too, with your own consent and
aid. Every vote you cast for the Ole
parties candidates is link in the
chain that binds you as wage slaves
to the machines owned by capitalists,
which grind up your lives for profit.
With the dollar as the measure of
values the individuals value to and
influence in society is measured by
his wealth, and his influence in poll
tics is as potent as it is in business.
His economic prestige gives him
political power, which power is used
| h,.s,, oiy
power and so on to the end of the
| chapter.
This shows that equality in poll
tics cannot be maintained under a
| system of unequal economics, such
as is now in full operation; and if we
would retain our hold on the little
| liberty yet lief. us by our economic
and political masters, we must do so
| by the intelligent use of the ballot,
and must do it now.
The only ultimate object toward
which the political action of the work
ing class should be constantly aimed
is the collective ownership of the
means of production and distribution,
which the collective labor of the
working class has created Private
ownership always and everywhere
means the exploitation of labor, con-
centration of wealth and power class
/ rule, and poverty for the exploited
Competition compels combination, and
the only alternative to profit grind
ing monopoly is the cooperative com
monwealth.
Society today is divided into two
great classes, separate and distinct as
night and day. On one hand we
have the capitalist class, owning the
means of production and distribution
that is, the earth, with all it con
tains of God given wealth (the for
ests, fertile soil, mines of gold, iron
coal, etc., and all that man has ere
ated by his labor, such Nas railroads
ships, factories and the machinery
necessary to the production OIL
wealth. On the other hand we have
the working class, with comparative
ly nothing but it's labor power, men
tai and physical, which it must sell
to the wealth owners at their own
price, and this at the present time is
. about one-sixth of its retail value
Small wages to the wage slave means
large profits to the capitalist and
vice versa.
You may sometimes think that vol
are nobody's slave and quit your job
but you soon discover your mistake
for on leaving one master you mus
+ Immediately seek another to whom
you can sell your labor. If unable t.
; find master, you must beg, steal o.
v starve. Thus the working class Il
' ever at the caprice of the capitals
j. robbing class.
There is a struggle going on be
tween these two classes which can
' not be ignored or ended until the cap
v ital system of production and distri
button is overthrown by the class
conscious vote of the socialist party
The capitalists understand this, ant
!. that is why the two old parties, con
trolled by capitalism, unite agains
us. They must have the courts t
protect their interests, and the seat
in congress must be kept warm b.
n thir servants. The police, the militia
i the army must be outposts on tn
g skirmish line, so that, when some o
d the workers become unruly an
e strike, their fellow workers, as so
It diers can be called upon to shoe
them into submission.
On election day you put into powe
l. the capitalists republican servants
S and then curse them for selling yo
out. At the next election you pu
into power the capitalists democrati
servants, only to find them equal
l. corrupt and as much your enemy
l. The truth is that the republican an
/, democratic parties are really but tn
h wings of plutocracy, as both stan
S for and uphold the system that make
g the plutocrat a possibility and tn