The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-13
LaFOIIette Accepts Capitalism.

The LaFollette program, Foster
pointed out, accepts capitalism as
its starting point. 1t completely ig-
nores the fact that all the ills of the
working class spring from the CAPT
talist system and can only be abol-
ished with the system that causes
them. LaFollette wants to tinker
around the capitalist machine and
repair it. He wants to soften some
Of its more glaring evils and make it
more beautiful and palatable to the
masses. He wants to extend the DEM
ocratic forms, and lead the workers
to look to their reforms for relief, in
stead Of struggling to establish their
own power to control society.
Never, however, does LaFollette or
his program touch the vital question
of power-which class is to rule. He
throws a mask over the brutal and
obvious fact that the present system
is a dictatorship of the capitalist class.
He does not propose a single measure
that so much as hints at overthrow
Ing that dictatorship. Foster drove
home this point with great emphasis
and clarity to a crowd that was at
tentive and which greeted his sallies
With appreciation.
No Blows at Capital.
'LaFolette's hackers boast that Is
out Of Is measures formerly advocated
by him have been enacted into law.
They were all Of the same sort that
he advocates now One would think,
from the boasts of his boosters, that
these measures had been blow at
the rule of capital. Nothing of the
sort. Capitalism is stronger today by
hundred times than it was when La
Toilette began his work, and his
measures, so far from weakening the
capitalist dictatorship have strength
ened it.
Take, for exmaple, the direct cleo
ton OF senator's" said Foster. For
merly senators were elected by the
legislatures, and the corruption, the
open purchase and sale of votes by
means of which the capitalists deter
mined who should fill the Offices, con-
stituted a fostering sore and an in
element to revolt to the masses. La
Folletteism cured" this sore, but did
the capitalists lose their control of
the Offices? Not bit Of it. With
their control of party machinery, of
- ~ hn cnhnnlc ~ the
ideas and the means of spreading
ideas to the masses, with their COM
plete and undisputed control of In
dustry-the capitalist class continues
It's dictatorship undisturbed, while
the masses are fooled into thinking
that something has been fundament-
ally changed But it is the same old
capitalist system, fitted out with
new dress by LaFolletteism.
ut is a great mistake to suppose
because the big capitalists oppose La
Toilette now, that this proves LaFol-
elite represents the workers. Capt.
talism is still arrogant, and thinks it
can rule thru a Coolidge. German
capitalism also used to oppose the
social-democrats Of Germany; they
bounded and outlawed the socialists;
but when their hour of crisis came,
and capitalism could have been over
thrown in Germany, the ruling class
turned to the social-democracy, which
deliberately saved capitalism, which
shot down revolving workers by the
thousands. and turned to patching up
the shattered system. The capitalist
class of America will similarly turn
to LaFollette, and LaFollette will per-
form the same service for them in
America that Ebert and Scheidemann
performed for the German capitalist
class"
"War Referendum" Is Joke.
LaFollette says he is against war,
declared Foster, but his program leads
directly to war, just the same as
that of Coolidge or OF Davis. He
proposes a referendum on war, but
not the slightest move to control and
remove the cause Of war; capitalism.
Such a referendum Is more than a.
CHASTITY joke; it is designed as an
instrument of war itself, for it will
become merely a means Of more eff
|. fectively mobilizing the masses for
the coming world imperialist war. by
fooling them into thinking that they
Nhaye something to say about the de-
ciSion.
Even now, Foster pointed out, so
early in the game, the capitalists are
ouite widely beginning to recognize
how valuable LaFollette is TO their
class interests. and their antagonism
TO him is being softened great deal.
while few big ones, like spreckles
and vanderlip. actually go along and
receive decisive voices in LaFollet-
ties councils. But the workers are
building up a Frankenstein, by sup
porting LaFollette, that will turn and
devour them. just as did the monster