THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, April 26, 1919 Class Character of Bourgeois Justice It was most sick at a mercy.
HE peculiar antics of modern legal justice, its hearts. It was more than a demonstration, By Nicholas Hourwich circus leaps and stunts, cannot but appear a revolutionary threat, instinct with the determina strange and dark and inexplicable to the avertion to make the threat real, and end class justice and believes in the existence of an equal and absolute recommendations in his case consider making any all the other. evils of Capitalist cries, were too serie age, naive citizen who, in a spirit of religious fervor, should not feel called upon This proletarian demonstration, these Let us analyze these two impartial decisions.
proletarian justice in this democratic of worlds.
the bourgeoisie Their apparent contradiction, from the point of ous and too threatening for to ignore But any person who approaches the workings of capthem. was necessary. death sentitalist justice by means of the materialistic conception view of bourgeois justice, is obvious at first glance: an for Cottin simulteneously with acquittal for Vilof history, who recognizes the contradiction of class Anarchist, for attempted murder, gets a commutation of his previous death sentence to ten years im the bourgeoisie. would remain for a long time a (what an unpleasant and fatal coincidence for partiality covering the eyes of the goddess of Justice prisonment while a Socialist who had delivered a vivid and eloquent expression of the character of and discern in the passions that rage in them the spirit seditious speech secures no clemency and also gets bourgeois justice. And the bourgeoisie. heart of class capitalist justice.
Why this apparent contradiction? What is the excession to the working class implied in the commutretreat, and macle the conThe other day and it is important to re consider planation of this seeming benevolence of the French these events an occassion was provided to draw a Government? Surely, to one will suspect the French ation of Cottin sentence. Angry at being forced to paralell between two sentences meted out by this class Government of humanitarian sentiments or of a tend make is concession, the bourgeoisie camouflaged justice of Capitalism: the acquittal of the patriot, Vilency toward the meek and kind virtues of Christiangrimace of rage with a false smile of Christian ain, the assassin of the French Socialist Jaures: and ity!
But no conscious worker will believe that the French the death sentence imposed on the Anarchist Cottin who We shall easily find the explanation of this apparent Tiger has suddenly awakened to humane and Christshot and wounded Premier Clemenceau, the most reactionary representative of modern capitalist reaction contradiction. This benevolence of the French Gov ian feelings. No! It was the demonstration and the ernment. is equally expressive of the class character threat of the workers in the streets symbol of the and Imperialism. This was, clearly, impartiality! of bourgeois justice, of the social forces that determine French proletariat and the oncoming proletarian few days later twa more acts of justice with our the transfer our attention from the gilded court palaces man noose which the French bourgeoisie would all apparenting contradicting cach other, again reveal the in which sits enthroned the French goddess of justice, too eagerly have tightened until his body grew rigid class character of bourgeois justice, the inner motives to the streets of Paris where the workers are creating in deather in. justice refer e tenevolente. commutation of in the palaces of the bourgeoisie. shall we discover ruthless policy of the American bourgeoisie, which to Cottin sentence of death to ten years imprisonment; the moving and the refusal of United States Attorney to pardon the veteran of the American SocGerierai There, in streets of Paris, there accured the ialist labor movement, Eugene Debs. Unless there For Eugene Debs (who is now serving ten years in a living nroof that the long and much abused patience intil there comes the thunder of our own proletarian recommend to President Wilson Clemency other day a demonstration of the conscious workers is thunder, the peasant will not cross himself prison. As a protest against the acquittal of Jaures murderer, action, the American bourgeoisie will indulge itself It is characteristic that clemency for Cottin the threat of something more dangerous, tens headed frivolity of the man who recks not of to in the luxury of severity; it will, with the light(which he didn ask) should be interpreted as Clemof thousands of workers, enceau saves life of his assailant. Andhwith collecting and implacable, under red and black banners, marched solid formation, conscious morrow, throw our revolutionary fighters into prison.
commutation of sentence was on the recommendation during the whole day through the streets of Paris.
Debs did not ask for clemency! No he will never of Clemenceau himself.
They did more than march. They did more protest against the acriuittal of Jaures assassin.
ask for clenrency, and ask no one to do it for him. Of for comrade Debs, Attorney General Palmer in an cries of protest against the infamy of capitalist justice following the example of their European comrades, Concerning his refusal to recommend clemency Through the music of the Internationale and the that there is no dombt. And there is equally no doubt official statement said in justification of the refusal that hundered in the air, there came, with ominou will take justice into their own hands. Eugene Debs has filed no petition with either the sound, the cry: Down with the Peace Conference! will be the day of freedom for Debs and the other That day President or the Attorney General asking for the Long Live the Soviets! And the cry, Long Live revolutionary fighters.
exercise of executive clemency. The facts in his case the Soviets! was the expression of the ripening of are such that, until such petition be made by him, revolutionary determination in these proletarian proletarian justice is coming!
Capitalist justice is living its last days. The day of in the and as than Program of the Spartcacans in Germany The right of appointing and deposing all Government brother parties in foreign countries, so that the Socialist revIMMEDIATE measures and steps to guarantee the safety officials to be vested in the executive council.
olution may be put The abolition of all class distinctions, orders, and titles.
an international basis, and through international fraternization and the uprising of the proletariat The disarming of all policemen and officers, as well as Far reaching social legislation. The shortening of the perce may be established and assured.
of all soldiers, who do not belong to the proletariat working day to six hours at the most, in order to decrease This is what the Spartacus Group wants. And because we The confiscation of all supplies of arms and munitions unemployment, and in consideration of the physical de want it, because we are the Socialist conscience of the revand all munition works by the workmen and soldier coun generation which the laboring classes have suffered through olution, therefore we are hated and persecuted and maligned cils the world war. The arming of the whole male population of the prole speedy and thorough reorganization of the departments by all open and secret enemies of the revolution and the tariat to form a workmen militia. The organization of a of rationing, housing sanitation, and education in the spirit Crucify them! cry the capitalists who tremble for their red guard within this militia as its active body, for the pro of the proletarian revolution.
tection of the revolution against all counter revolutionary III.
money chests.
plots and conspiracies.
The following administrative measures. Crucify them! cry the middle class citizens, the officers, The abolition of all power of command hitherto vested The confiscation of all dynastic property and income and the anti Semites, and the press lackeys of the bourgeois in officers and non commissioned officers, military authority the handing of it over to the community.
press, who tremble around the flesh pots of the hourgeois to be supplanted by the voluntary discipline of the soldiers. The repudiation of all public debts and war loans, with class power.
The election of officers try the men with the right of recall. the exception of subscriptions up to a certain amount, this Crucify them! cry the Scheidemanns who, like Judas IsThe repeal of military law.
amount to be fixed by the central council.
cariot, have sold the workmen to the bourgeoisie in order to The expulsion of officers and all untrustworthy persons The expropriation of large and medium sized estates keep their political power.
from the soldiers council.
and the estahlishment of Socialist agricultural societies under Crucify them! comes the echo from thosc deceived and The replacing of all political agents and Government a unified control for the whole country. Smaller agricultural hefuddled workmen who do not know that they are fighting officials by representatives from the workmen and soldiers holdings to remain in the hands of the present owners until their own flesh and 1skood when they rage against the Sparcouncils.
such time as they shalt voluntarily come into the Socialist tacus Group The establishment of a revolutionary tribunal before community: In hating and maligning the Spartacus Group they can all which these chiefly responsible for the war shall be tried: the. The liquilation of all banks, mines, factories, and large tinite counter revolutionists, enemies of the people, anti: Hohenzollerns, Ludendorff, Hindenburg, von Tirpitz, and their business concerns by the republic.
Socialists, liars, and those who fear the light. But this only fellow criminals, as well as all the conspirators of the counter The confiscation of all property beyond a certain maxi shows that the future belongs to those in whose breast the revolution mum, which shall be fixed by the central council.
revolution still lives. Immediate confiscation of all food, so as to guarantee The organization of councils in each industry, which The Spartacus Group does not want to attain power over or thic necessities of life to the people.
shall cooperate with the workmen councils and manage all through the masses of the working people. The Spartacus II.
internal affairs of their respective trades, including labor Group is only that part of proletariat which is conscious of Political and social measures: conditions and regulation of production, and shall finally take its goal and attempts to wake up the broad masses to a The abolition of all separate states, and the formation over the practical conduct of the business.
realization of their historic task, which at every stage of the of a single united Socialist republic. The appointment of a strike committee which is to corevolution represents the ultimate aim of the Socialists and The abolition of all Parliaments, and all communal operate with the trade councils in guiding the strike movement the solution of national problems in the interests of the prole.
bodies and the taking over of their functions by workmen throughout the country in a Socialist direction, and, through tarian world revolution.
and soldiers councils and by their agents and committees. the political power of the worlomen and soldiers councils, The clection of workmen councils throughout Germany assure it of success.
The Spartacus Group refuses to share power with the IV.
lyy all adult persons, men and women, in the laboring class of servants of the bourgeoisie, Ebert and Scheidemann, because the cities and the country, within the separate trades; also International tasks it sees in such cooperation nothing but treachery to the esthe election of soldiers councils by the men, exclusive of As soon as possible, connections shall tre made with our sential principles of Socialism, strengthening of the counterrevolution, and paralyzing of the revolution.
officers and untrustworthy persons. The right of workmen The Spartacus Group will never take over the power of and soldiers to recall their representatives at any time. The election of delegates from the workmen and soldMASS MEETING government except at the behest of the great mass of the iers councils throughout the country to form a central council, proletariat. nor unless the masses clearly express their allegwhich shall choose an executive council invested with all for release of political prisoners GRAND OPERA iance to its goal and methods.
authority, both legislative and administrative. The central HOUSE, Washington, near Dover Sts, Boston The proletarian revolution can only progress step by step council is to meet, for the present. every three months, subon its Golgotha path, and can only win full clearness and ject to new elections of delegates for each session. It shall SEVDAY, APRIL 27. P.
maturity through many defeats and victories.
exercise permanent control over the activity of the executive The arinnph of the Spartacus Group belongs. not to the council and shall keep the various workmen and soldiers Speakers: Elizabeth Curley Flynn, of New York: beginning, but to the end of the revolution. It is identical councils constantly in touch with their highest Government Arturo Giovanity, of New York; Faggi: Louis with the triumph of the millions of the proletarian mass.
organ. The local councils shall have the right to recall their Fraina. Frank Mack, Chairman. Admission Free. Up. proletarians! Arise to battle. You are about to delegates to the central council at any time when they do not Auspices: Workers Propaganda League.
conquer a world and to fight against a world. In this last carry out the will of their electors, and to fill their places great class war for the highest goal of humanity, our motto with others.
must be: thumb in eye and knee on breast.