The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-08-16
PRO.GERMAN SOCIALISTS

In an editorial published some time
ago, The Times called attention to the
fact that the conscientious objector'
who before the war broke out belong
ed to a religious sect which taught
that it was sinful to participate in any
war, or to forcibly resist aggression
of any kind, and who willingly ac-
cepted punishment defined by law for
noncompliance, were mor e%xcusable
in failing to enter the army, than So
cialists who deliberately organized for
traitorous purposes
The same thought is developed by
Congressman Hayden of Arizona, in
a speech in the house of representa-
tives August z, in which after showing
that resistance to lawful authority was
in line with the stand of Anarchists
and ~Syndicalists, said:
The Socialist, upon the contrary,
has no such philosophy to guide him.
To one who believes in the collective
ownership and management, through
the state, of all the means of produc-
ton and distribution it follows that
the lawful commands of those who
manage the affairs of the government
must be obeyed, for otherwise such a
scheme of things would not long en-
dure. Obedience to the authority of
the state must, therefore, be a social
istic virtue, and the individual Social
list who now sets up his personal
judgment against the will of the ma
jority can not claim consistency as
one of the reasons for his resistance.
The Socialists of the United States
have sharply divided upon the ques-
ton of approving or disappearing the
act of Congress, which declared the
existence of a state of war with Ger
many. Many of them are able to see
that when m%ilitarism makes an at
tack upon democracy the immediate
duty of men of every shade of political
belief is to rally to the cause of lib.
erty and freedom. Jaures did this fol
France as the last act of a life devoted
to agitation, if not rebellion, agains.
his government, and the leading mer
of every political party walked in hi.
funeral procession behind the blood
red flag of revolutionary socialism a!
a tribute to an honest man who clear
ly saw his duty and did not let hi
past prevent him from performing i,
CApplause.) The French Socialists
as a unit, follow the example of Jaure
and / only wish that l could speal
as well of their American comrades
Unfortunately, lot a few of our SO
cialists still seek to distract atten
ton to their prewar theories at a tim
when the fate of democracy depend
upon utter unity.
1t is easy to show the inconsistenc
of the Socialist who opposes war. T
those who understand the form of or
g%anization of the controlling elemen
this attitude is not so surprising. A
frequently shown by The Times, tn
element that controls the d~estines @
the Socialist party, consists of thos
who join the party, as men join
lodge, and who pay regular dues. Thi
element contains but a relatively SINAI
part of those who for ole reason o
other vote the Socialist ticket. Tn
organization which it controls mus
not be %confounded with the Socialis
Labor party, which is the original Sc
cialist political organization in Amer.
ca and which still exists. The "clos
corporation organization of the Sc
cialist party is dominated by a Gel
man clique having headquarters 8
Milwaukee. Owing to their tendenc
to organization. the German elemer
permeates all parts of the organize
ton and takes a more active pal
than any other, naturally influencin
those of weaker intellect, and thos
whose morbid, disordered minds, max
them accept the stupendous misreI
reservations of the class of lying o
gans of the stripe now suppresse
for preaching treason. These shee.
by the way, probably invited suppre
sion temporarily, so that they migl
play the martyr act and get mon,
from those whom they had deceive
The mental characteristics of IL
German Socialists are sufficient
shown in a quotation from German
of Today which appeared in a Tim
editorial of July IS. The same IL
fortunate mental characteristics a
shown in the class of American Socia
lists who voted for treason, indica
ing the German origin of their thee
les. For the British Socialists as
whole more can be said. Robert Hun
er, the great Socialist writer in 1
Socialists at Work." published
1912, page 1922 contrasting this SC
of mentality with that of the Engli
said simply because the moyeme
in Great Britain refuses to acce
phrases which it does not fully undo
s1and is not a good reason for thin