BourgeoisieCapitalismCominternCommunismDemocracySocialismSocialist PartySovietWorking Class

July 19, 1919.
THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE 13 The Prison that is Society C RAMPED within a tiny cell a man sits By Martha Foley able to the maintenance of the inviolabilty of staring through iron bars at a wall surhave passed away, but still the prison stands its prison is patriotism. To disrupt and sepamounted by spikes a gaunt blank wall which and sweating and bleeding prisoners fiil it.
rate worker from worker, to drain them of bounds the horizon of his life. Beyond lie their energy, it pits nation against nation. The plains rioting with color, rivers and seas alive Laws should free, not restrict. Capitalism blood shed in these conflicts it laps up greewith ships, mountains that flame in the dawn, employs the law only to oppress the worker, dily, at the same time spurring the workers and citics seething with activity. Years ago for it itself knows no law. Let the inventor by words of praise to noble sacrifice. But there was hope of breaking those bars and invent, if his product prove aught of value they, blindly slaying each other, do not realize escaping over the wall, but that was long ago. to his master, let the artist create if his that they are also slaying the workers of the Now he would not know what to do with his creation may be exploited to the further gain future and strengthening the wals that confreedom if he did attain it. So he sits staring, of those that rule, let the student study if his fine them.
staring a prisoner.
knowledge can be subsidized; but let none advance beyond the wall. And society has At times there are disturbing signs of unBent over a roaring machine in a dustsupplied itself with guards to see that none rest among the inmates which must be quellfilled room a man turns out metal disc after transgress the prescribed bounds. There are ed. Baits are thrown to them in the form of metal disc. His body quivers with the momany guards, great and small, but chief social welfare enterprises and employees astions of the machine and perspiration blinds among them are the school, the church, the sociations. Misled by these uplift and welfare movements, overwhelmed by the his eyes and runs down his naked breast. press, patriotism, the settlement, and the emSomewhere a violinist is pouring out his soul ployees association. These and things kindness of their keepers, they become duly which were once good in themselves, society grateful and sheeplike. The chains seem to in an ecstasy of music, pleading for a listening seizes upon to serve its own terrible purpose drag less heavily upon them. In truth they ear, somewhere hangs a painting in whose glowing colors is blended the life blood of an and to thwart any budding desires toward are fettered more firmly.
the free life.
As to all that lies outside the prison, as to artist, waiting for an appreciative eye, someIn the school all spontaneous instincts of the birthright of freedom that is denied them, where is shelved unread a book whose author originality in teacher or student are quickly those inside know nothing and after long incarceration come to despise. Nature flauntThe hours come and go, eight, nine, ten, stili suppressed. Perverted is the history and ecothe man stays fettered to his task of grind chains forged that bind the future worker in nomics that are taught. There are the first ing her ruby and gold sunsets, sweeping wild ing out the shining bits of metal and the winds across seas silver with foam, or pourgrinding into dust of his dreams.
his jail. Childhood with its fairies and hob ing night jewels into silent pools, is but a goblins, youth with its dreams and aspir source to derive material for toil; science ations, society sees only as a fertile soil where which carries man among the uttermost stars prisoner one of the millions imprisoned in to sow that which may be reaped as profits. and chains the lightning, that which increases by capitalist society, robbed of justice, robbed Religion, in one of its phases, is the out and expedites their labor; and art echoing the of beauty, robbed of life that the few may be come of man groping toward the spiritual. soul response to the beautiful, folly. Life glutted. Incarcerated in the shops, mines and The religious impulse not superstitious is slave, slave, slave or die.
factories, doomed to life long toil whose faith in some ruling deity is the indefinite Under the system of class rule society canfruits he may not taste. And woe unto him expression of the finest in man. Society fears not possibly be anything but a vast prison.
who ventures to tear asunder the irksome that finest and takes care that the church be When it imprisons one worker it imprisons shackles or thrust even his hand beyond the one of its staunchest supporters. And the all, and not until all make a determined effort bars that confine him! Society knows well church doing its bidding, inculcates the su to free themselves can one be free. When how to punish, society can brand and crucify preme virtues of obedience, humility and the workers erect a new structure and in its today as it has branded and crucified through and patience prates of a reward after death. erection demolish for all time their prison, out the centuries.
Deafened by its mouthings, the workers hear when a world wide Soviet replaces bourgeois Far back in the dim past, when primitive not the call of freedom.
democracy then will they breathe the fresh air man first forced to slave for him the captive One of the most vigilant of monitors is into their lungs, live and be free men.
he had taken in tribal warfare, was laid the the press. Lie after lie it feeds to the workers Sections of the prison are already crashing cornerstone of the prison that is society. Stone until they cannot discern the true from the in ruins. In Russia and Hungary the workers upon stone it was reared as serfdom followed false. It converts the rattle of their chains have done away with their walls and their chattel slavery until was erected the strong into music and their liberation into destruc keepers and for the first time know freedom.
hold with many ramifications in the wage tion, so that from its pages they learn to And the gaps in the wall made by them render slavery of today. Empires and the prisoners clamor for the perpetuation of their slavery. unsteady the whole.
Soon will it fall and who under the lash sweat and bled for them Another guard that society finds indispens crumble, never to hold man prisoner again.
The Mobilizing Slanders (Continued from Page 6)
was never a time before when the new nation conducted against opportunistic reformism as willing to defend the CO statement of al party executives were elected by such the essence of our party activities. The Left principles on the public platform? Where large votes.
Wing criticisms which had their legitimate and when. Now the question arises, why didn the basis in intelligent participation in the party Says Oneal: As there was an Ebert Schei supporters of Oneal make it their business to functioning, were barred from the party press demann gang in Germany, naturally they get ballots and vote? Or is it really possible and the Left Wing adherents were fired out accepted the statement that we had one here that they were as few as the votes indicate? of the party by the reactionaries who happentoo. Quite naturally.
Of course it is no very great effort for party ed to control the executive committees. Thus The deliberate lies about the Left Wing members to find the opportunity to vote, and arose the necessity for a separate Left Wing votes continue. All of these votes are on file at least it is not charged that anybody who press and finally for Left Wing organization in the National office but are carefully with wanted to vote for Oneal was denied the full taking on a national scope.
held by order of the It is clear al and free chance to do so. But there were Not to have carried on this campaign within ready that this is the biggest party referen ever so few who sought the opportunity. the party would have constituted a betrayal dum ever taken. The votes run high in the Strange, indeed. But what can you expect of the world proletariat in the great struggle metropolitan centres and low in the smaller of a party that is all in the whirl of the Left now going on, under the banner of the Comtowns: that is the entire mystery of the fact Wing brainstorm? One might suggest the munist International, against the united Imthat 25 per cent or 30 per cent of the members alternative of unfitness of Oneal to represent perialisms. To have waged this campaign and voted, while perhaps as many as 75 per cent the militant proletariat of America, but that to have won it is an achievement of tremendid not vote. There are hundreds of locals would be crediting the members of the So dous significance for a Socialist movement in in the United States which have been allowed cialist Party with discriminating intelligence. the United States of revolutionary proletarian virtually to die out by the old party regime, The Left Wing has never conducted a consciousness.
and from these half dead locals there were campaign against the Socialist Party. Nor There remains now the great task of the reno votes at all. This is the ordinary ex have the Federations ever conducted such a organization of the party according to the perience with referendums, except that there campaign. But a successful campaign was Left Wing program.