Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-24

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To prevent a possible MISUNDERSTANDING.
it may be well here toadefns ..what IS meant
by labor politics. To-the-sociaAssttf s.e &c. %
means legislation which.aims at the reor-
ganization of society on the basis of the
public ownership of land and capital, and
the. cooperative production of such com
modities as the community requires for its
sustenance. comfort and convenience Clear
iy this Is phase of the work of the labor
movement in which all who accept the
socialist conception of society NAV take
part, whatever their social position in life
may be. Many of the best-known leaders
OF socialist thought and opinion in every
country are drawn from the ranks of the
educated classes
1t Is inherent in TIE nature of things that
the ruling class should use its authority to
benefit itself, and labor will be no excep-
ton to this universal law. But under the
rule OF labor there will be this fundamental
difference from the present or the past:
that in the past the rulers lave been only
small section of nation who IN legs-
lating in their own interests Shaye done so
to the hurt and detriment of the-wel6are OF
the many, whereas under the ruls Of lapo.
and inasmuch as work is the lot of ALL
save the small parasitic class which owns
property. in legisiating for itself labor VIII
be legislating for all. From this definition
OF labor politics 1t will be evident to the
reader that the term labor Is not here used
in any narrow or restricted sense but in
ciudes all who are engaged in any form of
useful service. whether it be manual or
mental Only those need fear the advent
and success Of the labor party who are
anxious to shirk their share of the worlds
work. There are hoboes at both ends of
the social scale, and the idler who inflabits
palace and fares sunptuously every day
Is far more dangerous creation than the
poor Weary Willie who mouches by day
and DOSES where he may by night They
are both the products of our Industrial sys-
tenn. and both will disappear under social
ism.
When labor reigns supreme and property
has become a public trust and work a
social service poverty will disappear One
Of the most mysterious of the many nys-
teries of modern life is the persistence of
poverty. Back In the misnamed dark ages
in Europe ere machinery had been dreamt
of and when industry was in its primitive
form, and society was based on the mill
tary basis Of feudalism. and the accumula-
tion Of wealth had scarce begun the COM
mon people still managed to exist. Now,
when steam and electricity and mechanical
invention and great store of capital and
the organization OF industry have In
creased the productive powers of labor a
thousandfold, the mass of those who toll
for living can still do no more than man
age to exist. Millions OF them in every
land are condemned to condition OF life
n p Il any, removed s,ase from that Of the
laboriously for wage that will not pur-
chase them pauper's fare. with no hope of !
escape till death brings them q welcome re- |
moved from this condition, and are liable
at any moment to be plunged Into the pit |
by accident. sickness bad trade or middle |
age. And all these. from the most highly |
skilled mechanic to the most lowly graded |
laborer, are parts of an organization which |
Is turning out wealth enough to satisfy q |
Midas. This is the modern mystery OF rnys-
teries-that though wealth accumulates, |
poverty shows no sign OF decay-nay In
Great Britain and the limited Sfafaa ~ /