Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-03-17


erished, ignorant and in bondage, we
are apt to be Impressed with the mag
nitude OF the task that lies before
the socialist movement, but as we
become grounded in the social phi
losohpy, 4as We nderstand the pro-
cess of economic determinism and
grasp thep inctples of Industrial and
social evolution the magnitude of the
undertaking, far from daunting the
socialist spirit. appeals to each COM
Gade to enlist In the struggle; because
LOT the very greatness of; the conflict
and the immeasurable good that lies
beyond It. and as he gfrds himself
and kpuehes elbows with his COM
radee his own latent resources are
developed and his blood thrills with
| new life askhe feels himself rising
to the, majesty Of man.
| y Now he has found his true place,
and though he be reyiled against and
cstracised; traduced and renowned.
thoakh he be reduced to rags. and
ltormented with hunger pangs. he will
hear 1t all and more. for he is bat
ting for 8 principle. he has been
consecrated to the cause and he can
not turn back.
To reach the workers that are still
| in darkness and to open their eyes,
that is the task and to this we must
give ourselves with all the strength
we have, with patience that never
fails and an abiding faith in the ul-
innate victory.
4 The moment q worker sees him
self In his true light he sewers his
relations with the capitalist parties.
for he realizes at once that he7 no
moro belongs there than Rockefeller
belongs in the socialist party
What Is the actual status of the
Workingman in the capitalist society
Tor today? ~.
81 ii he in any Nrne sense q citizen?
Has he any basis for the claim that
Ihe is a free man?
| / First OF all, he cannot work Unless
some capitalist finds 1t to his inter est
| TO employ him. sx
| g. Why not?@ because he has no tools
and man canot work without them. \
| Why has she no tools? j Because
| tools In these days are, as a rule,
great machines and very costly, and
In, the capitalist system are the pri-
vate property Of the capitalist.
| This being frue,s the Workingman,
before. he can do q tap of work, be-
fore be can earn % dime to feed
himself, his wife or his child, must
must gfrst consult, the tool-working
capitalist, or, rather. his labor-buys
] ing s0peEinte dent. Very meekly,
ItAeref6fe, ana not without fear in
lhts heart and trsnh ling IN his knees,
he enters the once and offers his la
Thor power. in exchange for "a wage
that Represents. but a part, usually a
small part. of what Ills labor pro-
duces.
His offer may be accepted Of re-
jeeted.
Not infreqnently the "boss" has
been annoyed by so many job-hunt-
ersl that he has become irritable, and
grufay turns the applicant away. :.
But admitting that he finds EN-
ployment, during working hours ne
| Is virtually the property OF his mas
| ter.
! The bell or the whistle claims him
ON the stroke of the hour. He is
subject to the masters shop regula-
tions and these, of course, are es=
ftablished solely toS conserve his mas
ter's. interests. He works, first OF all,
i for his master. who exacts the sur
plus value from his labor, but for
which he would not be allowed to
work. at all. He has little or no
voice in determining any of the con-
ditions of his employment. 7
Suddenly, without warning, the
shop closes down. or. he is discharged
and his ware, small at best. is. cut
of. He has to live, the rent must
be paid. the wife and children must
have clothing and food. fuel must
be provided, and yet he has no JOB,
| NO wages and no prospect Of getting
any.
| Is a worker in that position free?
| Is he a citizen?
| A man? =
f: MOI He is simply a wage-slave, a
jcb-holder. while it lasts. here today
and gone tomorrow.
V For the great body Of wage-work-
ers there is NO escape; they cannot
rise above the level of their class.
The few who do are the exceptions
that prove the rule.
I : And yet there are those VINO nave
1.-THE efffontery to warn these wage
slaves that If they turn to socialism
they Will lose all incentive to work,
land j their. Individuality will fade
away
| Incentive and individuality for
sooth! ! Where are they now?
Translated into plain terms, this
warning means that slave who Is
robbed of all he produces. except
enough to keep him In producing
condition. as in the present system;
has great incentive to work and is
highly individualized. but if he
| breaks his letters and frees himself
and becomes his own master and gets
all his lobor produces. as he via u
socialism, then all incentive to- WORK
vanishes, and his individuality, 50
used to chains and dungeons. unable
to stand the air of freedom, withers
away and Ia lost forever. & 80