The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-10-05
AND
SOCIALISM

Editor, Freshly attention has
been called to an article in Sun
days Spokesman-Review, signed
by Ernest Stephens, in which he
grossly misquotes me. l did not
say in a public meeting that Mr..
Debs could not be inaugurated
president if elected because the
socialists advocate monarchy.
Neither he nor his party advocate
monarchy and no such charge is
made by anybody.
What l did say was that Debs
could not be inaugurated president
if elected because he is pledged to
the policy of subverting the gov
eminent and so is his whole social
list party. And no person can be
inaugurated president of these
United States who is pledged to the
policy of subverting the govern
ment. And the supreme court is
instructed by statute to see to it
that no such person is ever seated
in the White House as president,
and the army stands behind the
court
If Debs could be president and
overthrow this republica and on its
ruins establish his cooperative
commonwealth with the collective
ownership of the means Of produc
ton, then it follows on the same
line of reasoning that l could be
inaugurated president on a plat
form and personal declaration
that when elected would over
throw the republic and on it's ruins
erect a monarchy with all it's pen
stoned lords and titled nobility.
The only way Debs or any other
socialist can ever be made presi-
dent of these United States is
through force. Powder and lead,
and blood and rivers of it. If |
belonged to the socialists | would
be honest enough to declare my
self revolutionist and not
hypocritical enough to pettifog my
case in the name of the ballot box.
| would profit by that notorious
telegram which Debs sent out from
Chicago during the A. r. U. strike.
1t read: Save your money and
buy gun"
But not being a socialist | stand
by my citizenship in defense of
the republic and in every peaceful
way will join with others to de-
crease its abuses and increase it's
uses.
| admit the socialists have a
just bill of grievance but they have
no practical remedy. Socialism and
slavery means exactly the same
thing, and l can prove it. Suppose
this republic was destroyed and in
its place we had a cooperative
commonwealth with the collective
ownership of all the means of pro-
duction, together with the aboli-
ton of the wage system. Then it
necessarily follows that under
such system the power of as
signment would have to lodge
somewhere, and that power would
have to be ironclad, autocratic and
despotic. Not everybody could
have the easy jobs. Someone
would be assigned to edit the Spo-
kane Press and somebody else
would be assigned to act as a
chambermaid in the o. K. livery
stable whether he wanted the job
or not. If the right of selection
was made free everybody would
go into the struggle for the easiest
and most agreeable position, and
someone or some recognized au-
thority would have to Judge of the
qualifications and make the as,
Segment, and that is all the
power a master ever asks over a
slave. Men could not be elected
by popular vote to positions, for
that would necessitate popular
election every day to fill vacancies
and make selections for new enter
prises.
Socialism Is beautiful dream
South sea bubble that is used
by the cunning to prey upon the
imaginations of the poor. Before
! join 1t want to learn some prac-