The Arizona sentinel., 1902-10-29
SOCIALIST PLATFORM.

The Socialist party of Yuma county, Arizona Territory, in convention as sembled, af1irms its allegiance to the National platform of the Socialist party as adopted by the Indianapolis cOnven- tiOn of 1901, and pledges itself to aid in every way the establishment of the Go 1 operative Commonwealth.
 The Municipal platform and policy of this party is the application of Socialist principles to the affairs Of the county in all possible ways, and we refer to the aforesaid National platform and to So cialist literature in general fer more detailed exposition of such principles. Briefly, however, we state that the central idea of Socialism is the collect ! i've ownership of all the means of pro- ductiOn and distribution, and their or ganized management by the people in the interest of the whole people. SO- 1 calism proposes that the people in their collective capacity, tO-wit, the ] Government, by means of the ballot, take all public utilities under their own ownership and manage them in their own interest.
 This involves the employment of all | labor. and supervision over the distrib- utiOn of all products. Socialism stands essentially for the interests of the workers, as distinguished from the inn mediate material interests of the capi- talist class. We assert, however, that while Socialism is unalterably opposed to the interests of the capitalist, there is no individual of any class whose best interest would not be served by the establishment of the Socialist or Co 1 operative Commonwealth.
 Those who have most to lose and least to gain would still be benefited by the advent of socialism: the workers, then, who have nothing to lose and every thing to gain, have surely no choice.
 No other party has ever promised to the people anything more than the ! ameliOratiCn of some specific condition, while leaving others equally important and equally bad to remain as before, or to be made enough worse to offset the good done, if any.
 To the working class, then, we spec tally appeal, upon the ground that its interests lie wholly with socialism. l To the intelligent and unselfiSh in all classes we appeal. upon the ground that Socialism is the only rational outcome for industrial evolution, and the only 1 equitable and permanent solution for | the economic evils of the present. We insist that all such questions as taxation, the minimum of wages, and the maximum length of working days: the relations of employer and employee; the recognition of Unions: the care of extreme cases of want: and the prob | lem of dealing with crimes having an | economic basis (which comprise nearly all crime ], have been produced by the competitive system-Or, rather, the capitalist system, since competition has already been nearly eliminated By the | trust-and are not for socialism, but | for Capitalism, to SOlve--if 1t can. l Therefore it $ not as any part of SO- l cialiSm itself, but for the ameli0ratiOn | of conditions during the period which , inteFveneS between the present and the establishment of Socialism, we propose as policy of this party in the affairs of this county if it's candidates arc elected to office, the following:
 1st. That not over eight hours shall constitute a,day'S work.
 2nd. That eFely class of property shall pay the same proportion of the public revenue.
 3rd. The abolition of the per capita road and poll tax.
 4th. The increase of the amount to be appoTtiontd to the road fund.
 9th. Strict economy in the manage ment of Territorial and County offices.
 9th. A primary election law based on the principle of general election law.
 7th. The abolition of the present fee system of county and precinct officers, and the substitution of salaries for all public officers in lieu.
 Sh. The admission of the Territory of Arizona to statehood.
 9th. The initiative and referendum Legislation, the right of recall of officials at the pleasure of their constituency, and equal political rights for all citizens without regard to sex.
 10th. The enactment of laws calcu- lated to the security and comfort of the laboring class, to the benefit of the citizen and tax-payer, to the encour- agement of emigration and the devel- ! opment of the Territory, to which every candidate and the Socialist party are pt3lged.'