Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-06-04
Independent Action
for Workingmen
Socialism Is the Logical Goal of UniOniSn...-
Trades Unions Are a Means But
Not An End.

small group of men upon whom the
users of these tools are absolutely de-
pendent. And it is the struggle to gain
control of these tools by the people
who use them that constitutes the
"class struggle This class-struggle
has got to be fought out on the
political field, and can only be ended
by the complete conquest of political
power by the working class.
The trade unionist seeks to improve
the wage systematic socialist seeks
to abolish it. The trade unionist asks
for larger percentage Of the product
Of his labor-the Socialist wants il
all. But, as the capitalist truly says,
the trade unionist is never long salts
fled with any advance he makes in his
material conditions. No sooner does he
gain one position than he begins to
plan for a further advance. Where h
he going to end Z How long before
HE will want it all : Then how is he
going to get it Suppose we have the
ideal labor union. Suppose we have
every man, woman and child who labors
in these United States in one thor
oughly organized, compact, Industrial
union. The angel of discomfort would
still hover around no matter what they
forced from the master class until
they would want so much that the
owners of the tools of production would
refuse to employ them. Then how
are they going to employ themselves 2
Now right here we claim that the
Socialists HAVE plan. And il is the
same plan in Europe and America and
every other country no matter what
the editor of the "Free Lance" saws.
1t is to take possession of the gov
ernment-the state-that instrument
through which the master class main
tains its supremacy, and use it in the
interest of the working class.
More plainly every day the mem-
bers of the working class see. or feel.
that the interests of the owners and
the interests Of the users of the tools
of production are opposed. The most
conservative union man is beginning
to see that unionism alone will not pro-
tect the interests of the working class.
Long and bitter has been the fight Of
organized labor to gain what little il
has in material advancement and now
that little is being endangered or
swept away by the judicial branch of
the government in the hands Of the
ruling class. IL is this that is driving
the union man into the Socialist Party,
and will continue to do so in spite Of
all the attempts to keep him divided
in the different parties of the ruling
class. II is TO the unions that the
Socialist Party looks for recruits. II
is the man who has stood shoulder to
shoulder with his brother in the fight
for material, betterment, the man who
has through organization fought and
won something on the economic field
who Is the most likely to organize on
the political field and fight for eco
nomic independence. How do we pro.
pose TO get control of the tools or
machines of production and distribu.
tion Legally-iust the same as the
other class got them. The working
class have been legislated out Of own
ership and they can be legislated into
ownership. The laws already on the
statute books and the preeedents estab-.
lished by the present ruling class iu
the last two years are ample to obtain
collective control of all the public
utilities when once the working class
gain political control. Workiugmen
don't divide your political strength
between parties that would keep you
forever dependent ON a master. even
though he might be a. GOOD master.
Join the party of your class aud work
and vote for your industrial emanei-
patton.