The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-08-26
Conrade Ole:

Glad to see you back. Glad ever
IL you did not meet the argument. Al
It is. Bill claims to be handling the
subject of Socialism from the Marxiar
scientific standpoint brought up to
date as correctly as we are able tc
trace 1t. We have hammered along
| for more than half-dozen years Striv
| ing to make Socialists out of Socialist
Party members, and others. Have
found it unpopular always; yet we are
happy to say that these scientific
truths are gaining ground in the SO
cialist movement. They are displac
ing the ear-tickling platitudes of law
yers, preachers and other professional
jawsmiths who are so apt in that line
Bill was raised on farm and in a
grocery Has since been farmer and
farm hand in different ATTITUDES; also
a wage-slave in several Of the other
big industries. Practically all Of Bills
schooling was acquired in the indus
tries of the country and chasing the
job He was not fitted for a capital.
list. Most Of us are not; even though
the bug was planted IN our noodles.
1t was Bills experience to partici-
pate directly in every stage Of the
productive process through which at
least two staple commodities food
and shelter) pass from seeding to
consumer and from stump to bunga-
low; both including transportation,
milling and wholesale and retail dis
tribution. Being of an enquiring dis
position and ambitious to become q
bookkeeper or something, Bill kept
both eyes open throughout his various
occupational experience. This is how
he learned Of the big steal that is in
herent in the present capitalist system
of economics-the wages system. He
was never converted" to Socialism
by any propaganda. He was advocat-
ing his crude idea of Socialism to his
fellow-workers in a rice mill twenty
years ago, before he had ever heard
Of Marx or such thing as Socialism.
When the science of economics and
economic determinism with the expla-
nation of the class struggle was first
brought to Bills attention he was sim
ply delighted to know that his crude
ideas were not wholly a lonesome
dream. The science Of Marx and En-
gels made clear already acquired facts,
their relation and significance.
It did not take Bill long to dump
what rubbish he had acquired from
capitalist teachings. The rest was
easy. Too many are slow in ditching
the rubbish.
What l want to show is that there
are many, many Bills and Henrys who
are passing through these industrial
experiences in varying degrees. 1t is
this contact of the workers with the
latest evolved industrial process and
equipment as a whole, the instability
of employment and the resulting for
nation of ideas in the workers minds
which makes Socialism possible as a
social force. Henrys become Bills but
Bills do not become Henrys.
The above is merely a primary
phase of economic determinism which
will effect the workers in their his
toric mission as a class.
/. Well, Ole, you fell in when you
retorted that "the wages system is
admittedly a failure, and unionism is
nearly as much of a failure, say you
Correct"
Is that your line of argument?
did not say that; could not and will
not. 1t is merely your inference. The
wages system is a cuccess and union
ism will be more of a success when
it arrives at maturity.
The wages system has succeeded in
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