BourgeoisieCapitalismDemocracySocialismSocialist PartyWorking Class

The Revolutionary Age Vol. I, No. Price, Cents Chronicle and Interpretation of Events in Europe Saturday, December 14, 1918 Open the Prison Gates! NE of the chief subterfuges to which Cap. reputation as a fearless fighter in the cause of although it is stated by hgh officials in the governitalism frequently resorts to mask its real the world oppressed, whom his very prosecutors ment that this case did not receive a fair and imcharacter is the refusal to recognize the proceed against with shamefaced excuses for the partial trial.
existence of conditions which it cannot success nature of the work they are performing, and who These few instances, out of the thousands which fully defend. Thus although at the present time is already under a sentence that almost certainly exist, are sufficient to show the real nature of thousands of men and women languish in jail for condemns him to death in a felon cell, is ro these prosecutions, the fact that with the cessapolitical offenses as the result of an act of Con. ported to be again under investigation with a tion of hostilities the prosecution of the cases gress aimed at, and almost exclusively executed view to further prosecution under the so called pending have not been dropped, and the continuagainst, political heretics, the existence of poli Espionage Act prosecution which has long since ation of indictments under the Espionage Act.
tical prisoners is not officially recognized, even ceased to have any title to the term prosecution, clearly show that the powers that be have no though the act providing punishment for politic. but which rather takes on the nature of the more intention of granting a general amnesty, al offenses is still in operation.
ugly word persecution.
France has promised that she will grant am.
Autocracy recognizes its political offenders, The trial of five members of the Socialist Party ncsty to her political prisoners, Italy has already politicos. because autocracy is government from for alleged attempts to hinder the successful pro put sich an amnesty into effect, as has Germany, the top, and anyone who questions the sanctity secution of the war by the government, is even Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria. England and of its laws is guilty of Lese Majeste. Under au now preceeding at Chicago, though the war is America alone of the Western powers have retocracy it is not necessary to violate a law, merely over. Victor Berger, one of the five men in mained silent on the question, but in England to question its righteousness is a crime, because question, has been again indicted since the cesse the prosecutions have ceased and even during in questioning the law of autocracy the inviolathe war the sentences imposed upon the most bility of the autocrat is assalled. Democracy is Political Amnesty outspoken critics of the war and the government theoretically the rule of the people, by the people, were mild compared to the 20 and 30 year senResolution passed by the Central Committee of for the people. Under democracy the questionLocal Boston, Socialist Party, December 10, 1918: tences imposed in America, ing of the laws or acts of those chosen to adminEvents move with lightning rapidity during While the discussion rages about Germany making ister the government becomes not only a right, reparation, there is a reparation that the Socialists these days of change and already many of the but a duty. Hence a democracy, theoretically and And the workers generally must insist upon repe ideas, which those now lying in prison advocated, ration to the men and women imprisoned for their by its very nature, can not punish those who courageous insistence upon the rights of free speech are being accepted by the masses as their vision question the political wisdom of its acts or laws. and free press, men and women punished for their clears, other of these prisoners thoughts are proefforts to make our own country safe for democracy Thus when Capitalism finds it necessary to during jecting themselves into the discussions now enwar.
cast anide the fiction of democracy in its acts, it Thousands of men and women pro linguishing gaging the world a attention. It is gradually continues to remain democratic in theory by the in prison, while the government is preparing to errerving from the smoke of battle that many of sentence still others, not for why ordinary crime, simple expedient of refusing to recognize the but for offenses recognized as political by every the hitherto generally accepted theories of gove existence of the victims of those acts, in the samo other country in the world, including formerly Cuar.
ernment work injury to the people, new values ist Russin.
manner as a society lady snubs those whom she Whether that was its purpose or not, the Espionare being created, new standards are evolving, considers socially her inferiors and rests secure Age Act was used to crush Socialism, to atrifle the. men are groping blindly for the solution of old in the thought that what she does not recognize free expression of ideas, to cow the American people.
problems only to find themselves faced with new does not exist.
But whatever its necessity during the war, aven ones. new era is being born. Are the Apostles In this country the hysteria of war was used that alleged necessity exists no longer. The probof this coming era to lie in jail? world that to enforce measures for punishing those who lems of the coming peace are vant nnd fundamental requiring the freent expression of ideas; but while studies the question must answer, no. Even from refused to subscribe to the prevailing ideology, the reactionary has full freedom of expression, the selfish viewpoint, the answer must be the same.
Socialist may be jailed if he fearlessly, frankly, and and as a result thousands of men and women are fundamentally discusses the problems of war and These men are needed in the world today. Those undergoing long terms of imprisonment for peace.
who foresaw the coming of the new era are surely offences which the majority of the people do And yet this full, free and fearless discussion is absolutely necessary, otherwise, the coming peace needed to help grapple with the problems it will not recognize as offences in normal times. The will be a reactionary peace.
produce.
very arguments by which these people were con It is therefore resolved, by the Central Committee But in this new era is contained the destruction of Local Boston, Socialist Party, that the Espionago victed that whatever their rights might be un Law should no longer be in operation; of many things dear to the heart of those who der ordinary circumstances they were subser That complete amnesty is the right of every man benefit under the present system and it is previent to the general welfare of the people as a and woman now in jail, or in danger of going to jail, for political offender; cisely because these heralds of the new system whole in the face of a great emergency are tho That the working class and all labor organizations of society hold the key to the solution of the strongest advocates of their immediate release, should consider these two measures as vital to the problems now facing the world, that the disciples workers interests, and that not nlone should tho from the bourgeois viewpoint, now that the emer working class demand. hut it should struggle and of the present system will endeavor, not only gency has passed.
use its industrial might to accomplish this purpose. to keep those already sentenced jail, but to put But by far the vast majority of these prisonbehind prison bars those who see with the same ers were not convicted and sentenced because tion of hostilities and must stand trial twice un clear vision.
they were a danger to the welfare of the whole der indictments that, reduced to everyday lan If these prisoners are to be released, if the people in view of the national crisis, but because guage, charge him with being an enemy of the bastiles of Capitalism are to be thrown open, it they were a danger to Capitalism, and the nation people, although the people of his residential state is the workers those for whom the new day is al emergency furnished a means whereby the have declared by the suffrage that he enjoys dawning who must liberate them. To this end people could be made to acquiesce in their incar their confidence to such an extent that they have the class conscious workers must devote them.
ceration. The the Socialists, the men chosen him to assist in the administration of the selves, the Socialist Party must bend its efforts.
who stood for the freedom of the individual, the national government.
There appears to be a tendency towards the liberals, were imprisoned for criticising the exist William Haywood faces what to a man of formation of various leagues to effect a general ing state of society, and because present day his years means life imprisonment for attempting political amnesty, but this road leads to failure.
society is resting on a foundation of sand and this to gain better living conditions for that section Only the working class can effect the desired recriticism was revealing the facts of the case to of the people who constitue a large proportion of sult. There must be unity of aim and unity of the people at large, they will remain in jail after the population of the country, the unskilled work effort. The vast majority of those lying in jail the emergency, that superficially was the cause ers, and with him in Leavenworth jail are over are there because of their fealty to the cause of of their imprisonment, has disappeared.
a hundred of his associates, while all over the the proletariat and in turn the proletariat must The war is to all intents and purposes over. country others are being sentenced daily to long act in fealty to them, and to themselves.
The military and naval power of the enemy has terms of penal servitude for the same crime. United, the workers are invincible; divided been broken, yet the prosecutions against those Thomas Mooney, who was tried before this into various sections, by no matter how kindly who dare to reveal Capitalism in its hideous country actually became involved in war but disposed persons, they are doomed to failure. Let nakedness continue. Eugene Debe, a man who Against whom the war hysteria was also subse the workers arenk with one voice and the vibrafor over half a century han borne an unblemished quently used, in doomed to spend his life in jail tion will shatter the prison walls.