Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-25

present industrial situation must be en-
Political freedom was a great step to-
ward more perfect civilization. and the
next step to be taken is for economic free
dom. 1t Is not strange to see wage-earner
oppose economic freedom, as study of his
tory reveals the fact that the victims
defenders.
class struggles. Freemen and slave pa
trician and plebeian, lord and serf guild
master and journeyman-in a word. oppres-
sor and oppressed-stood in constant OPP
position to one another, and carried on an
uninterrupted fight, hidden or open,. that
either ended in reconstruction Of society at
large or in the common ruin of the con-
tending classes.
But classes grow and develop in the
same manner as an organism. Under the
feudal system the ruling class grew and de-
veloped, and, after reaching the zenith Of
Its power, was overthrown by another class
that took command Of the functions of the
government. So in our present civilization
another transition Is rapidly approaching.
The capitalist class is becoming effete; it's
power Is on the wane. and the working
class Is preparing to overthrow 1t.
AS every one knows who has studied the
situation, the organized capitalist class is
in full and complete control Of all execu-
tive and legislative bodies, and. as a class,
exists only for the benefit of it's members;
enacts laws solely in the interest of its
class. and enforces these laws by means
VI LHe military, munlClpdl pOuCe tu6 ma
tional guard. Pinkerton Specials ETC.
These are all recruited from that inert
mass that Is totally barren Of any class in
stinct, and are therefore easily induced to
become the bribed tools of this capitalist
class to fight its battles.
I'VE see the breach growing wider and
wider between the two classes. The work
ing class is separating itself more and more
development of its class instinct. Hence it
Is this very class instinct that is prompting
the trade unions to pass rules prohibiting
any Of their members belonging to the mill
ttary forces. whose very existence has been
called into being for the purpose Of con-
tinuing the present ruling class in power.
The workers have discovered that when
ever their class becomes too demonstrative
the capitalist hirelings shoot them into SUBJ
mission, and it is the recognition of this
fact that Is prompting them to transfer
the struggle from the industrial to the po-
litical field. They are beginning to learn
the power Of the ballot, and that by elect
ing members o ftheir own class to office
they will eventually establish a cooperative
system OF producing and distributing the
lectively, and not for the benefit of a few.
I'm the book. Socialism, from Utopia to
Science by Frederick Engels, Is the fol-
lowing, which is a clear analysis of crises:
AS a matter Of fact, since 1895, when the
first general crisis broke out, the whole in
dustrial and commercial world. production
and exchange among all civilized peoples
and their more or less barbaric hangers
on, are thrown out Of joint about once ev-
cry ten years. Commerce Is at a standstil1,
the markets are glutted, products accumu-
late, as multitudinous as they are unsal
able, hard cash disappears, credit vanishes,
factories are closed, the mass of the work.
ers are in want of the means of subsist-
ence because they have produced too much
of the means Of subsistence; bankruptcy
follows upon bankruptcy, execution upon
execution. The stagnation lasts for years;
productive forces and products are wasted
and destroyed wholesale, until the accu
mu1ated mass of commodities finally filters
off, more or less deprecated in value, until
production and exchange gradually begin
to move again.
Little by little the pace quickens. 1t
becomes q trot. The Industrial trot breaks
into the headlong gallop of a perfect stee-
plechase Of industry, commercial credit and
speculation, which finally, after break-neck
leaps ends where 1t began-in the ditch of
crisis. And so over and over again. We
have now, since the year 1925. gone through
this five times, and at the present moment
1S7O we are going through it for the sixth
time. In these crises the contradiction be-
tween socialized production and capitalist
appropriation ends in a violent explosion.
The circulation of commodities Is, for the
time being, stopped. Money the means of
circulation, becomes hindrance to circula-
ton. All the laws of production and circu-
lation of commodities are turned upside
down. The mode Of production is In re-
bellion against the mode Of exchange
"As a result of these conditions the move
ment for industrial freedom has developed.
and this movement would increase even if
there was never a socialist speech made or
paper published. But the speakers and pa
pers are increasing steadily. and among the
advocates of socialism are to be found min
listers, priests supreme judges, lawyers.
doctors, professional men generally, as well
as men conducting large business enter
prises.
'"Those who criticise socialism do so be-
cause they do not understand it. They
criticise their idea of 1t instead of the
thing itself. 1t Is only the extremely sell
fish Individual who can see no good for him
in equal opportunities for all to earn an
honest living This is the only equality
socialists advocate, as there will always be
difference in development of people, intel
lectually, morally and spiritually. This is
the reason cooperative societies have failed,
for they attempted to establish equality of
individuals, which can never exist in any
civilization"
ciaI journal of the International Associa-
ton of Machinists. left Washington Thurs
day for Milwaukee, Wis, to attend the
tenth general convention of that body,
which convenes the 4th Of next month.
At a recent meeting Of Bartenders'
League, No. 20, Messrs. ]. F. Mccarthy,
Ia. D. Hayden and James McGitton were
chosen as delegates to the eleventh general
convention Of Hotel and Restaurant Elm
ployes' International Union. to be held in
Philadelphia, Pa, May II. The league was
admitted to membership in the Central La
Dor Union last Monday evening. 1t was
but recently instituted, primarily for the
purpose of securing shorter hours and more
pay for the members of the craft.
Mr.. John M. Hammerstrom representing
the local Central Labor Union, and accom-
panied by w. e. Kennedy, general or
ganizer of the Brotherhood Of Electrical
Workers. called on Secretary of the Navy
Moody recently, with view to obtaining
an advance in the pay of the union cleo
tricians employed at the Navy Department.
Mr.. Hammerstrom will make report as
to his visit at the next meeting of the CEN
trail body. 1t Is said that the electricians
employed by the government in that de-
partment are compensated at a much lower
rate of pay than paid by outside employ
ers.
Several months ago the union machinists
Of the local navy yard, through Washing
ton Lodge of Machinists. No. 174, appealed
to the Navy Department for an increase in
pay maintaining that the rate paid by
proprietors of private shops within a GER
tain radius of Washington is much above
the prevailing scale in shops where the fine
armament Of the United States navy is