The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-09-18

some clements OF tue tAplolllNb CLASS,
It's enemies are our enemies, it's mem.
bership our brothers in toll, and wher-
ever its adherents are lined up against
the master class, there viii you find
the Socialists ready to fight labor's
battles to the last ditch
/, Because Socialism is a higher phase
of proletarian development than the
one embodied in the A. f. of L., or any
other union of the workers in the eco
nomic field, II is forced to assume the
position of teacher and leader of less
progressive working-class organlza-
tlons. But the intelligent pedagogue
, does not scold and prod lazy or back
ward pupils because he is against"
them, but for the purpose of helping
them upward towards self-deVelop-
ment, GENERALIZATION. And, just so,
the Socialist criticises and advises his
fellow wage-slaves, in and out of the
unions.
/, The fact that the A. F. of L. as now
organized and ruled reflects and con-
serves a befuddled middle-class psy-
chology, rather than a true working
class view of things, causes the con-
. sistent Socialist to attack it's ultra
conservative methods and aims. We
believe in lot less, but more Organ
lied labor" We advocate class or
CARNATIONS, not craft organizations.
: The A. F. of L., having served noble
function in the earlier stages of capt.
talistic development, must now, under
t new conditions, either change its
: methods and principles, or go the way
of the medieval trade gilds.
New times demand new measures
and new men;
5 The world advances, and in time out
grows
The laws that in our fathers day were
best;
And, doubtless, after us, some purer
} scheme
Will be shaped out by wiser men than
= Made wiser by the steady growth of
5 truth"
No, brother, the editor of the Com.
monwealth does not want to flight the
2 unions" He wants to see them grow
stronger and more inclusive, more
class-conscious. He does not ask that
!. they adopt a revolutionary program
2 on the economic field. But he does
expect the union man to vote reyo-
!, lutionary ticket on election day. There
fore he teaches the rank and file OF
l union men that they must look to
]. more disinterested men than the
: typical A F. of L. official for a real
! understanding of capitalism, or for
1 any solution of present-day labor prob
>, lens. 1t is not question of person
: alities but of principles and under
t standing.
! AS most men, whether labor power
, vendors, or petty sellers of merchan
! disc, are by no means studious, but
t rather shockingly ignorant of what
Y they most need to know, it is nc
, trouble at all for shrewd, though
! equally ill-informed, labor leaders to
: lead the unthinking frank and file
0 further into the STABLES of capitalistiC
!, exploitation, on the flimsy but attrac
tive promise of something now" The
fact that the only something now
G that has so far been youschafed the
: workers by the shirkers has been
granted them through fear of the ris
;, ing Socialist vote, is discreetly ig
:. Inored. Fearful lest this conspicuous
fact penetrate the dull consciousness
h of the frank and file" your typical
i. labor leader, aided by a few equally
conservative" lieutenants, sets tc
f work stirring up an unintelligent
!. prejudice against Socialists and So
cialism.
: The comparatively few, independent
n thoughtful, studlous members of the
h A. F. of L. who are not easy marks
e and do their own thinking, are So
b Ccalsts to a man. Naturally these
serious-minded workers do not endorse
S the obsolete views of their leaders
r They refuse to follow any political
e will-o,the-wisp for the benefit Of this
). or that worthy" On the contrary
t they are doing all within their power
e to induce their fellow unionists tC
f study working-class literature, Social
l. list literature, that they may know how
to judge for themselves what is fol
r their own interest And these wide
r awake comrades are meeting with nc
b little success. The cheap, capitalist
, made buncombe of the enslayed
e Fourth-of-July labor orator is no Longer
), handed out TO the frank and file" with
y the same easy assurance Of a decade
Z. ago. The obsolete Declaration Of In
+. dependence" of the capitalists of 177t
F. sounds rather like a mockery to ears