The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-10-25

In comparison with them there is
something almost worthy of admira-
ton about the great, hideous beast
OF capitalism, as he shakes of these
spineless parasites and prepares for
his last desperate battle with the
young proletarian giant. Yet he will
waste no sympathy on capitalists. 1t,
too, is doomed to death. Overloaded
with ill-gotten plumber, choked with
"indigestible securities" and uncon-
sumable wealth, it wallows in it's own
fat and filth. Strong enough in COM
parison with the jelly-fsh organism
of the little capitalist, 1t is helpless
before the class conscious porletariat.
BY himself the capitalist is helpless.
On the economic, political or military
field he must depend upon the SER
vices Of others. BY himself he can
neither produce wealth, win elections
or fight battles. He lives only by vir-
tue of other mems brains and mus
cles, carries elections only by other
mems votes, and fights battles only
with guns in other mems hands. He
being vicariously. This could con-
tinue only so long as those who did
all these things for him had no con-
seriousness Of their own interests.
But now the man behind the tool, the
ballot and the gun has begun to think.
and it is time for industrial, political
and military tyrants to tremble.
Capitalism is built upon a lie, and
lives only through continuous decep-
ton. The working class is kept in
subsection only through it's own stu
pidity and blindness. 1t possesses the
skill and strength with which the
wealth of the world is created, as
well as the numbers by which politi-
cal victory is gained or physical re-
bellion quelled. But for ages it has
been deceived into fighting the battles
Of different factions of it's oppressors.
II has been lied, cajoled, frightened
or bribed into waging war upon itself
until it's energies were so divided
that it could not resist oppression.
With every passing year this decep-
ton becomes more difficult. It's OPP
ponents and oppressors consolidate
until it is no longer possible for
them to pretend hostility among
themselves.
Then the masters plead their friend
ship for the slaves. The workers are
assured that capital and labor ought
not to be enemies ;" to quote the
rl1a
eagerness for plumber makes 1t i'm
possible for the capitalist to act his
part as the friend of the laborer
Colorado shrieks out in protest
against this awful attempt at decep-
tion. The blood of it's outraged and
murdered workers cries aloud of the
terrible and inevitable truth of the
class struggle.
The battle lines grow more clearly
defined. The elements Of confusion
and deception disappear. The time is
even now crowding upon us which
Mark Hanna saw ere he died, and the
vision of which disturbed his politi-
cal dreams, when the Socialist and
the Republican party (though Demo-
cratic will do as welD shall confront
one another for the last great strug-
gle that shall sound the downfall of
human slavery and usher in the day
of human freedom.
We are now in the midst of prep
aration for that conflict. The pres
ent campaign is a part of the prelim-
mary organization. On how well we
do our work today, depends the out
come of the final battle. Now is the
time to drill the recruits, to enlist
new soldiers, to arouse the enthus-
iasm of the class solidarity; to intel
lectually arm, drill and discipline the
forces for the fight.