destruction. Such a society is founded in fundamental injustice. There can be no possible basis for social peace, for individual freedom, for mental and moral harmony, except in the conscious and complete triumph of the working class as the only class that has the right or power to be. 4. The socialist program is not a theory imposed upon society for its acceptance or rejection. It is but the interpretation of what is, sooner or later, inevitable. Capitalism is already struggling to its destruction. It is no longer competent to organize or administer the work of the world, or even to preserve itself. The captains of industry are appalled at their own inability to control or direct the rapidly socializing forces of industry. The so-called trust is but a sign and form of the developing socialization of the world's work. The universal increase of the uncertainty of employment, the universal capitalist determination to break down the unity of labor in the trades unions, the widespread apprehensions of impending change, reveal that the institutions of capitalist society are passing under the power of inhering forces that will soon destroy them. Into the midst of the strain and crisis of civilization, the socialist movement comes as the only conservative force. If the world is to be saved from chaos, from universal disorder and misery, it must be by the union of the workers of all nations in the socialist movement. The socialist party comes with the only proposition or program for intelligently and deliberately organizing the nation for the common good of all its citizens. It is the first time that the mind of man has ever been directed toward the conscious organization of society. Socialism means that all those things upon which the people in common depend shall by the people in common be owned and administered. It means that the tools of employment shall belong to their creators and users; that all production shall be for the direct use of the producers; that the making of goods for profit shall come to an end; that we shall all be workers together; and that all opportunities shall be open and equal to all men. 5. To the end that the workers may seize every possible advantage that may strengthen them to gain complete control of the powers of government, and thereby the sooner establish the co-operative commonwealth, the Socialist Party pledges itself to ears of in ad tra watch and work, in both the economic and the political stra for each successive immediate interest of the working class reated, shortened days of labor and increases of wages; for the insur of the workers against accident, sickness and lack of employme 0,279 for pensions for aged and exhausted workers; for the public own ship of the means of transportation, communication and exchang defor the graduated taxation of incomes, inheritances, franchiseand land values, the proceeds to be applied to the public employ -ly ment and improvement of the conditions of the workers; for the complete education of children, and their freedom from the workshop; for the prevention of the use of the military against labor in the settlement of strikes; for the free administration of justice; for popular government, including initiative, referendum, proportional representation, equal suffrage of men and women, municipal home rule, and the recall of officers by their constituents; and for every gain or advantage for the workers that may be wrested from the capitalist system, and that may relieve the suffering and strengthen the hands of labor. We lay upon every man elected to any executive or legislative office the first duty of striving to procure whatever is for the workers' most immediate interest, and for whatever will lessen the economic and political powers of the capitalist, and increase the like powers of the worker. But, in so doing, we are using these remedial measures as means to the one great end of the co-operative commonwealth. Such measures of relief as we may be able to force from capitalism are but a preparation of the workers to seize the whole powers of government, in order that they may thereby lay hold of the whole system of industry, and thus come into their rightful inheritance. To this end we pledge ourselves, as the party of the working class, to use all political power, as fast as it shall be entrusted to us by our fellow-workers, both for their immediate interests and for their ultimate and complete emancipation. To this end we appeal to all the workers of America, and to all who will lend their lives to the service of the workers in their struggle to gain their own, and to all who will nobly and disinterestedly give their days and energies unto the workers' cause, to cast in their lot and faith with the socialist party. Our appeal for the trust and suffrages of our fellow-workers is at once an appeal for their common 269 destruggle, Ther; for domance com❜nt; theer je; fes i the freedom and blossoming of our dging ourselves, and those we represent, peal which we make, we believe that we soil of that economic freedom from which a of the whole man. tional Convention of the Socialist Party. p. 306. icago, Ill., May 1, 1904. Socialist Labor Platform of 1904 ialist Labor Party of America, in convention assembled, the inalienable right of man to life, liberty and the of happiness. hold that the purpose of government is to secure to every en the enjoyment of this right: but taught by experience we d furthermore that such right is illusory to the majority of the ople, to wit, the working class, under the present system of économic inequality that is essentially destructive to their life, their liberty and their happiness. We hold that the true theory of politics is that the machinery of government must be controlled by the whole people; but again taught by experience we hold furthermore that the true theory of economics is that the means of production must likewise be owned, operated and controlled by the people in common. Man cannot exercise his right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without the ownership of the land on and the tool with which to work. Deprived of these, his life, his liberty and his fate fall into the hands of the class that owns those essentials for work and production. We hold that the existing contradiction between the theory of democratic government and the fact of a despotic economic system— the private ownership of the natural and social opportunitiesdivides the people into two classes, the capitalist class and the working class; throws society into the convulsions of the Class Struggle, and perverts government to the exclusive benefit of the Capitalist Class. Thus labor is robbed of the wealth which it alone produces, is 273 years of created, denied the means of self-employment, and, by compulsory id in wage slavery, is even deprived of the necessaries of life. Against such a system the Socialist Labor Party raises the ba of revolt, and demands the unconditional surrender of the Capit Class. an ad The time is fast coming when, in the natural course of soc 10,279 istra e de evolution, this system, through the destructive action of its failur .ffice arly and crises on the one hand, and the constructive tendencies of it trusts and other capitalist combinations on the other hand, wil have worked out its own downfall. We, therefore, call upon the wage workers of America to organize under the banner of the Socialist Labor Party into a classconscious body, aware of its rights and determined to conquer them. And we also call upon all other intelligent citizens to place themselves squarely upon the ground of Working Class interests, and join us in this mighty and noble work of human emancipation, so that we may put summary end to the existing barbarous class conflict by placing the land and all the means of production, transportation and distribution into the hands of the people as a collective body, and substituting the co-operative commonwealth for the present state of planless production, industrial war and social disorder-a commonwealth in which every worker shall have the free exercise and full benefit of his faculties, multiplied by all the modern factors of civilization. Pamphlet Published by Socialist Labor Party in 1908. ion us Ther; doma nner complist thee eial feges it's MPAIGN OF 1908 ere, in addition to the two major parties, aed minor parties, namely, the People's ibition Party, the Socialist Party, and the r Party. An entirely new party appeared ounced itself as the Independence Party. It growth of the Independence League, led by m R. Hearst of New York. Democratic Platform of 1908 e, the representatives of the Democracy of the United States, National Convention assembled, reaffirm our belief in, and pledge ir loyalty to, the principles of the party. We rejoice at the increasing signs of an awakening throughout the country. The various investigations have traced graft and political corruption to the representatives of predatory wealth, and laid bare the unscrupulous methods by which they have debauched elections and preyed upon a defenseless public through the subservient officials whom they have raised to place and power. The conscience of the nation is now aroused to free the Government from the grip of those who have made it a business asset of the favor-seeking corporations. It must become again a people's government, and be administered in all its departments according to the Jeffersonian maxim, "equal rights to all; special privileges to none." "Shall the people rule?" is the overshadowing issue which manifests itself in all the questions now under discussion. INCREASE OF OFFICE-HOLDERS Coincident with the enormous increase in expenditures is a like addition to the number of office-holders. During the past year |