davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

not through such means affect the prob
lem of the unemployed.
And how about panios2 They result
from producing too much. Labor in a
prohibition country would still consume
its fifth, or whatever part fell to its
share as the seller of its commodity. 1t
certainly would get no more for that
commodity than its value What about
the surplus? Would it be increased or
diminished? The former is the only pos
sible conclusion. But this is a phase of
matters political that does not concern
you. You have no interest in the asso-
citation of this liquor traffic with the
system of industry that fosters such
things. The system is good enough for
you as long as your job, or your privil-
ege to exploit labor, is not menaced.
Then there is a billion dollars worth
of property in the liquor industry. Your
policy confiscates that unqualifiedly.
Your answer is that property that is be-
ing used to degrade mankind ought to
be confiscated Suppose we grant that,
too. Now tell us if anywhere this side
of hades there is any property that is
being used for purposes of deeper or
more thorough degradation, for more
death dealing purposes than that in
which we find the child and woman slave
the mills, mines, factories and sweat
shops wherein they by hundreds of
thousands are employed? If the prod
ucts of this enslavement were as gener-
ally scattered and as conspicuously dis
played as is the effect of drunkenness, it
would shame the prohibitionists and
would probably awaken many of them
to a realizing sense of the needs of the
hour. How about confiscating these
properties? Why, some of them doubt
less belong to members of the prohibi-
tion brand of confiscators.
''But we are opposed to child labor;
our platform so states" declares some
prohibitionist And what does your
platform say about the system of in
dustry of which child slavery is a regu-
lar and consistent part? and that de-
mands that you get your party into
power in every state, county and city
before you can enact AND ENFORCE
AFTER YOU HAVE ENACTED your
proposed legislation2 The enemies of
such enactments are the holders of the
pursue strings of the people. They are
the chief beneficiaries of the present
system of industry. They control the
political machine and elect Servants of
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

for all these evils. We must cure them
one at a time" If we are to wait for
the national success of the prohibition
party in order to partially rid ourselves
of one evil and a correspondingly long
time to remedy each of the others, how
many millenniums are to be consumed in
such u process of procrastination? Has
the prohibition party ever secured prohi-
bition in any state, county or even city
of any note2 Prohibition has been carried
in such states as Maine and Kansas prac-
tically independently of any political or
ganization, by the people who are op-
posed to the traffic on moral grounds,
because of the self-evident evil of the
thing; and in the south as an economic
necessity. In these contests the prohibi
tion party, as such, was not consider
able factor. The southerner must keep
liquor from the workers in order to bet
ter qualify them for exploitation; but
we may rest assured the southern brand
of prohibition will not seriously incon-
venience the members of their "chiv-
airy"
Socialists are by no means oblivious
to the devastation wrought by the rum
habit; but we classify it where it be-
longs, as but one of many evils conse-
quent in large measure, if not entirely
upon an industrial systematic system
of profit The saloon business in its
every phase, like any other business in
capitalism, is run for gain, run because
there is a possible eight t-cents profit in
a ten-cent drink. Socialism would abol-
ish the saloon by abolishing the profit
upon which it thrives. Then we would
leave the question of local dispensary
and all else that pertained to it, as all
such questions must ultimately be left,
to the people of locality to decide for
themselves.
With the saloon gone, there is left to
deal with nothing that pertains to the
traffic except the thirst for liquor for
its own sake-the desire to drink for
the sensation produced by the poison.
Here again it is evident that a co-opera-
tive commonwealth would, in this in
stance as in others, fall heir to lot of
the wrecks of capitalism and be COM
PEELED to deal with them as best it could
But socialism would accomplish vari-
GUS things that would soon do away
with the evil entirely. First. AS before
stated, it would at once eliminate the
institution known as the saloon by elm
mating the profits for which it is run.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

ture Of the drink" and in that alone
prevent, in very large measure, the max
ing of drunkards of young men and
women Third With very small frac-
tion of what now goes to support para
sites and idlers ian insignificant frac-
tion of the $8 worth) it would establish
recreative centers such as gymnasiums,
reading rooms, lecture halls, theatricals,
etc, that would be far more attractive
than buying a jug of liquor and seeking
some secluded quarters for a debauch
Fourth. 1t would abolish poverty and
slavish toil-the chief causes of indul-
gence in strong drink Fifth. Socialism
would not seek to change human nature
1t is not human nature to be a drunkard
any more than it is human nature to
keep a few hundreds of thousands of
women and children at work in sweat
shops or mills and mines. Socialism
would revolutionize the environment that
breeds drunkards and sweat-shop work
ers just as cesspools breed maggots.
Human nature would then assert itself
along right lines. 1t is not human ma
ture to do wrong-to maintain injurious,
abnormal relations between individuals
or between men and things; but it is
human nature to seek compensation for
effort, no matter where that compensa-
tion is found, even though that reward
may be so slight and strange thing as
a temporary surcease from the effects
of toll or trouble or the sting of poverty
by distortion of the brain with stimu-
lants. A system of industry that lays
rewards in the direction of wrong do
ing, that "puts premium on every act
that smells of hell" must needs lead
human nature, must guide human beings
into evil courses. The basis of morality,
that from which we garner our concepts
of right and wrong relations between
things, lies in our environment; and the
most potent elements of that environ
ment are vested in our industrial sys-
tenn.
Sweden, even in capitalism, through
the medium of a system in some fea-
lures similar to the one that would
naturally form part of socialist COM
monwealth, has in recent years reduced
her distilleries from $4,000 to 1872 and
her national per capita consumption of
liquor to less than one-third the guam
tity that obtained when her system was
first inaugurated.
Attention should also be called to this
fact, that while the men now engaged in
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
By MA. Richardson in Industrial Problems"

average ten per cent more than when in
fluenced by drink. Let us grant that.
For whom would it produce the extra
ten per cent? Who would own it when
it had been produced? The producers
Not while labor-power is a commodity.
The extra per cent would go to the ex-
ploiters, some of whose chief function
aries, advocates of the system that CON
centrates wealth h-ownership, are prohibi
tionists. The only conclusion that can
be drawn from your own argument is
that, granting all you ask, this evil is
augmented.
Again grant all that you ask, are the
conditions that would then obtain going
to cure the unemployed and the panic
evils? There are nearly half million
laborers now employed that your pro-
gram would at once throw upon the
labor market, at least nine-tenths of
whom are unfit to make a living in
other forms of industry-thanks to the
qualification for citizenship that your
sacred system of industry" provides.
"Ah," but you say, "there would be
more work in the manufacture of shoes,
clothing, etc, for laborers would have
more money to spend for such things if
they did not drink" Grant it; and there
are half a million more laborers at once
demanding jobs. Can your industrial
system absorb them? No. the additional
demand for produce could be supplied
perhaps several times through any sort
of well-directed effort of those now idle.
1t must be kept in mind that there are
always now hundreds of thousands, yes,
commonly a million or more, and often
several millions who are constantly or
partially "out of work"-for whom the
capitalist system can but partially pro-
vide. These alone could easily meet all
additional requirements that would re-
suit from "more money to spend"
"Then you socialists contend that those
hundredos of thousands in the liquor
business should be permitted to carry
on this awful traffic in order that they
may make a living?" No, we argue
nothing of the sort. We simply call
your attention to a condition that must
needs follow the enforcement of your
demand while the system of industry
which you uphold obtains. No, do what
you will with the liquor traffic, you will
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

There is a story in Grecian mythology
OF a many-headed monster, Hydra, that
took up his abode at the only water
supply Of a certain people. One of the
labors of Hercules was to despatch this
beast The difficulty attendant upon
this task lay in the power of the mon
ster to replace a severed head by one or
more other heads. The 'labor" was fin
ally accomplished by crushing the thing,
heads, body and all beneath a tremend-
Gus rock.
The figure is apt for the purpose in
hand and the attention of our prohibi-
tion, pulverize-the-iquor traffic friends,
is especially invited to it.
LIE 4alonster Hydra of today is an in
y6uAtfial system through which posses
sion has been taken of our peoples
Sources of hfe-sustenance. 1t is a
many-headed monster and fully capable
Of producing substitutes for any that,
by any sort of device, may be severed
as long as the body remains intact. The
body is the power and privilege to ex-
ploit human labor-to amass dividends.
Now, for the sake of argument, let us
grant the possibility of success of a ma
tional prohibition party, the abolition Of
the saloon-grant all that the prohibi-
zionist asks. What has he accomplished? +?
He answers, 81 have cut great head
from the Hydra" Yes, you have cut off
the saloon head, but what about its sub
stitutes by the way of drug stores,
''blind pigs" and "boot-leggers" "They
are not so bad" Let that be granted,
too; but they are each secret, insid-
ious source of evil and there are three
of them We have now granted the best
that prohibition could possibly do; there
fore, we have just right to make in
uuiry as to what it has not done.
If you are sane and intelligent you
will grant that the concentration of
wealth th-ownership in this nation is an
evil that must be remedied; in fact you
will know that it is in concentrated
wealth that the power lies that upholds
the evil you are combating-that up
holds the saloon system. Put every drop
of liquor in the bottom of the ocean
have you stopped wealth concentration
You tell us that if the labor of the ma
tion were all sober, were freed from alco-
holic stimulants, it could produce on the
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

the liquor traffic can plead justification
for their opposition to prohibition on the
ground that it is unjust to eonfiscate a
business that, under license of law, was
permitted to grow and absorb capital,
and likewise unjust to deprive without
recompense anyone of a means of liveli-
hood long sanctioned by legal enactment,
no such plean can hold against the meth
DDS of socialism. Socialism would de-
stroy alike the saloon business and the
grocery business as they are now oper-
ated--as profit yielding concerns; but
it would provide alike for the grocer and
the saloon keeper land for every one
else) a means of livelihood better than
that of which either would be deprived.
Unlimited access to the means of pro-
duction and the full social equivalent of
ones labor-the least that socialism can
offer-would make the average gain from
a saloon or a grocery shop look small
indeed. Socialism may take away
means of life, but it offers far better
one in exchange; prohibition takes every
thing in sight and offers in return-the
capitalistic labor market or the road.
The trouble with the prohibitionist is
that he knows nothing whatever of eco
nomics and consequently he no more
thinks of associating the great evil of
the rum traffic with our system of in
dustry than with the differential cal
culus. The fact that it is but one head
of a polycephalus hydra has never
dawned upon him. When the saloon is
out of the way, when men have better
opportunity to work than to drink, when
the certainty of good home and the
chance to enjoy the fruits abundant of
his or her own industry is laid before
each young man and woman, when ave-
nues of recreation that are beautiful,
varied and inspiring are substituted for
capitalism's dives and dens, when mans
environment shall have been clarified of
the dispiriting, enervating thraldom of
today, when socialism is the order of in
dustry, the liquor question becomes one
of easy solution. But as long as profit
from it's sale flows into the Golfers of
the dispenser, as long as poverty, wretch
edness and toll is the allotment of the
millions, as long as conditions of life are
such as to invite the assuaging or drown
ing of WEAKNESS or memory or sorrow
or despair or hopelessness in the flowing
bowl. the drink habit is but one form of
of life to the conditions in
which it is engulfed.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
NO "HAY" FEVER.
Chehalis, Wash, Oct. 4, 1912.

~Chehalis, Wash, Oct. 4, 1912.
Editor Commonwealth, Everett, Wash.
Comrade-Speaking before a represen-
tative audience of Chehalis' 'best citi-
zens," Governor Hay last night made the
following admission: eve do not elect
a man to office because he is particularly
fitted to fill the position nor because he
has been prepared for public service, but
because he is a vote getter. So the state
in order to protect the people and to see
that their money is properly handled
has formed the accountancy commits
sion"
He also said that there had been con
siderable antagonism between labor and
capital and the state had passed the
laborers' liability law to protect the
workers and the old friction had disap-
peared because there was no longer cause
for it, Pretty rich, coming from the
chief executive, is it not
Thought perhaps you could use it for
news item.
Yours for the real progress,
c. B. TRTMBLE,
Corresponding Secretary Chehalis Local.
l74G Chehalis avenue.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
ILLUSTRATED LECTURE
In Everett October 16, Wednesday
Night, at Liberty Hall-Tickets
Give Subscriptions to the rip
Saw

A 25c ticket to the illustrated lecture
of Rev. Livermore, at Liberty hall, on
Wednesday, October l6, will be good for
subscription to the Rip Saw
The lecture will be extremely educa-
tional as well as entertaining, All Ev-
erett socialists and sympathizers should
hear this lecture, as Rev. Livermore will
tour the state for the Commonwealth,
after November 5, and all should be in
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
T. X. ROBE IS AFRAID
TO DEBATE
Refuses the Challenge of Comrade
Ballinger, Socialist Candidate
for the Legislature from the
Forty-ninth District.

Granite Falls, Sept. 25, 1912.
Granite Falls Local of the Socialist
Party:
Gentlemen-Replying to your favor of
the 23d inst, will say that being unable
to see wherein so-caled debate" be-
tween Mr.. Ballinger and myself would
be productive of any good, decline to
accommodate you.
Yours very truly,
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

Robe could not support anything in a
debate, as he is not posted on anything
except the chicken business and the cold
storage which gets all the eggs from his
big ranch.
He evidently realizes that the progress
sive party has nothing real for the work
er, and is afraid of a debate.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
NO RESERVED SEATS.

There are no reserved seats at the
Warren meeting. The first in the Coli
scum can choose their own seats.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

terested in the work of the comrade who
will soon be building up our paper.
The Rip Saw or the lecture alone is
worth 25c. Together they are a splendid
combination.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Commonwealth of October Is will
contain Fred D. Warren's Everett speech.
You may secure extra copies at l1s
cents each.
Twenty-Five Cents in Stamps
Will buy:
Ten four page copies Warren's speech
in Everett,
Ten two-page copies Debs' speech in
Everett
Ten Cents in Stamps
viii buy:
Five copies Debs' Everett speech.
Five copies Berger's Everett speech.
Comrades Patronize the mer-
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
Yours very truly,
Note by Comrade Ballinger.

The subject offered was "Have the
workers any cause for supporting the
party" The fact is, Mr..
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

Comrades -Patronize the mer-
chants that patronizs your paper
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

Comrades -Patronize the mer-
chants that patronize your paper.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

WE CANNOT TRAFFIC IN OUR PRINCIPLES, WE
CAN MAKE NO COMPROMISE, NO AGREEMENT
WITH THE RULING SYSTEM. WE MUST BREAK
WITH THE RULING SYSTEM AND FIGHT IT TO A
FINIsH.-LIEBKNECHT "NO COMPROMISE"
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

saloons d d h % enjoy
theft d hmh h is ba h young woman h h Eh L and
eabmu dram mmsdv dd s have been he Gp gh dom
whh H order Industry eE me d ON Am
k r hd
hm
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

dispenser, as long as poverty, WretchedneSS and
WEAKNESS or memory or sorrow or despair or no
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11

system that SAYS to labor; "You shall take what
offer YOU without word Of rcmonstranee without
any conference as to its justice; you shan take Il
you shall move your family two hundred miles before
YOU dollar is real system Of slavery as
anything that WAS endured in the north any
Of the southern states the man is utterly unable
to resist his eircumsanee.-Wenden Phillips
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-26
GOT WORD Of SINKING
NIGHT TITANIC STRUCK
Next Day. Monday. Princess
Irene at Gibraltar Got
Fake Wireless.
HEARD truth on TUESDAY
Then Came Wireless of Men
Frozen to Iceberg OF Which
They Had Climbed.
HEARD Truth on ESDAI

The North German Lloyd liner Frin-
zess Irene. in last night from Medter-
rancan ports. vas nearing Gibraltar
late on the night the White Star liner
Titanic tore out her stsrbcard side OF
an iceberg and got wireless flash that
she had sunk and that all hands had
been lost. The next day. Monday. April
Is. the fake wireless saying that the
Titanic was being towed To Halifax Tas
received by tho Princess Irene. more
than 1000 miles from the scene of the
disaster.
Capt. Won Lettcn- Petersen immods-
atey had the report circulated over tho
ship and the passengers, who had hcen
plunged into gloom. became cheerful
again. on Tuesday last another mes
sage came to the ship giving the facts
and that night a mighty storm arose
forcing the ship To reduce speed to four
knots.
The passengers were at dinner-that
Is all those with good sea legs and
cyclone appetitcs were-when the
mournful tidinss came. After while
when the storm developed hurricane
force and the ship plunged and rolled
through the combers that smashed
! aboard her. some of the passengers be-
came overwrought with the memory oi
the Ttanic's fate and the actual pres
ence OF tempest about them. one
young woman, after the ship had
lurched heavily and spilled lot OF
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-26

dishes off the table,. got nm and,
screamed: My God. the ship's sink 4.
ing"
Inc young woman was soothcd hy
friends and taken To hcr sta:croo,u. h,,t
nor excitement had communicated ii.clr
to the other Women and some of the
men passengers, and they did not en- 10Y
the rest of th" meal. The storm kop,
up unit! daylight and only few or the
passengers went tn their berthe. Tho.
VINO did did not take or their clothiu-.
MANY "t tho men STAYED up in the
smoking room until dawn.
The next day the wireless soperator II
the Princess IreneScaught mes..aY,
from an unidentified liner. saving ,hlt
she had passed that day an iceberg %,
the shelving base of which there wero
more than dozen bodies of men VIII"
apparently had been frozen to 1eoth
after climbing on the berg. All the
bodies were cncircled With life pre-
servers.
The Princess Irene's passengers took
mp collection for the widows and OF
phans of tlrose lost in the founderinS If
the Titanic
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-26
ALL SORTS OF SUGGESTIONS.
stca amship ONciNls Fairly Pestered
with Good and Bad Sche mes.

with Good ana had Sche mes.
Agents ~ tho various stea ainship lines
have been flooded with all sorts OF sug-
ge.tions during tho last few days as to
Just how to make Atlanic liners absolute
" safe in casc Of accident. One agent
sa;d yesterday he had received letters
from all parts Of the country. even from
"a far as San Francisco. and the number
who havcacalled and insisted on Mkng ip
a busy mans time with explanations
thereof has resulted in making certain
officials rather iih1culr Of sccess
\ favorite sug gestiOn s"nt in is To have
the roofs" OF the various decks that ID
the way many express it-composed of
liferatts. which. when the water reaches
them, break M into separate nOr-sink-
able floats. each capable Of holding a
large number cf people. One writer
wanted the smoking room sides. ceiling"
everybody would know where 10 60 when
! the alarm war given.
Another suggestion which has seemed
popular is that each line despatch two
| ships at n(timc, a suggestion which seemed
to the agent to lack practicabiiity. for the
that no two ships have the same speed
/ or else there are only two very fast ships
in the line. and to despatch the two at
one time would mean that either one
| would be empty. or both nearly 40.
One Of the most insistent callers was a
man who had diagram OF a ship whose
sides were built to fioat. All you had to
do at the first alarm would be to press a
lover. and then the sides would fall out
| and everybody could take refuge 'ipon
them The sides would be water tight
compartments themselves. and would
float no matter how much of the rest of
the ship went down.