The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-20
THE FuTILITY OF THE OLD
PARTY REMEDIES.
The CAPITALIST Issues Are
Sham Issues.

I L. Berger. of Wisconsin. in the
House Of Representatives, Thursday.
The working class has nothing
to hope for from either the Repub-
lfcan party or the Democratic
party. The Representatives of
| these parties may be, and very
/ often are, very cultured and ac-
| compiished gentlemen. Most of
them are personally honest. How
ever, they represent the capitalist
system: and the more honest and
consistent they are. the more 10y
al they are to their class.
And the two parties may fight
about the spoiIs of this system,
but neither of them is willing to
change the economic basis of the
present society.
It is, therefore, only natural
that every law passed by the Re-
publican or Dmocratic party ben
etits the capitalist class. or some
group OF It. In some manner-eveD
laws that obviously seem to favor
the workers, like the workmen,s
compensation act.
What the Two Old Parties
Represent. -a
Political parties are simply the
Expressions of economic interests.
The Republican party Is the fav-
orite organization of the big CAPT.
talists. Why? Because 1t stood
for great deal of business" dur
ing the late Civil War, and because
by its high-tarff srocliyities and
its banking laws, it has given
strong impetus to the profits OF the
manufacturers and bankers. Cap
plause on the Dem ocratic side.)
For a generation it was consid-
cred the conservative business
mans party of the country.
The Democratic party. in its
great majority, stood for the eco
non1ic and political interests OF the
slave owners before the Civil War
After the war 1t naturally has be-
come the domfnent party of the
South. where the former slave
owner is slowly getting to be a
manufacturer, a banker. or a cap
italist. Up North the Democratic
party, not having any great eco
nomic interests to express, soon
fell into the hands OF corrupt ma
chimes, at least in the large cities.
Thus we have Tammany in New
York, the Cook County Democracy
in Chicago, the Rose Democracy in
Milwaukee, and other benevolent
graft institutions. It naturally
also became the favorite organize
ton of the liquor interests In the
Northern States. 6ADplause on
the Republican side.
The capitalist class, therefore.
is just as willing to deal with the,
Democratic party as with the Re-
publican party. While the latter
is conservative, the Democratic
party is, to all intents and pur--
poses, reactionary. especially on
the industrial field; 1t would like
to go back ito the days before the
var. Being behind the times in
most things, It is especially ignor-
ant and brutal in regard to the la
Dor question, as the laws OF many
Southern States prove.
The Tariff and Labor.
AS to the tariff issue as such,
this issue is to the working GLASS
exactly what every other capitalist
issue is. The workingmen are in
terested In the tarfff--as the tariff
is now-as consumers only.
The tariff does. not protect Ia
Dor; at the same time any sud-
den change would be disastrous
It is mainly manufacturers issue
until labor really gets Its share
OF the protection.
The tariff is not responsfble for
the trusts: there are trusts in
England. where they have free
trade. Moreover, the trusts are
now in favor OF free trade.