The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-17
SOCIALISM AT THE BAR.

From John spargo. former mem
her Of the executive council of thu
Socialist party. comes one OF thu
most scathinE arraignments thu
party in America has yet receiv'
ed.
1t is published IN the September
Atlantic.
When speaking at the meeting Of
the American Alliance for Democ'
racy and Peace in Minneapolis re-
Gently, Mr.. Spargo said:
THE people who claim to keep
the ark Of the covenant OF
Socialism, have prostituted 1t at
the feet of the most unsocialistic
autocracy in the world"
In his article in The Atlantic, Mr.
spargo Celebrates this theme, will
relentless logic that tears the masl
from the disloyal doctrine his form
err associates have been preaching
He writes:
For some Socialists interna-
tionalism is a synonym for
antinationalism. Some go so far
as to say that the working peo-
pie can have no rational choice
between despotic and democratic
governments, so long as the pres
emit system of capitalism prevails.
This is the doctrine of anarchism.
II Is not consistent with the
socialistic philosophy. The very
nature of Socialist philosophy
requires the preservation OF ma
tionaI unities.
'aThe Socialist who cannot be q
good patriot cannot, be a good
lntarnationalist. International
isIu presupposes nationalism. 1t
AZ the INTERROGATION of free and
independent nations, their union
BY fraternaI ties. II the dreamy
Missionaries whose hostility TO
individual nations is as marked
as their hostility to the capital
tst system are permitted to gain
aheir ends, and to determine the
future policies of the Socialist
movement, their triumph will
mean the ignominious end OF
1aistpric Socialism.
According to the principles
which we have outlined, the in
vasion of Belgium was an assault
upon the foundations Of interna-
tionalism."
Mr.. Spargo further points out thai
the Socialists OF both Germany and
Austria Hungary, on the eve of war
passed resolutions holding their owr
countries to blame for the conflict
vet notwithstanding this fact they
decided to support those govern
ments once war was declared. II
contrast to this attitude he cites the
attitude of the american Social
iats:
ignoring the assaults of Ger
many upon the fundamental
rights of this nation, il declared
our declaration OF war to be a
crime against the people of the
United States and against the
nations of the world 1t placed
our entrance into the war on a
lower scale than Austria's war
upon Serbia or Germany's upon
Belgium: In all modern his
tory there has been no war more
untustihable than the war in
which we are about to engage
1t declared that in single gov
eminent was to blame for the
war, and that the war was not
the concern Of the workers. II
made no distinction between the
Belgian workers fighting to repel
an invading foe and the Ger
man workers fighting to subdue
q neutral and friendly nation.
Utterly disregarding the great
moral issues involved, which are
OF fundamental importance to
any true internationalism, IL
called upon the workers of ali
countries to refuse support to
their governments in their wars
the Belgian as well as the Ger
man!
This is the antithesis Of his
toric Socialism. In the circum-
stances any successful propa-
ganda in this country based up-
on this doctrine would be worth
many army corps 70 the German
military machine. Considered
apart from the existing circum-
stances, simply as statement
Of principles which should guide
Socialists. the resolution "a re-
markable for it's abandonment Of
the principles of internationalism
which from the days Of Marx
have guided the movement re
places the Socialists who accept
Il In direct opposition to all up-
rieings ard wars for national
Independence. According to this
declaration Of principles, no peo-
pie can be justified IN arminR it,
self To repel invasion By bar
harlan hordes. Such q doctrine