The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1913-10-03
SOCIALISM ACTS
THROUGH STATE
In No Other Way Can It Per-
form Its Functions So Wei!
By joseph E. Cohen.

Socialism is the fruit OF capitalism
Capitalism is the present arrange
ment whereby goods are made On j
largs scale in industries employing
Thousands and millions Of people tie
goods being made for sale III tie
general market anywhere IN the
world.
That is 10 say. capitalism is IA
tioual and international.
And Socialism has to do with rapi'
talisnl.
Capitalism means the breaking up
vi that independence vi the haNol'
craft stage. where people often made
the things they used or exchanged
with their nearby neighburS. Capt.
talism means the independence U!
city and country. neighboring states
and distant states. the countries OF
This continent and the countries ul
the whole world.
Ideas spring from the material
facts which are around at or before
the ideas gain circulation. In the
days OF independent production OF
goods. tie political ideas ran to p"
litical independence. Now that the
material facts are International i'll
scope. political aud other ideas must
assume international size.
Socialists alone, OF AL thinkers,
have permitted themselves To fash
ion the boldest programs. They alone
accept modern international problems
and present solutions us large as
those problems.
Other thinkers timidly nip at some
question here or there which tAtE
ambitlously offer for all internationa!
answer Thus we see all MANNER OF
international conferences and con
crosses. each peCking al some inter
national question to be sure, bat sep
arate and apart from most oth~F
such questions.
On the other hand, many thinkers
despair OF finding i solution for ou!
social Ills in modern conditions, and
vainlv hope to turn the problems
back 10 the conditions which prrE;til
ed long ago with the hope Of building
a different society out OF such con
ditionS.
This used 70 he the rallying cry %!
the Democratic party. Now that t"2
Democratic party is in power. II has
somehow failed to place its hands
on the lever needed 10 turn back thu
forces which make the complicated
relations OF our own day.
Still other thinkers accept r"ndi
tious rs they are. and hope by \
complete breaking away from th"m
10 tread their way out Of our r"u
bles
Notable among these thinkers are
the anarchists and those WHO accept
the Syndicalist doctrine.
Anarchists have long been hitteri?
opposed 10 the state. Ever since
Bakuuin's time his God and tHe
State, the Siamese Twins Of super
stition" has served to lend color tC
those thinkers who, on the sGppoSl
ton that they are working GU
Marks theory Of economic d"termiu
ism. claim that economic conditions
can be changed best. ii not alone. b!
direct action in the Factories anC
shops.
Marx, as is we'll known. denied this
twist 10 his theory. and went out o.
his way to point out the surmGuntInE
Importance uf political action i'll mod
eru society.
The Socialist position. therefore. i
to capture the state. becauS" tae
state is the modern institution ca
pable OF meeting modern economic
questions, questions which are big
ger than each individual industry o!
the units Of industries added toK"th
er. lust IA society itself is bigger
than each unit or the units added 10
gether.
This means that. while government
ownership is only the form. just as
industrial uniOniSm is only the form
government ownership is just as de
Birable as industrial unionism.
II means also that government
ownership may be little. il any. III!
provement on private ownership. JUS
as industrial Unionis!n. may undrt
certain circumstances. be little lH
provement upon trades unionSm.
But the way is through govern
nl-n1 ownership, with political actor
upon the part OF the workers. 50 d:
20 end the function OF thu state Is .
class body. and make it the instTl
ment OF tie whole people ot thi!
nation and the world.
That is why modern >""ialj>nl act:
through the state. And in no oth"j
way does il function as we'll Il:
through the state. Then. too, )"
cialism will change the state, as i