Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-06-25

ly crushing the class of small business
men and diving its members into the
ranks of proper yless wage workers.
The overwhelming majority OF the peo-
pie of America are being forced under a
woke of bondage by this soulless indus
trial despotism.
1t is this capitalist system that Is re-
sponsible for the increasing burden OF
ornaments, the poverty, slums, child
labor, most of the insanity, crime and
prostitution and much of the disease
that afflicts mankind.
Under this system the working class
is exposed to poisonous conditions, to
frigh tful and needless perils to life and
limb, is walled around with court de-
cisions, injunctions and unjust laws,
and is preyed upon necessarily for the
benefit of the controlling oligarchy of
wealth. Under it also, the children Of
the working class are doomed to ignor-
ance, drudging toll and darkened lives.
In the face of these evils, so manifest
that all thoughtful observers are APP
palled at them, the legislative repre-
sentatives of the republican and demo-
cratic parties remain the faithful Serv-
ants OF the oppressors, Measures de-
signed to secure to the wage earners of
this nation as humane and just treat
ment as is already enjoyed by the wage
earners of all other civilized nations
have been smothered in committee
without debate, and laws ostensibly de-
signed to bring relief to the farmers
and general consu mers are juggled and
transformed into instruments for the
exaction OF further tribute.
The growing unrest under oppression
has driven these two old parties to the
enactment of variety of regulative
measures, none of which has limited in
any appreciable degree the power of
the plutocracy, and some of which have
been perverted into means for increas-
ing that power. Antitrust laws, rail-
road restrictions and regulations, with
the prosecutions, indictments and in
designations based upon such legisla-
tion, have proven to be utterly futile
and ridiculous.
Nor has this plutocracy beer serious
ly restrained or even threatened by
any republican or democratic executive.
1T has continued to grow in power and
insolence alike under the administra-
tions of Cleveland, Mckinley, Roose-
Welt and Taft.
In addition to this legislative Jug
Cling and this executive connivance.
the courts Of America have sanctioned
and strengthened the hold of this plu-
tocracy as the bred Scott and other de-
cisions strengthened the slave power
before the civil war. They have con-
stantly been used as instruments for
the oppression of the working class and
for the suppression of free speech and
free assemblage.
We declare, therefore, that the long
er sufferance of these conditions Is inn
possible, and we purpose to end them
all We declare them to be the
product of the present system in which
industry is carried on for private greed,
instead of for the welfare of society.
We declare, furthermore, that for these
evils there will be and can be no RENE
dy and no substantial relief except
Socialism, under which indus
try will be carried on for the common
good and every worker receive the full
social value of the wealth he creates.
Society is divided into warning groups
and classes, based upon material inter
ests. Fundamentally, this struggle is
a conflict between the two main classes,
one of which, the capitalist class, owns
the means of production, and the other,
the working class, must use the means
of production on terms dictated by the
owners.
The capitalist class, though few in
umbers, absolutely controls the gov
ernment-legislative, executive and
judicial. This class owns the machin-
cry of gathering and discriminating
news through its organized press. 1t
subsidies seats of learning-the col
leges and schools-and. even religious
and moral agencies. 1t has also the ad-
ied prestage which established custom
gives to any order of society, right or
wrong.
The working class which includes all
those who are forced to work for liv-
ing, whether by hand or brain, in shop,
mine or soil, vastly outnumbers the
capitalist class. Lacking effective or
ganization and class solidarity, this
Class is unable to enforce its will. Civ
On such class solidarity and effective
the workers will have the
power to make all laws and control all
industry in their own interest.
All political parties are the express
sion of economic class interests. All
other parties than the Socialist party
represents one or another group of the
ruling capitalist class. Their political
reflect merely superficial ri
valries between competing capitalist
groups. However they result, these
conflicts have no issue ofreal value to
The workers. Whether the democrats
Dr. repu blicans win politically, it is the
,api talist class that is victorious econ
omically.
The Socialist class party is the poll
,ical expression of the economic inter-
,sts of the workers. Its defeats have
been their defeats and its victories
heir victories. 1t is a party founded
On the science and laws of social devel-
opment. 1t proposes that, since all So
,ial necessities today are socially pro-
luced, the means of their production
md distribution shall be socially own
ID and democratically controlled.
In the faco of the economic and polit-
cal aggre ssions OF the capitalist class
,he only reliance left the worker is
hat of their economic organizations
md their political power. By the in
;elligent and class-conscious use of
,hese, they may resist successfully the
capitalist class, break the letters of
wage slavery, and fit themselves for
uture society, which is to displace the
capitalist system. The Socialist party
appreciates the full significance of class
and urges the wage earn
,rs, the working farmers, and all other |
lseful workers everywhere to organize
or economic and political action, and |
We pledge ourselves to support the toll |
RS of the fields as we'll as those in the |
hops, factories and mines of the ma
ion in their struggle for economic JUS
ice.
In the defeat or victory of the work
NO class marty in this new struggle for |