The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-09-27
OF SOCIALIST
PARTY OF WASHINGTON


referendum y, amended 10y state rel.
ecndum c.
The socialist party of Washington. in
convention assembled, reaffirms its nm
faltcring loyalty to the principles Of in
tcrnntional socialism. aud the socialist
party of the United States aud present
the following as its platform.
In the struggle for freedom the inter
tests of all modern workers are Identical.
The struggle IS not only national. but
international II embraces the world,
and will be carried to ultimate victory
through intelligent class-conscious polit-
zeal aud industrial action.
Human labor creates machinery and
applies it to the land to produce things
necessary for human life. Whosoeyer
has control of land and machinery con
trolls human labor, and with it human
life and liberty.
The working class owns nothing but
its labor power, and sells this for wages
to the capitalist class.
This labor power applied to modern
means of production and distribution,
produces at least four times as much
value as the working class receives in
wages.
| The capitalist class, unable to find a
market either in this or foreign coun-
tries for the surplus product, are now
closing the mines. mills and factories.
This, together with the constant in
venton of abor-saving machinery,
throws men, women and children of the
working class out of employment caus-
ing untold misery and distress.
The lack and uncertainty of employ
ment produces extreme poverty, which
in its turn produces crime, insanity,
prostitution of body and brain, suicides,
drunkenness, disease and degradation.
The insecurity of livelihood and con
sequent degenerating results are there
fore directly due to the private owner
ship and control by the capitalist class
of mine, mill, factory and land.
The remedy lies in the social owner
ship of these means of production and
distribution, thereby giving all an equal
opportunity to live and enjoy the prod
uct of their labor.
Humanity lives amid constant change.
Laws, institutions and customs, once use
full and popular, becomes oppressive,
abusive, intolerable and dangerous to
further progress of the race. 1t is at
such a time that the race must find
new method, inaugurate new system
more in harmony with its needs. If
any nation or community can not change
for the better it is because it is either
too ignorant or too terrorized by the
ruling class. Tyranny rules from the
top down, social democracy from the
bottom up.
The socialist party is the only political
party which stands for the overthrow
of the present capitalist system of ex-
ploitation and the substitution of the
social ownership of the source of food,
clothing, shelter and other necessities.
Our Ultimate Demand.
Our ultimate demand is the social
ownership and democratic management
of all the socially used means of produc-
ton and distribution.
Program.
As measures calculated to strengthen
the working class in its fight for the
realization of its ultimate aim, and in
crease its power of resistance. against
capitalist oppression; we advocate and
pledge ourselves to the following pro
gram:
l. Collective ownership and manage
ment of all public utilities, and all in
dustres that have become monopolized.
2, Abolition of private ownership of
land and natural resources when used
for exploitation and speculation.
3. Public employment of the unem-
ployed at not less than prevailing union
scale of wages and not more than eight
hours per day.
4. We demand the enactment of a
maximum eight-hour law to apply to
both men and women, employed in all
capitalized industries.
5. We advocate initiative, referendum
and recall to apply to all public Off
cials, the petition not to exceed 10 per
cent. of the voters at the previous cleo
ton.
g. Abolition of child labor under the
age of 10 years.
Z The elimination of the injunction
in labor disputes
s. Abolition of all residential qualifi-
cation or other restrictions for voters.
The abolition of all filing fees at pri-
maries and other elections and repeal OF
all non-partisan laws. Abolition OF
property qualifications for jurors. We
favor the election of a public defender
as well as prosecutor together with the
adoption of other means to insure the
/ free administration of justice.