The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-07-31
Preamble and Platform Of The
Socialist Party Of the U. 5.

The Socialists party, in national con-
vention assembled, in entering upon
the campaign of 1908, again presents
itself to the people as the party of the
working class, and as suchsappeals for
the support of all workers of the United
states and of all citizens who sympath.
ize with the great and inst cause Of
labor.
We are at this moment in the midst
OF one Of those industrial breakdowns
that periodically paralyzc the life of
the nation. The much-boasted era of
our national prosperity has been fol-
lowed by one of general misery. Fac
tories, mills and mines are closed, work
is abandoned, and millions of men,
ready, willing and able to provide the
nation with all the necessaries and
comforts of life are forced into idleness
and starvation. Within recent times
the trusts and monopolies have attained
an enormous and menacing develop
ment. They have acquired the power
to dictate to us the terms upon which
Ne shall be allowed to live. The trusts
fix the prices OF our bread, meat and
sugar; OF our coal, oil and clothing: OF
our raw material and machinery: of all
the necessaries of life and even the
prices Of our collins.
The ruling class has seized upon the
present desperate condition of workers
IS an opportunity for a renewed on
slaught Oh the organized labor move
ment. The highest courts Of the coun.
try have within the last year rendered
decision after decision depriving the
workers OF rights which they had won
by generations Of struggle.
The attempt to destroy the Western
Federation of Miners, although defeat
ed by the solidarity of organized labor
and the Socialist movement, revealed
the existence Of far.reaching anG
unscrupulous conspiracy on the part OF
the ruling powers against the organic
atoms of labor.
In their efforts to take the lives of
the faithful leaders of the miners the
conspirators violated the state laws and
the federal constitution in manner
seldom equaled even in a country so
completely dominated as is the United
States by the profit.seeking class.
The congress of the United States
has sown its contempt for the interests
OF labor as plainly and Enthusiastically as
have the other branches of the govern.
ment. The legislature for which the
labor organizations have continuously
petitioned has been rejected. The
scant legislation apparently passed for
their benefit has been so distorted as to
injure those whom it pretended to help.
The working class of the United
States cannot expect any remedy for
its wrongs from the present ruling
class or from the dominant parties. So
long as a small number of individuals
are permitted to use the common re-
sources OF the nations wealth for their
private profit, in competition with each
other, and for the exploitation OF their
fellowmen, industrial depressions are
bound to occur at certain intervals.
No currency reforms or other legisla-
tive measures proposed by capitalists
reformers can avail against these fatal
results OF system Of utter anarchy in
production.
So long as the wealth production OF
the country is based on individual CON-
petition the fierce struggles of this
competition will inevitably lead to
combinations and trusts. No amount
OF government regulations, or of pub
licity, or OF restrictive legislation will
arrest the natural course of modern
industrial development.
So long as our courts, legislatures
and executive offices remain in the
hands OF the ruling classes and their
agents, our government will be used in
the interests Of these classes as against
the tOilerS.
Political parties are but the express
SONS of economic class interests. The
republican, the democratic, and the So
called independence" parties, and all
parties other than the Socialist party.
are financed, directed and controlled
by the representatives Of different
groups Of the ruling class.
In the maintenance of class govern
mept both the democratic and republi-
can parties have been equally guilty.
The republican party has had contro.
of the national government and has
been directly and actively responsible
for these wrongs. The democratic,
party, while saved from direct respon-
sibility by its political impotence, has
shown itself equally subservient to the
aims OF the capitalist class whenever
and wherever it has been in power.