The daily worker., 1927-03-09
Ruthenberg's Influence to
Be Felt As the Workers
Wage "The Final COnfict"
BY ]. LOUIS ENGDAHL.

FINHE United States government mas Deeh III
for SO years Last year its sesqui-centennlai
-15Oth anniversary.
The upholders Of that government, its faithful ad-
herents especially those who benefit most from it, try
TO spread the fetish that this government Is not only
sacred but everlasting.
One often hears the phrase the best government on
earth" that is drilled into the minds of the tens Of
millions growing children thruout the nations whoe
public school system.
That this governmental tyranny superseded pre-
vous class rule is lost sight Of The possibility Of this
government disappearing IN turn is ridcued as some
thing impossible Those who advocate change are
treated as enemies of the state, arrested imprisoned
placed trial, condemned.
Yet being placed on trial has afforded many Com
unist an opportunity analyze the capitalist state,
point out why it must crumble and disappear and pic
tnre the kind of social Communism must
succeed upon the downfall Of capitalism.
Thus Communists trial the Indictment, and
in the of the capitalist state itself place capital
ism on trial instead showing that the inexorabe deve
Opment of events spells its doom, with no judge jury
prosecutor needed to present the evidence listen to
the testimony return the verdict. The verdict is
written and needs only time for its fulfilment.
It was thus that c. E. Ruthenberg whose is
carved highest the list of the revoutonares against
capitalism, placed the profit social system trial on
four different occasions his trials in Ohio New York
and Michigan and also a witness for Communism at
the trial of Comrade William 2. Foster at st. Joseph,
Michigan under Indictment also growing out OF the
Bridgeman, Mich. raid on the Communist Party Con-
vention.
"Change" is word of terror to defenders Of things
rs they are The development of ideas, new
social system is incomprehensible 1t is undesirable.
In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, denouncing the
leaders Of the Western Federation of Miners on trial
at Boise, Idaho those urging change become "unde-
sirable citizens Yet Ruthenberg patiently tried to
explain the change to his prosecutors.
At New York, for instance the question was hurled
at him by his prosecutor, GAS understand your pro-
gram and manifesto you state that there is transition
period between what you call the present captaistc
state and the proletarian state, is that right"
NO that is not right" replied Ruthenberg.
The next question, "There is transition period
between the capitalistic state and the Communist
state"
And again the answer, Certainly not. The transi-
ton is between capitalism and Communism; between
the social systems; not between the organization Of
those states"
Tie discussion continued
% Is the present state here capitaistic state? A.
Yes, in my view.
20 What is that? A. That is my view.
20. And it is desirable to change the present cap-
talistic state into socialstic state A. prole-
tartan state yes, that is my view.
20. Proletarian Between the time of changing
from the present capitastc government to the social
ist government there is transition period? A. Ger
tainy not. There is period between the time of
changing, one succeeds the other.
20. immediately"
The prosecutor didn't get his answer. Here the court
stepped in and the discussion continued follows:
o. Is there transition period from capitalism into
socialism. A. The transition period from capitalism
into Communism is the following: When the proletar
ian state is established at establish Com
munism The transition from capitalist production to
Commun st production may extend the period of
decade, generation, 25 years, perhaps. am
unable to say and else is able to say The
transon period is the period in which the proetaran
state transfers the of production from the cap
talist class TO society a whole and until the time
when Communism is established in full"
20. How is the change made from the existing state
to the proletarian? How does it propose that the
change should be made from the existing state to the
proletarian state? A. My view of that is the follow
ing.
am asking you how it is expressed in this Manifesto
(he Manifesto Of the Left Wing of the Socialist Party
that resulted in the indictment)
"a. My view is the general Communist view, which
can only state in my words, that capitalist pro-
ducon in its development brings about its own decay
its decline, it's breakdown; that capitalist pro-
duction inevitably thru its conditions of existence
produces such a situation the world war; that a
world war; an mperiast war; brings about the break
down Of capitalist production.
II believe that the workers will capture the power
Of the state in the following process: That in the
development Of the capitalist system its
dictons bring about situation in which the machinery
Of production of capitalism breaks down.
"For instance of those contradictions is the fact
that, under the capitalist SYSTEM surplus of comodi-
ties is produced which be consumed in the home
market This surplus usually takes the form of machine
products, products Of iron and steel This forces the
capitalists Of every capitalist country to
in which they dispose Of these products
Ruthenberg then went to cite specific instances
as Illustrations Of the breakdown Of capitalism. con-
Guiding with:
Il believe that in this process there may come point
where the capitalist government is nc longer able
to function and in such crisis, in sefdefense because
Of the necessity OF carrying on production the working
class viii establish ITS workers councils, which becomes