Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-04
DREW BIG CROWD. Address on Socialism and Capitalism
 Iast Nif hf

M. w. Wilkins or San Francisco,
 national organizer of the socialist par ty, spoke for about two hours last night at the corner Of Bank and Grand streets on the subject of "So- cialism vs Capitalism" When MT Wilkins began to speak there was hardly dozen people present, but as he warmed to his subject the crowd began to gather and soon there were over 200 persons standing in the cold listening to the expounder of social istic principles. The man from Cali fornia was an Interesting and, .enter- taining talker and knew how to hold his audience even though 1t was a cold night. He denounced both the demo- cratic and republican parties in ve- hement terms and said both were al- lied with the capitalist He said that the rank and file of both the great parties do no thinking for themselves but do as the party leaders dictate. The workmen are simply sheep doing as their shepherds bid them. They
 vote the democratic and republican ticket straight because they have all ways done SO. That is the only req son they can give you if you ask them. He said that the socialist PdIlV 16 ORROgON GO OOCA OI LAC OAA parties, which stand for the present order of things, private ownership, competition of industries, etc, while the socialist party stood for public ownership of railroads, mines and oth- CT things for cooperation in the in- dustrial line, doing away with compe- tition and for an equal distribution of the land among the people. Socialism does not mean reform but revolution. The speaker described reformer as a person with knitting ball and needle in his hand in the act of patch ing holes in an old garment. The socialists demand a new garment. Revolution does not mean war or bloodshed for the party is opposed to war The change in the established. order would be brought about by peaceable means. The ruling or cap- italistic classes always cause wars and always benefit by them. The workingmen who are foolish enough to fight in the wars gain nothing. The speaker then said that leader in one of the old parties said to him onSa that the country would be no good un- til there was another big war and the surplus population got rid of. "And who are this surplus of population? ?' the speaker continued. "They. are the 10000 men who were laid off from work on the great railroad lines a few months ago, the 5O,000 meatmen in Chicago who wanted $0 week in stead of $7, and the 10000 miners in Colorado who are striking for an eight hour day to which they are en-
 titled. He said that the A. F. A. movement was started by corporation attorneys in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., at the bidding of capitalists who were alarmed at the growing strength of the unions and at the harmony that was existing between the Catholic and Protestant members. They desired to weaken the unions by religious strife among the members. But their plan failed and the unions still live. He said that John D. Rockefeller, good Baptist, did not care whether he was skinning Catholic or Protestant and it was the same Jim Hill, the Catholic, who is president of the Great Northern railroad. He said that it was about time the worFmen began to think for themselves and when they did they would see that socialism was right. He invited any two workmen members of the old parties, to take the platform and give any good req son why they belong to either party, hut nobody accepted the invitation.