The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-18

q q head crushed IN by u policeman S
club2 1t is a matter of record that only
democratic and republican mayors order
the police to fire upon striking men and
women. How, then, can any man, true
to himself and to his family who works
for living how can that man vote for
any man running on the republican or
democratic ticket? | am putting these
questions plain to you, republicans and
democrats. I hope there are good
many here, my message is to you.
Who Has the Vacations?
As | said little while ago orr condi-
tion is due to the fact that this small
group of capitalists control the machin-
cry of production and the sources from
which the raw material comes Last
year you men and women who work pro-
duced thirty billion dollars in wealth,
consumeable wealth. Now, figures as a
rule are not very interes ting unless they
happen to have dollar mark in front
of them and the dollars belong to you.
This thirty billion dollars in consumable
wealth, representing the lives of the men
and women of this country, belongs to
you. Why don't you enjoy it Every
body else is enjoying the good things
and the socialist party comes to you and
says to you that you too should have
some of the pleasures of this life. If I
should ask those of you who went on a
vacation last summer to hold up your
hands in this large audience how many
would go up? Let us see how many of
you women had vacation from the toll
and grind of your lives last summer.
Not any, The women who took va
cations-perhaps they haven't got back
yet. Some comrade suggests "How many
of you didn't go?" (Lots of hands.)
Why do you know that even the capi-
talist employer, the owner of the ma
chimes, recognizes that his machine must
have some rest. Isn't that right, you
mechanics? It is only the human ma
chine who gets no vacation under this
arrangement. The horse and the mule,
they get rest from labor 1t is only
the tired men and women who must toll
without ceasing Now we are going to
stop that. That is the historic mission
of this movement. How are we going
to do it? Well, if our condition is due
to the fact that the machinery needed
to produce this wealth is owned by these
few capitalists, privately owned, then we
must change the ownership of that ma
chine. There is only one other form of
ownership and that is collective owner
ship, ownership by the entire people.
Naturally you inquire how are you GO
ing to make a change from private own
ership to collective ownership? I will
tell you in one word-confiscation.
Direct Action.
An eminent Catholic father in New
York City, in his attack upon this move
ment, said that if man was hungry
and could not get work that he had a
right to take what he needed. l agree
with the fathers statement, but let us
look and see what would happen to an
individual who followed the fathers ad-
vice. He would be arrested and thrown
into Jail and the church would condemn
him to hell. But suppose in our col
lective capacity we took what we want,
who is there to throw us into jail? Yes,
am a direct actionist, but before max
ing move of that kind | think it would
be wise for us to pin a red button on
every polceman's coat and take those
black gowns off the judges and give
them crimson robes.
Political Power First.
Political government as we know it
today is class government and with the
disappearance of classes the Political
state as we know it today viii di-ap-
pear. As a matter Of fact, friends, we
have an industrial government today.
These politicians that parade mp and
down the country every four years are
mere puppets doing the bidding If their
ma ~ltl~. we want lN tidu-t istIl iIbl7-
trial government by taking it out Of the
hands of the capitalist class and put
ting it in the hands of the working class.
So / say in order TO save our heals let
MS first use the political power i'm our
hands
The DisfIauchised Worker.
The objection is sometimes made chat
the working class is being di-iranshise3
and that IS tue: mu- 7 have been t.y'ns
90 maEa ma estimate of the working men
and women Who are disiauah.-.i t1i1E
and who are tharatar. Justified u op-
posing political action and mr .i-r.
Dead m. m th. conclusion chat a- raa
present fH. 10 per .r- II Tin Noon wa.
work M. I.-+nrhi-.i Ta- leaves aa
enormous. u#"..r ..- IA possession If
tH. nH- anI H.. &. ..H Fal ..H