The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-12

world the economic state shows signs
of asserting It's supremacy over the
political. The economic masters are.
and have ever been. the jolitical mas
ters. But the modern economic kings
arc threatening 10 overrule their own
political state The economic forces
are becoming too gigantic for political
control. The political forces are be-
coming puny in comparison because
the political state. even though thor
oughly capitalistic. is hampered In its
actions by the conflicting interests of
the capitalists of the lower strata
Hence the political state. though sub
SERVANT to capitalism, stands In the
way OF ultra capitalist development
Therefore. it Is that we witness the
spectacle OF struggle, in several in
stances between the country's greatest
fnanciers and captains OF industry. on
the one hand, and the political govern
ment OF the country on the other. II
Is the self-assertion within capitalism
of future economic state 1t is tho
breaking loose of social economic
forces too gigantic TO be confined In
the narrow bounds of past ages. The
days of the political state are num-
bered. 1t has outllved It's usefulness.
1t stands in the way of progress. The
economic state is the society OF the
future. But the victory of the great
industrial lords would mean a slavery
worse than the world has ever exper-
fenced. That would mean the ideal
total mastery of the riches. most pew
erful, most absolute oliGarchy the
world has yet known. Puny in compar-
ison would be the power OF any other
tyrant from the days OF ancient Assy-
ria to those OF modern Russia
But absorurc slavery IS not the only
child with which the future is preg-
nant. 1t carries economic freedom
also, and but one OF these offsprlngs
can live. Against the militant capitalist
stands the militant proletariat If
progress Is to continue unbroken. the
future state must be a workers indus
trial republic.
While the struggle between the cap
italist class and the working class is
necessarily a class struggle, the vic
tory cannot be a class victory-at
least 1t will be a class victory only tenn
porarlly. only in the moment of tri
umph. The moment the revolution
airy program is carried out the class
feature disappears. The future state
will not be Working Glass Republic,
II must be a Workers Republic. The
socialist demand is that all the people
shall become useful producers. Every
class that SO far has overpowered and
succeeded previous ruling increased.
1t has become economically powerful
enough to overcome the class that was.
The present revolutionary class. name
ly the working class. is growing poorer
every day. 1t practically possesses
no economic goods. Consequently 1t
is plain that 1t has no wealth to base
economic mastery and power upon.
1t, therefore, can never become an
economically ruling class. Without
economic mastery political mastery
would become a mere sham. There is
no class below the working class for
1t to exploit What then should it do
with political mastery If 1t had it?
Political government-we socialists
know full we'll. is only a committee OF
the ruling class to oppress the exploit
ed class But when the working class
cannot, in the nature OF things, be-
come a ruling class. and cannot, be-
cause of physical impossibility, create
a class to exploit, political government
must of necessity disappear because its
functions have disappeared.
But the workers republic must have
a solid economic basis If II Is not TO be
a mere dream of the agitator. This
economic basis exists in spite of the In
creasing poverty of the working class.
It is the public ownership Of the means
of production upon which the future
republic must be based. These means
are the property. today of the capital
ist class. All the trappings of the
modern political government exist
wholly and solely to protect this right
of property. 1t is conceded as alright
Of citizenship to asitate for any change
in the political government The prog |
ress of civilization has granted that !
right ever to the humblest But pol
ltical victory II ever so complete would
never. could never, establish the social |
ist republic.
If we claim the name of Revolution |
lists, our duty above all things is TO |
realize the situation. IL the socialists
swept the country from coast 10 coast +,
in the political battle in November, |
but utterly ignored the economic or
ganization, and, hence, left the capi- |
talists absolute masters of the means
of production, the capitalists would re-
tain the power, and we revolutionists |
should know that they would not hesi- !
tate to use ii, by shutting down every |
the day after election, cause
disaster and starve the |
voters into the humblest submission |
before the fourth day of March. 1t Is |
idle phraseology and stupid cant to |
declaim that the capitalists would not |
dare To do so, or that. in such case,
the workers would rise in bloody re-
bellion, With all the resources In the
hands of the capitalists they would |
have plenty of hirelings to do their
bidding. With all the resources
in the hands of the capitalists,
where would the workers be?
Hungry, starved, ragged, un-
organized workers, though ever so
brave. can only become sacrificial vic
inns in cause that will sooner OF
ater be completely routed. No true
has moral right TO In
lite by word or deed such disaster.
ILL - H. /