The New International, September October, 1918 Page Five The Dictatorship of the Proletariat The Case of Debs By RUTGERS POLITICAL power properly so called, tent, the bureaucracy acts, and is, more but in the fact that the victory of the cially fit to see the light. The atmosis merely the organized power of over, ready to stop this talking machine workers will do away with every form phere of the social revolution itself is one class oppressing another, says the any moment it threatens to become a of class rule During the period of the liable to open many eyes but at any Communist Manifesto. At present the nuisance. Another and most instructive Social Revolution the two classes con given moment there is no logical reason political power of the capitalist class, example of a bourgeois democratic sys tinue to struggle and democracy can whatever why the revolutionary forces organized in the capitalist State and tem serving Capitalism is right at hand only be a weapon in this struggle, can should represent an absolute majority.
capitalist government, serves the pur and it is unnecessary to analyze its meth only serve the interests of one class And even when embracing a majority pose of protecting and enforcing the ex ods in detail. Direct corruption and aginst the other. Bourgeois democracy of the working class or even of the ploitation of the proletariat class. Class speculation on personal material inter will continue to enlist groups whose population the acts and decisions will division excludes democracy because ests no doubt often play a role, but by ultimate interests are with the proletar not be based on democracy but on the the interests of one class, the ruling far more important are the mental ian revolution and the democracy of the proletarian class position as against the class, must prevail. The ruling class methods to fool and enslave the worker. victorious workers will be based upon reactionary forces. This period has always has been a minority class, as it Therefore class consciousness has to the will and action of those groups been called by Marx the dictatorship would not be neccessary for a majority develop so that the material means of among the workers that carry the revo of the proletariat, and he states: If class to rule. Democracy being in power already in the hands of the work lution to success although they may the proletariat during its contest with compatible with a society based on ers can be used to overcome the class. form a minority even within the class the bourgeoisie is compelled by circumclaass antagonism, no form of bourge rule of the exploiters.
of wage earners. Revolutions do not stances to organize as a class, if by ois democracy can ever be real de This Social revolution, however, is depend upon a majority but upon suf means of the revolution it makes itself mocracy.
not a matter of majority or democracy; ficient power to overcome the ruling the ruling class, as such sweeps away Real democracy must secure condi it is a matter of material and mental class. This requires a mass of self by force the old conditions of existence tions and decisions in accordance with power. While it is perfectly clear that conscious and resolute proletarians of class antagonism and of classes genthe interests of society as a whole, and only a large number of the exploited acting in accordance with the demands erally it will thereby have abolished its if we find that a democratic govern masses with definite and well defined of historic development, but there is no own supremacy as a class. Not before ment is used to secure the interests of a purposes can bring the change, there is necessity nor even a possibility that then can democracy prevail.
minority class, there is something wrong no necessity that this should be a major this should be a majority from the very The power in the hands of the Sovwith that kind of democracy. With ity of the population or even a majority start. The proletarian revolution de out going into details how the specific of the suppressed class. In fact a iets without recognizing the bourgeois velops out of a condition in which the interests was the first demand of the democratic system accomplishes its social revolution may turn out and has great mass of the exploited class held Russian proletarian revolution. And so far always turned out to be a new special aims, we know as a fact that in mental slavery and it is only natural the Soviets were by no means organized there is some scheme to prevent democclass rule of another minority. The that this mentality will first be broken with the purpose of expressing the most racy working out democratically. In hope for democracy under Socialism in those workers whose position in the ideal form of democracy but to give lies not in the Social Revolution as such fact the prevailing institutions, customs, process of production makes them spe the most efficient expression of the Solaws, morals, etc. of a class society cial Revolution. In the Soviets the faclargely have no other purpose than to tory workers are represented through create sentiments and conditions which their direct delegates, the soldiers who, operate to make people support their under the special conditions of this own oppressors. The orki class THE arrest and indictment of Eugene too much even as a joke. It is not a world war, proved to be an active revoand those groups whose interests are Debs has aroused the comrades subject for levity; it is an exceedingly lutionary force, have a strong influone with the interests of the working throughout the country, who are rally serious matter.
ence, well as the peasants who want class, largely through intellectual and ing heartily to his support. Debs is out. They would have you believe that the land and know that the bourgeoisie moral influences, are brought to betray on 10, 000 bail.
the Socialist Party consists in the main is not willing to give it to them.
their ultimate class interests. Such is Debs was arrested for alleged viola of disloyalists and traitors. It is true And this Soviet has quite a different the power of control over the economic tion of the Explonage act, and the in in a certain sense. We are disloyalists character from the old bourgeois pardictment consists of ten counts: conditions and over the instruments of and traitors to the real traitors of this liaments. It is highly important to civilization schools, churches, public Making false statements with intent nation and the gang on the Pacific Coast mark this difference, as a clear illustraopinion, newspapers, science, art, etc. to interfere with the operation or suc is trying to hang Tom Mooney despite tion of the fact, pointed out by Marx: Only to a very limited extent, only to cess of the military or naval forces of the civilized world. that the victorious proletariat cannot the extent to which the ruling class the United States. Who appoints the Federal Courts? seize the ready made machinery of the needs a certain amount of freedom in Attempting to promote the success of The people? Every solitary one of state and use it for its own purposes.
he enemies of the United States; its own interest, can the oppressed class them holds his position through the It has to build new organizations based, counteract this control by propaganda Attempting to cause insubordination, power of corporation capital and when not on the government of persons, but and education. If the capitalists could disloyalty, mutiny, and refusal of duty they go to the bench they are not to upon administration of things. The put each worker in a separate cell to in the military or naval forces; serve the people, but they serve the in Russian Soviet through its many sub.
sweat out profits without contact with Attempting to obstruct the recruiting terests who sent them. The other day, divisions and committees controls the his fellow workers, the system might be or enlistment in the service of the United by a vote of five to four, they declared actual economic structure of society.
permanized altogether and no amount States; the child labor law unconstitutional Committees in charge of factories send of general suffrage and vote casting Uttering disloyal language about the a law secured after years of education their delegates to the local Soviets and would be of any effect.
form of government of the United and agitation by all kinds of people, so do the army corps, and the peasanStates; The present situation under capitaland yet by a majority of one of the try. Food distribution and the regulaUttering language intended to bring Supreme Court, a body of corporation ism, is not quite so perfect, but still tion of housing problems, requisitions, conditions are maintained in such shap the form of government of the United lawyers with just one solitary exception, etc. are managed through local comStates, its military or naval forces, its wiped it from the statute books, so that as to enable a minority to rule. Even mittees representing a block, a quarter, flag or the uniform of the army or navy though we may not always be able to we may still continue to grind the blood etc. and finally co operating with the find out how it works, we know by its into contempt, scorn, contumely, or of little children into profit for the local Soviets.
junkers of Wall Street, and this in a results that the scheme works all right, disrepute; All this is an organic structure in because otherwise the majority would Uttering language intended to incite, country that is fighting to make de.
course of development under most difnot accept the minority rule.
provoke, or encourage resistance to the mocracy safe for the world.
United States and to promote the cause ficult circumstances and far from com Here hear your hearts responsive plete or perfect, but nevertheless it Under present circumstances, deof its enemies; to the Bolsheviki of Russia those he functions, it has maintained itself almocracy is one of the means to deceive Uttering language to advocate curtail roic men and women who have by their the workers, is part of the anti demoready during ten months against the ment of production of products essen sacrifices, added further lustre to the cratic reality, and the strength of this solid opposition of the old bureaucracy tial to the prosecution of the war; international movement; those Russian and other means to the same end is the and it becomes stronger every day. It Opposing the cause of the United comrades who have made greater sacmore remarkable since the material is a unity of representative and execuStates by words.
rifices, who have suffered more, who means of power largely have to be put The speech upon which Debs is in havesh edmo re heroic blood than any tive functions, a combination also of industrial and territorial government.
in the hands of the underlying class.
dicted was delivered at the state conven other like band of men and women.
Even the ultimate power of militarism This is the great lesson and the great tion of the Socialist Party of Ohio. In They have held the first real convenis in the actual control of the workers hope in the social revolution all the this speech, according to the New York tion of any democracy that ever drew if they only could overcome the mental Tribune of July 1, Debs is alleged to breath. The first act of that memorarevolutionary forces grow into one and moral obstacles raised by their force, all the tendencies in the class have said, among other things: able revolution was to proclaim a state struggle come into unity. There is no masters. Do not imagine for one moment that of peace, with an appeal not to the longer antagonism between economic Without going into details of the all the plutocrats and junkers are in kings, not to the rulers, but an appeal schemes of bourgeois democratic gov. Germany. Wehave them here in our and political action, all the revolutionto the people of all nations.
ernment and the multitude of ways to ary groups and fractions in the class own country, and these want our eyes Wars have been waged for plunder, struggle unite against the counter revoaccomplish its anti democratic aims, it focused on the junkers in Germany so for conquest and, since the feudal ages lution and for the building of a new may be worth while to call attention to that we wont see those within our own along the Rhine, the feudal lords made society. Development of actual facts the fact that parliamentarism adapts borders. have no earthly use for the war upon each other. But they did not and conditions solve problems quicker itself to the most brutal forms of autoc junkers of Germany and not one par. go to war any more than the Wall than debates ever could. What remains racy. Even Germany has a parliament ticle more use for the junkers in the Street junkers go to war. Their prede. however, is the fundamental division in elected by general suffrage, a general United States.
cessors declared the war, but their mis the class struggle: whosoever is not for suffrage more democratic than that of They tell us that we live in a great erable serfs fought the wars. Their the social revolution supports the the United States. But while the Reich. republic. Our institutions are demo serfs believed it was their patriotic duty counter revolution and has to be dealt stag is allowed to talk to a certain ex cratic. We are a free people. This is to wage war upon one another.
with as such.