Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-09-03
Socialists IN Congress
OUR DUTY TO OUR COUNTRY AND
OUR CAUSE.
BY Carl o. Thompson.

BY Carl v. thompson.
Congress is the strategic point in
the struggle for social democracy. ]
We must capture the United States
Congress.
If we capture a city we can do some
thing for the working class in I'M,
proving conditions and something to-
wards Socialism; but state laws, con-
situations, courts and federal control
restrict the cities and limit their
possibilities.
If we capture state we can do
much more. But even then, the fed
eral constitution and courts limit us.
But when we capture Congress we
have won the battle.
Congress is almost supreme in this
country. 1t can even hold down the
supreme court of the United States.
1t has the power, as pointed out by the
Socialists and now admitted every
where, to prohibit the supreme court
from declaring its measures unconst1-
tutional; to inaugurate the policy OF
the public ownership and operation OF
railroads, and thus remove any cues
ton of strikes, reduce rates instead
of increasing them, cut out the cap
italization. discrimination and frauds
that prevail under private ownership,
and put thepeople of this nation in pos
session of the greatest power for the
development of the country's re-
sources, wealth and progress that has
ever existed.
Congress, acting for the nation,
could take over and operate the mines;
grant every demand of the United
Mine Workers and the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners, which would settle
every miners strike and make such
disgraceful and, atrocious occurrences
as those at Paint Greek, in West .Vir-
ginia, Calumet. Mich, and Ludlow,
Colo, not only necessary but impos-
sible. And what is more, it could re-
duce the price of coal and iron and
| oil, thus reducing the cost of living
and eliminating all child labor from
| the mines.
Congress could take over the tele.
graph and telephone systems of this
country and reduce the cost of the
services at least one-third, after rails
ing labor conditions to the highest cur
rent trade union conditions.
Congress could take of the restric
lions that now hobble the postal saw
ings banks and make these public in
situations the actual peoples. govern
lment banks and thus put the money
ltrust out of business and put the PEG
pie in control of the credit and com
mercial forces of the nation.
Congress, using the credit Of the
nation, which is as good as gold
could start up great public works, con
Quoting them so as to pay for them
selves, steadily increase the wealth Of
the nation, and add enormously to its
industrial and commercial resources
1t could reclaim swamp and desert
lands, develop waterways, reforest the
devastated timber lands of the ation
and recover much that has been stolen
by the trusts; it could take over vast
tracts of land now held out of use by
spectators; could establish public in.
dustries where needed, and by these
means put the unemployed at work
until in short time there would not
be one of the 100000 unemployed
out of work. The employment Of these
alone would save the nation at least
three billion dollars a year, that to-
day it is losing.
These and many similar things Con-
gress can do. And no other body can.
Therefore, say, Congress is the
strategic point in the struggle Of the
social revolution for Socialism and
social democracy.
1t is more important than the cap
ture of municipalities. More impor-
tant even than the capture of a state
legislature.
When we get Congress, we can get
Socialism.
To capture United States Congress
that is our real task.
Let us get at it at once.
There are at least fifty congressional
districts in America where the Social
ist vote is already large enough to be
a factor; there are tt least a dozen
where we are within sight of victory;
there are are least four where. with
some extra effort, we might elect can
didates this fall.
SOCIALISTS In CONGRESS few
this fall, more next time, until we con-
troll that body.
i - -- --------