CommunismMarxMarxismSocialismSocialist PartySovietWorkers MovementWorking Class

THE WORKERS COUNCIL APRIL 15, 1921.
APRIL 15, 1921. 22 23 THE WORKERS COUNCIL from the membership of the petitioner every owill smell as sweet.
And convenient as incialist who holds to the doctrine of so called corporation under the law may be, it is by no means direct action, that is, the attainment of the desired an unmixed blessing.
revolution by forcible means. Upon the other hand, But how about the Socialist Party? Will it the effect of the proposed amendment will be to calmly submit while the honorable gentlemen purge retain such persons in petitioner present member it of every last vestige of Marxian principles! Must ship, and even to admit thereto others of the same it not fear that, when once the rank and file diskind. Indeed, in the premises no other adequate covers the truth, when once the secret is out and reason for the desired change is perceived. This the cat, that was so securely tied up by a lot of Court cannot approve any such scheme, or in any revolutionary sounding red tape, is once let out of manner contribute to any such result.
the bag, that it will wake up to the fact that for The Lithuanian Literature Society will probably once the court was right, and that there is, in truth, bear up under the blow. rose by any other name no Marxism left in the Socialist Party. may unRussian Trade and the Economic Crisis in America cans.
that party, Wing Manifesto, which states that the use of vio plishment, provided only that it is clear that the lence on the part of the possessing class in holding purpose and intent of these organizations is to down the expropriated workers was forcing the seek the accomplishment of that purpose by lawful latter to adopt similar means to free themselves methods, that is to change our form of governfrom capitalist oppression.
ment by amending the Constitution through con The doctrines advocated are. a menace, stitutional methods. It may be remarked in passing, and it behooves Americans to be on their guard to that, whatever may have been or may now be the meet and combat a movement which.
situation in any other country, there can be in this dermine and endanger our cherished institutions country no sort of moral excuse even for advocacy of liberty and equality. Emigration must be careof a resort to any other means of accomplishing such fully supervised and the people aroused to the a change. By the adoption of the Prohibition and danger to be apprehended from the propaganda of Universal Suffrage Amendments we have recently class prejudice and hatred, carried on by a very had very striking examples of the practical ease and small minority mostly of foreign birth, and then celerity with which our Constitution may be radicno doubt those God fearing, liberty loving Ameri ally amended. who appreciate the equal opportunity for What was the occasion for such a declaration of all. afforded by our constitutional form of govfaith in the absolute harmlessness of the Socialist ernment and have made and are making sacrifices to Party, and the assurance that its introduction of improve their condition. and to accumulate the socialist state of society will be brought about property for themselves and for those who come with the mild flutter that followed upon the adopafter them, will see to it that these pernicious doc tion of the Prohibition and Suffrage amendments. trines are not permitted to take root in America. The Lithuanian Literature Society, an organizaThis constitutional appeal to class prejudice the laws of the State of New York, had stated in tion of Lithuanian workingmen, incorporated under and hatred, this call to arms issued to the Godfearing and liberty loving Americans, whose love its charter that only members of the Socialist of liberty extends solely to the liberty of unlimited Party of America, or of the legitimate successors of accumulation of property, is hardly necessary at. shall be entitled to membership in this time. That very small minority of bona fide, its ranks. It happens, however, that at the present hundred per cent Americans who have any property time, the Lithuanian comrades, for reasons best worth defending have long since rallied to our known to themselves, and easily divined by others. cherished institutions of liberty and equality with have preferred to leave the ranks of the Socialist a vigorous campaign against the menacing hordes Party in such numbers that the existence of the of those who possess nothing except their labor above named organization is practically terminated.
power, which they must sell for what it will bring for a change in the charter providing that memberFor this reason it has found it necessary to apply or face the alternative of starvation and death.
ship in this corporation shall be limited to individuBut the well planned campaign with its nianals who are not opposed to the organization of the oeuvres of wage reductions and further enslavement workers, politically, or economically, in organizaof the worker on the job and of wrecking the de tions which subscribe to Marxian principles apfensive organizations of the toiling masses, is havproved by the majority of the members of this coring a contrary effect to that intended by its marshals. It is consolidating the ranks of the property itself unalterably opposed. For the court in its eterporation. To this change the court has declared less, teaching them by blood and iron the lesson nal wisdom has discovered that to be a believer in of the class struggle, teaching it to them in an the principles of Marx may, and in all probability even more effective manner than the few Commundoes mean, to believe not only in the overthrow of ist agitators ever could, on whom the judicial dethe government, but to entertain an avowed susfenders of our property holder constitution may picion that the capitalist class will not allow the take a cheap revenge by condemning them to heavy workers to deprive them of their means of exploitasentences in the penitentiary.
tion with the same calm cheerfulness that the workers of the United States displayed in the face of the 0, THE WICKED MARX!
Prohibition amendment.
But the Socialist Party of America will be good Surely, public understanding of the revolution under all circumstances. Say the Judges of the ary working class movement has penetrated far in Appellate Division: to the minds of the American public, when even the In the interim before the last general election Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in Brook the Socialist Party, at least in this state, amended lyn begins to show a glimmering of understanding, its platform so as to make it clear that it stands The learned judges who decide upon the weal and for the attainment of its ultimate object, the prowoe of their fellow beings, and whose highest duty posed change of social and government systems, by lies in the defense and the perpetuation of this bles constitutional methods only. Upon its platform as sed god given social system, have just discovered amended several members of the Assembly were that, from the point of view, at least, of the Honor elected to and even accepted by the present Assemable Judges Mills, Rich, Blackmar, Kelly an! Joy bly, and are now acting as members thereof. The cox, there is nothing in the principles of the Swinl. effect of that amending of the platform of that ist Party, however repugnanat to our minds and party would, according to the terms of the present consciences the socialist program may be, to stand in seventh article of petitioner certificate of incorthe way of its organization to promote its accom poration, operate, ipso facto, to expel or withdraw The United States Government, through Secre change your form of government and we ll do busitary Hughes, in his note of March 25 answering ness with you.
the Soviet Government proposal of March 21 for the opening of trade relations between Russia and In this connection, Mr. Hughes seems to accept America, refuses to change the position held hereMr. Hoover point of view that the question of tofore, except on condition that trade with Russia is more political than economic.
He can do so because the laboring people of the If fundamental changes are contemplated, inUnited States to whom the question of Trade with Russia is one of life and death, are so badly orvolving due regard for the protection of persons and ganized economically and politically that they have property and the establishment of conditions essential not a show with the government. Mr. Timothy to the maintenance of commerce, this Government will be glad to have convincing evidence of the conHealy, president of the American Labor Alliance for Trade Relations with Russia sent the following summation of such changes, and until this evidence is supplied this Government is unable to perceive telegram on March 23rd to President Harding and Secretary Hughes: that there is any proper basis for considering trade relations. In behalf of the 2, 500, 000 organized workers who indorsed our program the immediate resumpFour days earlier, Secretary Hoover issued a tion of trade with Russia we call upon you to give statement, evidently on his personal responsibility, careful consideration to the message addressed to you opposing Russian Trade, for the reason that the by the Russian Soviet Government in which it proquestion of trade with Russia is more political poses to send a delegation to the United States to than economic and that there are no export commonegotiate a trade agreement.
dities in Russia today worth consideration. Unemployment in the United States is constant Secretary Hoover says:you can trade with ly increasing, and we believe that the resumption of Russia because she has nothing to export; but Sectrade with Russia will supply work to a large perretary Hughes says: if fundamental changes are centage of the approximately 5, 000, 000 American uncontemplated. then there will be a basis for employed workers, considering trade relations. There is evidently a We hope that your administration will not discrepancy in the views of the two secretaries. follow the policy of the last administration which inHoover refuses to trade altogether, Hughes would terfered with the politics of a foreign country; but trade under certain conditions. These two points of will look after the interests of the American people.
view are very clearly established in Europe by the French and English attitude toward Soviet Rus Yet the note of Secretary Hughes to Russia does sia. Hoover in this instance expresses the French not bear any evidence of any consideration of the point of view, the view of Clemenceau and Foch, demand of the 2, 500, 000 organized workers. And of whom Secretary Hoover is so great an admirer. why? The answer is that the refusal to consider Clemenceau position is well known; he would Russia proposal for opening of trade is part of strangle Soviet Russia if he could. The present the plan of the Capitalist Class in America to crush militaristic and reactionary government of France American Labor. It is part of the deflation process takes the position of the relentless creditor who by, which American farmers were made to accept insists upon his pound of flesh; in order to collect a loss on agricultural products of five billion dolthe eight billions of old Czarist debts from Russia, lars last year; it is part of the open shop drive, she has spent billions of gold and thousands of hu which already resulted in throwing five million men man lives in warring on Soviet Russia. Mr. Hoover out of work, and bringing the standard of living would strangle Russia by keeping the blockade down 30 per cent for those who still hold jobs.
around her. Mr. Hughes, like the English, is in The Capitalist Class, powerfully organized, inclined to negotiate. But not having a formidable trenched at Washington, does not care anything labor movement to force him to negotiate, he is in about the politics of Soviet Russia. What it is after no hurry. He practically says to the Russians: First is to improve labor morale in America, to have