Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1905-05-10

''~N W f'"NS yNe "hNh , W. SoJ JSN
are in favor of bettering the condi-
ton of the worker but believe that
this can be accomplished by de-
manding the whole thing and that
then and the capitalist parties in
power will grant all these thing
before we elect our party" This
implies that you believe we must
avoid electing anyone until capita
lism has won our battles for us, and
yet you claim to be in favor of the
working class using the ballot and
urge the election of Socialist candi-
dates in your paper. Perhaps you
mean that the workers should vote
Class conscious ballot but should
be careful not to elect anyone to
administrative or legislative Office.
But how are you going to do this,
If your agitation meets with success
and so many people are filled with
Socialist convictions that they form
majority or plurality, and vote
their sentiments at the ballot box?
You will have TO abide the conse-
quences, will you not? What are
you going to do to them? | turn
to the platform you adopted in
Helena, and find that you have SEN
sibly provided a working program
for your representatives to guide
themselves by in case of election.
Really, ! do not see wherein you
differ from the rest of us. nor from
the rules suggested by Marx. nor
that YOU have invented a new Socia-
list attitude. In your platform you
make use of the chicago coinage:
will this legislation advance the
interest of the working class and
aid the worker in their class struggle
against capitalism II it dose, the
Socialist party is for it; if it does
not, the Socialist party is absolutely
opposed to it." That coinage was
originally intended as n cowardly
substitute for the immediate de-
mands which you have placed in
your platform. but taken in connec-
ton with such working demands il
becomes an added guidance for
your representatives, if elected,
But let us apply the rule to the
thing you seem to criticise most in
the Wisconsin state platform: The
proposal 10 take over collective
utilities and necessities and render
compensation therefor. Now
where is the interest of the prole-
tariat in this matter? Let me put
the case to you; Suppose the South
had accepted the offer that was
made to paw for the freedom of the
slaves pay for property that il
was snugh to dispossess the slave
holders of would il not have been
better than to coniiscate the slave
by spilling the blood of the vast
number of the proletariat who were
sacrificed in the terrible civil war;
Are the lives of the workers so unim
portant2 II YOU are a well read
Socialist this will not shock you.
If you are familiar with the writing,
of the master minds of our move
ment, the fathers, so to say, of the
great world fight for emancipation
YOU will have to admit that Wiscon
sin does not at all occupy new
ground on this subject. Take YOU
copy of Vandervelde's "Collectiv
ism" and turn to page Is5 (Kerl
edition. and you will read this
We do not at all consider, wrot,
Engels in 1894 the indemniicatior
of the proprietors as and impossi
bility, whatever may be the circum
stances. How many times has no
Karl Marx expressed to me the op
inion that il we could buy up th'
whole crowd it would really be th'
cheapest way of relieving ourselves
of them" Vandervelde points ou
that it would mean an exchange o
bondholders in place of proprietors
and we know what bonds would bt
worth under Socialism, He show