United labor bulletin., 1910-09-01

his master does, nominate and vote for
his own people and no others. To do
this he must have a strictly labor party
composed of men and women who are
workers and have like interests with his
own for it is impossible for the skinner
and the skinned to have the same in
terests, all preacher and editorial rot to
the contrary Notwithstanding.
This labor party, whatever it is, must
of necessity be organized on lines broad
enough to include an electoral majority
of working class interests and would in
volve both the organized and morgan
lied wage workers, for the reason that
not over Is per cent. of the wage work
ers are organized and voting alone could
not come into power, but logically they
should, and would control the party or
ganization, because the latter by their
lack of organization and fighting spirit
would not be able and qualified to lead
their more progressive and militant
brothers whose united and compact or
ganizations are the storm centers around
which the great class struggle is raging.
In view of this fact strictly organ
lied labor party by itself would be pow
erless against its enemies. The best it
could do would be a demand for recogni-
ton of representation in the councils of
government to secure its rights, and as
the granting of these rights would sub
tract a corresponding amount of wealth
and power from the interests that con-
troll the government it is folly to ask for
and absurd to expect it.
Then again whenever organized labor
CT rte linz Of tee
certain of its members suddenly discover
that they have mission to lead the Ia
bor movement and begin to scheme for
office, with the result that labor is again
deceived and its enemies more strongly
intrenched than ever. Every thoughtful
union man must realize by this time
that further firtations with political par
ties controlled by opposing interests can
have but one result-the betrayal of
labor
These conditions before the workers
necessitate distinct labor party organ
lied and operated in the interests of the
wage worker, and that party is the So
cialist party-a party worldwide in its
scope. built on the same principles. or
ganized in such form as to secure it
from betrayal and everywhere fighting
the battles of the wage-earner. That
party has a splendid organization in this
state which can and should be under the
control of organized labor. The only
reason that it is not so controlled is due
to the apathy of the trade unionists
themselves. If the thousands of union
men now voting the Socialist ticket in
Colorado would become party members
and take up the matter In their unions
the labor organizations OF this state
would soon be the political masters of
the state instead of the political paupers
which they now are for legislative and
judicial favors. If one-third of the union
men and their families would vote the
Socialist ticket at the coming election
the big interests would become alarmed
and concede more in one legislative ses-
sion than the election of a hundred COM
promisers to office, for as soon as the
capitalist realizes that organized labor
has gone into the political business for
itself alone he will be compelled to rec
ognize and reckon with its growing
power.