The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-05-14

arguments in favor of democracy and liberty, it may
oe said, are arguments applicable to normal times,
not to cataclysms and world revolutions. In these
terrific epochs a man must be prepared to back his
own faith; whether he is right wrong in doing So
cny the issue can show. I think there is something
trife pedartie in applying to the circumstances of
Russia the sort of arguments and principles which are
valid for ourselves in ordinary periods Russia could
only be saved by strong will and 1t is doubtful
whether a strong will could have saved it without
dictatorship in some FORM do not thips, however,
taat these considerations would apply to ourselves
even if we were much than are to the
establishment of complete socialism. England,
since 1858, las Lad love of moderation. Methods
such those of the Bolsheviks would ALLEVIATE
dinary people Nor is tho opposition Of the reaction
aiies sufficiently ruthless to justify such methods
The moderation of our Labor Party is often ex.
asperatng but at any rate it is matched by the
moderation of their opponents This was clearly il
ustrated at the time of the railway strike Marx,
tie great exponent of the doctrine of class war;
sssered that, IN England, Socialism might come by
peaceful means. Let us hope that in this. as in so
much else he true prophet But the Con-
tinent DIS the example of Russia has shown u.s. such
hope is probably chimerical I believe, though of
course to prophesey is so uncertain as to be little
of Russian communism in resisting the united host
iity of the capitalist Great Powers, the victory Of
Socialism in Germany France and Italy, within tho
next ten years So is quite within the bounds of
possibility. There is much reason to fear however,
that it will not be effectedsn these countries with
ont the accompanments of war and terrorism
lhat we have seen in Russia though perhaps in a
puch fainter form. do not believe that, if it were
victory to those nations in which majority was in
favor of Socialism, particularly if its help were in
Nted BY Socialist instructions. Poland for example,
would very likely fall again under Russian domna
lion as in the days of Czardom. Nationalism ana
-cgion would keep the Poles for time, hostile
10 Socialism, whether it international or took
The form Of revived Russian Imperialism. It would
be necessary to Suppress by force the Polish desires o
Independence and for the persecution of tho Jews and
doubtless it would be sought by Of rigid
control Of education to indocrnate the rising gener
alton with MARKHAM outlook. Similar troubles
would arise throughout the Balkans. The regime IF
International Socialism for at least generation
wond have TO be, in many regions, regime of
armed force backed by rigid control of the press and
the schools There is reason to suppose that when
the time came the Bolsheviks would shrink from
such course, however little imperialism there may
be in their present purposes Their outlook on the
world. ike that of the early Mohammedans is at
once realistic and fanatica. Believing, as they do
in the MARKHAM formula Of inevitable economic de-
veopment they feel their ultimate victory fatalst
ically assured What they regard of most import.
ance is, that tho guns should be in the hands of the
cjassconscious proletariat. This once secured they
feel convinced that propaganda can bring to their
side tho part of the proetarat which is still missed
by "bourgeois catchwords " such as Religion and
Patriotism It is highly probable that they are ius;.
flied in this view, and that if they could govern Tu.
rope for generation, opposition to them at the end
of that time would not come from the dying forces
of the past, but from whatever new movements might
arise, for embodyng such Socialist ideals as the Boil
sheviks might in the meantime have forgotten
If we suppose that some such development is
likely the assumption that Bolshevik successes
continue ought we to seek to promote those success
ses to shrink from promoting them because of the
bloodshed and terror that they might involve, and
the loss to civilization at least temporarily that the
conflict would entail?
For my part. feel convinced that any vital
progress in the world depends upon the victory of In
ternatonal Socialism and that it is worth while If it
Is necessary, to pay great price for that victory
feel convinced also that there will he no peace in
the world until International Socialism has conquered
and that to strengthen its forces and to weaken
those of the opposition is the quickest way to emu
the conflict believe in world, that each recruit
means quicker peace" When I speak of Socialism,
do not mean milk -and-water system, but through
going root and Branch transformation such as Lenin
has attempted And If its victory is essential to peace,
we must ecquiesce in the evils involved in conflict
in so fan conflict is forced upon us by capitalism
y ! do not know whether this is true literally
only symbolicaly. ct is true literaly:-ED)
y reference to the members of the National
Guilds League Of Great Britain.-Ed.