Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-09-04
RELATION OF SOCIALISM
 TO TRADE lJNIONISM
Editor Evening Democrat:
(By Socialist Committee.


 fession from the tone of his article claims that one Of the faults of 50 cialism is that 1t aims to break up trades unions. In another place h, asserts that socialists greatly desir, to gain control of trades unions. ant quotes from various sources frag ments of newspaper articles to up hold his contentious. In the entire presentation of the subject he over looks the evolutionary character o the labor movement in it's entirety The trades union of to-day is Ions way ahead of the ancient labor guilt or organized body of workingmen il England away back in 1900, whicf was really the origin of the labor union, and which used such methods as smashing the machinery, wher they recognized the fact that the ma chine was the cause of their low wages, and the evil conditions pre- vailing in the newly developed fac tory system. They could not under stand the reasons for the condition that while they were using better tools of production that could pro duce more abundantly with less labor, they had to work longer hours and receive less wages. Like the modern wage slave they missed the point that the tools of production which they had formerly owned had now gone out of their possession. and in order to live they must accept the terms of the owner.
 The trades union has developed in strength and numbers, has changed it's methods of warfare and general tactics, as the ruling class, viz: the owners of the means of production has developed its organization.
 It was very easy to win strike in the days of small employers. But to-day when unions strike against long hours in a mine or factory or urges better wages, they must fight against gigantic coal trust backed up by a railroad trust allied with the Standard Oil trust, and if the strike is stubborn one they will also find the government soldiers lined up against them provided with orders. Shoot to kill" The manufacturers of this country have a national or ganization with a national magazine which outlines the purposes of their existence, chief of which is to break down organization among the work CTS. It is, in the minds of the pos sessing class, perfectly legal for them to have all the organization they want for their own class interests. but when the wage slaves assert such a right they become anarchists, !" undesirable citizens," etc It is very true the socialists do desire and have accomplished the propaganda of socialism in trades unions with the result that the rank and file of the unions are beginning to discriminate between principles that will work out their complete emancipation and the mushy tactics of so-called labor lead CTS like Gompers and Mitchell, who lead them straight into compromis- ly and politically organized to rob the wage slave of his labor power, and the profit of that labor. The progressive unions recognize that the most potent weapon of the working class against existing evils is the bal lot, and they listen with attention to the socialist teacher who tells them that in order to overcome a condi tion of anarchy brought about by capitalist methods, trampling under foot all justice and constitutional rights, all the natural and inherent rights" of man to live in happiness and freedom. That he must have d body of workingmen who can use tho right arm of political action as well as the left arm of economic union.
 Jaures, the French socialist mem- Der of the chamber of deputies, once said in an international congress: We are in favor of political action because we want economic freedom. Trades unionism alone is not sui ficient. You may have traitors in any party, but the worst and most dan gerous foe is he who, as you go out to fight, says: Leave your weapons at home" The most powerful wea- pon of the working class in their struggle in political action and the most dangerous enemies of the work ing class are those who advise them not to use that weapon. The social ist deputies to the French chamber have never inaugurated strikes, but when strikes have broken out they have gone to the assistance of the workers. Formerly in cases of strikes all the political machinery was used against the men. Now there are socialist members of parlia- ment who can stand by the side of the workers and use some of the political machinery on their behalf Our great aim is the suppression of all classes by teaching the working class to use political action for its own 
 In the same congress August Bebel, a socialist member of the said: Tn Germany every thing that has been done for the economically and political ly. has been done through the politi- cal action of the social democracy. their political strength. And the German workers know this so we'll that they will not hear of politi- cal abstention. Vote more is their cry. The more of you who go to the ballot for your own class the better.
 The first of all rules in a struggle is never to do what the enemy wants you to do, and our aim should there fore be not 10 abandon the vote, but everywhere to extend the suffrage Where our opponents judge, as they do. of political action by the work ing class-should we give up the