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

trial machinery and who rule and ROB
the working class. who sell their mus
Gle and brain for a pittance that they
may use this machinery to create
their own selling price and untold
wealth beside for the owners.
Between these there is no middle
class" AS Ernest Poole has pointed
out in the August World Today, the
public has disappeared Both sides
are becoming conscious of this fact'
The capitalists have rejected the
civic federation, with its pretended
compromise policy. and talk no more
of common interests, except when
they are influenced by habit or are
writing political platforms. They
unite in employers associations and
citizens alliances for offense and de-
Tense. The laboring class,at the same
time, grows ever more compact IN It's
organization, comes ever more thor
oughly to understand that there is no
escape from it's ranks, and that the
interests of it's members are identical
in antagonism TO the capitalists.
The small capitalist class having
lost its industrial Importance, If the
socialistic philosophy be true, it
should cease to function politically.
If Bryan, Hearst & Co. represent
that class, then their political power
should have disappeared.
Look at present political conditions
and ask if events ever more clearly
justified a philosophy, if prophets
ever spoke more truly than the So
cialists OF four or eight years ago.
Plutocrary is treating the represen-
tatives of the decreipt defunct middle
class with the political contempt
which it's economic impotence de-
serves. Having crushed the little ex-
ploiter industrially, 1t now losses his
mangled carcass out of the political
arena. The trust barons no longer
have any need for a political party
that shall represent the small fry of
capitalism. The capitalist system can
derive no assurance from their feeble
support, and they but cucumber the
battlefield. Consequently, the great
capitalists have seized upon the ma
chinery of both great political par
ties. They have kicked the little par
asites out from beneath their feet
and are making ready for the Titanic
conflict they will soon be forced to
wage in defense of their kingdom of
plumber, with the young and growing
giant, labor.
Now that the capitalists and labor
ers are drawing up their forces In
battle array; now that the lines OF
conflict are clearly defined, where are
those valiant champions of radical
and reformed democracy, who sc
loudly and persistently told of their
devotion to the cause of the working
class and pleaded so eloquently for
the votes of laborers in 1896 and
1900? Do they hasten to disavow all
alliance with that plutocracy which
they so fiercely denounced a few years
offer their services to the only polit-
ical party that is fighting the cause
of labor? On the contrary, and in
spite of the fact that they have been
spit upon, dragged in the mud and
compelled to stuff themselves to re-
umphantly disdainful plutocracy now
in control of the Democratic party;
in spite of their countless protesta-
tons of love for labor, and their croc-
odile tears over the sufferings of the
toiling millions, we now find them
trodding obediently after those who
have crushed them industrially, spit
upon them politically, and who, by
their own statements, incarnate every
thing that is oppressive to labor. Not
only do these political prostitutes
permit themselves to be used as at
fractions for their masters triumphal
tour, but they grasp the cap and bells
and dance as they go along, seeking
with smirk and smile once more to
draw the workers within the snare
of their despoilers. So deep has the
bridesmaids consciousness permeated
into their makeup that they barter
all their precious principles" for the
promise (which they should know will
remain but an empty promise) that
after they have danced and played the
wanton and procuress for capitalism
throughout the campaign, they will
finally be allowed to ride in the band
agon at the celebration of victory.
History may be searched in vain
to find as humiliating, contemplate,
disgusting a spectacle as is presented
by the members Of the Bryan democ-
racy who are now wearing Belmont
colors on the political race track.
With no hope Of political preferment,
or economic gain,yet sacrificing every
principle which they claim to have re-
spected, they are sight to make
gods and men laugh, weep and swear.