The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-07

organized workers. either of a single
Or of many, have met in one
the industrial cities of the continent,
discussed their common causes and
broken bread, they will forever re-
fuse to kill one another merely be
cause authority has put them in diff
Ierent uniforms. And the spirit of
refusal will spread among all the
workers in their own coun-
trlnes who have heard their reports
returning home. Further, all the
workers even unorganized will read Of
what is thus passing. yearn for news
of peace instead Of the continual trans
parentiy selfish and cruel appeals to
a patriotism too often a composite Of
popular SuperstitiOnS as to the Ike
ness of hated foreigners and the in
tereStS of politicians.
Not only the laboring classes, but
many men OF means and technical
education who have their places in
the scheme Of production in our pres
ent industrial organism. are today de-
crying war and boldly advocating radi-
cal expression against it's possibility.
During my tour I heard many men
OF the social class freely expressing
these sentiments: THE War spark
which may burst into a flame said
one to me, lis always to be seen some
whede-in Morocco. Armenia, the Bal
kans, even in the movements Of the
British navy. I believe there would
have been war in Europe within the
last five years, under n pretext or
another, had not the rules knows that
there is a startling revelation await
ing the world from the working
classes in all European countries. the
day any Of the great powers begin
hostilities with another" Never was
I more affected by the spectacle at any
gathering than when in Paris two
- Nrof1> 0 ro yhoy - ~ va &C w + o.
nearly ten persons enthusiastically APP
plauded German. Italian, English,
Spanish. Dutch and Hungarian labor
representatives as they in unmeaSured
terms denounced international war
and emphatically supported anti-war
resolutions. indeed. it is the general
consensus OF opinion that the only OBJ
stacle to a war of nations in Europe
today Is the determined attitude of the
workers in the different countries.
Another phase of the working class
movement in Europe but little under
stood in America is that which the
European press agencies in collision
have decided to term anarchistic,
while the fact is that a revolutionary
state socialism presents much the
same program. No description OF the
present situation in Europe comes up
to the truth which ignores the de-
gree to which the revolutionary Senti-
ment has hold OF large numbers in
nearly every country. The execution
of francesca Ferrer served to make
reading Americans who
had heretofore known little or moth
ing about it acquainted with the
teachings Of this form of socialism.
Off hand, according to their habit, the
European contributors to our press are
prepared to repeat to their d
than a~narchistic revolutionists are to
be found only in France, Italy n
~~s ~ c2oA " --&nfh -
change OF name or not, a large part
Of the educated "p~roletariat" in Ger
many, Austria, Switzerland and even
England are permeated with the es-
sense of the teaching, that since wars
at present are the outcome OF force
exercised by the shrewd. operated
through vested privileges and and vul-
gar prejudices and superstitions, each
individual instead of obeying, What
they call the resultant hodgepodge OF
statutes, is free to follow his own
ideals of morality or citizenship. This
thought is obvious in the writings OF
several OF the most popular German
and British authors Of the type OF
Shaw is England, a fact the insidious
potency Of which our w newspaper
readers have been slow to recognize.
They have long known. however. those
who to any extent follow this line Of
study that q great deal Of literature,
current in the Latin countries, abound
in such doctrines. The philosophy Of
which state socialism Is grounded
the inevitable developments OF capital
ism in every industry to the point at
which the wage system must be
abandoned" is ccuntered by that other
philosophy which teaches that every
one who has courage enough and in
telligence enough may at once, in the
present stage Of social progress, clear
away sufficient Of the hurtful effects
Of capitalism to permit for himself an
independent curse. 1.-THE majority
has no more rights than the minority,
the millions no greater rights than
one" These are some OF the thoughts
and philosophy enumerated. n mos
oct;ya strikers of southern Italy have
been led by me- protesting these prln-
cipIes and calling themselves extreme
indiyidualists." Congresses or the