Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1919-05-22

SOCIALISTS TO
Be PATRIOTIC
DR.. Shutter, in Address Here,
=, Declares Reds Opposed to
Practically Everything.

Quoting largely from socialistic
writer's of this and other countries,
DR.. M. D. Shutter of Minneapolis
showed in his lecture on Socialist,
Its Purpose and Program" at Orlady
hall, Tuesday night, that the real
political socialist is opposed to all
private ownership, all armies and
navies, all government, and even to
all religion and home ties. He
showed that the Bolsheviki of Rus
sia and the l. w. w. of the United
States are in perfect accord, that
their purpose is the same and that
they are working in complete har-
mony.
Beginning his lecture with the
definition of socialism, DR.. Shutter
asked, "How many have formed any
clear-cut idea as to what socialism
really is, and what is proposes 10
do? 1t may be that we want social
ism, that we want the changes that
it will bring about. Very good, but
let us at least try to understand it.
Then If we want it, let us say so in
telligently. II We find that We do
not want it, let US say so intelligent
ly and decisively. Otherwise we
shall be like the old woman in the
story who dreamed she was awake,
and woke up to find herself asleep.
Setting aside the philosophical
and sentimental phases Of socialism,
we may define the real thing to be
movement for the overthrow of the
present political order, for the pur-
pose of replacing it by what is call
ed the Cooperative Commonwealth,
In which land and all the means Of
producing and distributing wealth,
shall be owned and administered in
common; and in order to accomplish
this, the first object 81 socialism is
to capture the existing machinery of
government. This Is socialism as
the party platforms describe it. For
socialism today is more than an
economic theory or a pious idea; il
is a political party and must be dealt
with as a political party.
''The National Platform OF 1912,
upon which Mr.. Debs ran for the
presidency, says: Such measures
Of relief as we may be able to force
from capitalism are but a prepara-
ton Of the workers to seize the whole
powers of government, in order that
they may thereby lay hold of the
whole system of socialized industry
and thus come to their rightful in
heritance.' What these measures Of
relief are, we shall presently see.
What concerns us just now is the
avowed intention of selling the
whole powers of government to in
troduce a new social and industrial
order. This is confirmed by the ma
tional platform of 1916, which de-
clares that it is the aim of the social
list party to reorganize the life Of
the nation, upon the basis of social
ism. ..
Democrats and republicans strive
for control of the government, not
that they may overturn 1t or use l,
for purposes that it's founders never
intended; but avowedly, at least,
that they may give a wise and just
reform abuses, and
guide the destinies of the people.
Their differences are largely differ
ences of policy. selfishness and
graft, may often interfere. But the
socialist is the only party which asks
to be put in control of the machin-
cry of government that they may
wreck it. I say this advisedly; for
the Cooperative Commonwealth is
something entirely different from
the Representative Republic. 1t Is
something entirely different from
even pure democracy. They de-
clare: Under socialism we workers
will not be subjects of any state er
union, but we will be citizens, free
citizens, in the industries in which
we are employed. More
than that, under socialism, we will
have no congresses such as exist
today, nor legislature, nor parlia-
ments, nor councils of municipali-
ties True Socialism, says Mr..
Macy in his socialism in America,
is anti-governmenta anti-patriotie,
anti-nationalist, and anti-militarist.
At bottom, these 'antis' are one and
the same thing; they can not be sep,
arated from each other or from es-
sential socialism. The most eminent
socialists Of the last century were
avowed enemies OF the state
These quotations show how the
socialist feels about the state about
Vi iffr4L ~-e No.