What shall be the attitude of the workers of the United States in the
present campaign? What part shall they take in it? What party and what
principles shall they support by their ballots? And why?
These are questions the importance of which are not sufficiently
recognized by workingmen or they would not be the prey of parasites and
the service tools of scheming politicians who use them only at election
time to renew their masters’ lease of power and perpetuate their own
ignorance, poverty and shame.
In answering these questions I propose to be as frank and candid as
plain-meaning words will allow, for I have but one object in this
discussion and that object is not office, but the truth, and I shall
state it as I see it, if I have to stand alone.
But I shall not stand alone, for the party that has my allegiance and
may have my life, the Socialist party, the party of the working class,
the party of emancipation, is made up of men and women who know their
rights and scorn to compromise with their oppressors; who want no votes
that can be bought and no support under any false pretense whatsoever.
The Socialist party stands squarely upon its proletarian principles and
relies wholly upon the forces of industrial progress and the education
of the working class.
The Socialist party buys no votes and promises no offices. Not a
farthing is spent for whiskey or cigars. Every penny in the campaign
fund is the voluntary offerings of workers and their sympathizers and
every penny is used for education.
What other parties can say the same?
Ignorance alone stand in the way of socialist success. The capitalist
parties understand this and use their resources to prevent the workers
from seeing the light.
Intellectual darkness is essential to industrial slavery.
Capitalist parties stand for Slavery and Night.
The Socialist party is the herald of Freedom and Light.
Capitalist parties cunningly contrive to divide the workers upon dead
issues.
The Socialist party is uniting them upon the living issue:
Death to Wage Slavery!
When industrial slavery is as dead as the issues of the Siamese
capitalist parties the Socialist party will have fulfilled its mission
and enriched history.
And now to our questions:
First, all workingmen and women owe it to themselves, their class and
their country to take an active and intelligent interest in political
affairs.