ONLY TWO PARTIES IN THE WORLD.
Another of the few foundation truths upon which the structure of the
world's present progress is being reared, a truth that cannot be too
often told nor too continuously urged, is that THERE ARE ONLY TWO
PARTIES IN THE WORLD.
One party consists of those who, seeing wrong, try to end it;
seeing injustice, strive to abolish it; and, being told of possible
improvements, investigate and EXPERIMENT, hoping to attain them.
The other party is made up of those who cannot see wrongs when
practiced upon others, who are blind to injustice for fear of the
unjust, and who, being told of possible improvements, antagonize their
instructors, in defense of the private interests of themselves or their
masters, that might by change be jeopardized.
One party represents the cause of the people; the other the selfishness
of kings, nobles and plutocrats.
The fight now is not simply a continuation of the old fight that
has been going on from ancient times, but is the world climax, the
end of the struggle. Those who produce and trade and teach, earning
their money by honorable exertion, are forming all along the line,
against those who are too lazy to work, too stupid or too proud
to trade or teach, but who wish to grow rich by acquiring other
people's property. The honest masses who believe in law, order and
progress, are approaching a decisive contest for permanent supremacy
with the dishonest classes who, in order to defend their systems of
plunder, utilize in their service the combined forces of ignorance,
superstition, toadyism, lawless cunning and the force of arms.
If the lawless, irresponsible dictators of industry and commerce are
successful, then liberty, constitutional government and personal
security are at an end, civilization is derailed into an abyss, and
retrogression displaces progress through another age of barbarism.
Gold becomes the only God, and bayonets the only prod to duty. The
university, the press and the pulpit will all be made permanent
attachments to the one despotic machine which is to control every
source of communication and instruction, and stifle all thought and
aspiration that does not strengthen the ruling power.
On the other hand, the people's victory will end class rule forever,
and gradually abolish all special privileges and monopolies by means
of which one man holds an unjust advantage over another. The people
holding the reins of power will apply the best talent, experience and
energy possessed by man to the establishment of justice, order and
public achievement. This is the situation confronting our country and
the world. It is the situation as it confronts every individual man.
The war is universal. There are no non-combatants. Everyone is affected
by the outcome. Each has the power to help decide the result. Whether
in compliance with or against our will, each of us must participate and
assist one side or the other.
Which shall it be? The party of the people or the party of tyranny.
This question presents itself alike to the citizen of America and the
inhabitant of Europe. Since the historic people's victory at Chicago,
July 6, 1896, the people's party in America has taken the name "REGULAR
DEMOCRATIC." In Germany, France and England it is known as the "Social
Democracy;" in the Balkans and Asia Minor it is the "Greek;" and in the
West Indies, the "Cuban Army."
When once the masses realize that the same class of adventurers,
tax-gatherers and oppressors of labor who in this country have gotten
absolute control of the Republican political machine, are the present
friends, the advisers and colleagues of the despots, plutocrats and
military leaders of Europe, that their families are intermarrying,
their interests being pooled, their cause becoming one, their interests
identical, all their plans and hopes one and inseparable, then will
it be impossible for designing demagogues to mislead or confuse them
further. When it becomes generally understood that the forces of
reaction throughout the world are one, then will the common people
come into closer union and bind themselves together as a unit.
The union of those who profit by tyranny necessitates the union of
all who believe in liberty. The internationalism of millionaires is
creating an internationalism of the common people. The situation is
being so simplified that all may comprehend clearly the two forces
whose conflict extends over the modern world. All minor and secondary
divisions and issues are swallowed up. The international aspect of the
problem does not, as one might at first suppose, confuse the mind,
but, on the other hand, simplifies the issue so that none can mistake
concerning it. Old prejudices, reverence for party names, sectional
hatreds, sores left by historic feuds, religious differences and
affiliations with local political machines, in which self or friends
are interested selfishly, all tend to cover up the real issues, when
only the local end of the fight is studied.
But, when we learn that the same class that induced the governments of
Europe and America to co-operate with Spanish murderers in starving,
killing and torturing tens of thousands of our patriotic brother
Americans in Cuba to protect the value of their Spanish bonds and
got these so-called Christian governments to assist the Turk, supply
him with arms and drill and general his soldiers for the massacre of
hundreds of thousands of defenseless Armenians and Greeks, to secure
the continued payment of interest on their Turkish bonds; that this
class is made up of the same individual bondholders who are gaining
control, through syndicates, of our American breweries, distilleries,
railroads, street car companies, gas companies and other manufacturing
and commercial institutions; that they are ever ready mercilessly and
barbarously, by murder or giant fraud, to advance their interests,
regardless of duty to humanity, country or to God, all of which they
deny; and, when we prove that this class now controls absolutely
the machinery of the Republican party in America, and is trying
again to control Democracy, the masses, in their fury against it
will, regardless of historic prejudices or past or local political
affiliations, unite in common defense of home and country to stamp it
out.
THE PARTY OF EXPERIMENT.
Our enemies say ours is a party of EXPERIMENT. We admit it. No forward
step in the world's history, no achievement in science, art, literature
or politics has ever come but by EXPERIMENT.
We are not, however, the only party of EXPERIMENT. The plutocrats,
who now control our country, also believe in EXPERIMENT, only their
experiments are in the direction of further despoiling the people
without adding to popular rage, and of tightening their grip upon our
property, our lives and liberties without inciting to rebellion.
One man experiments with surgeon's knife upon the body of another,
chloroformed or a corpse. But suppose the chloroform ceases to act or
the corpse proves a case of suspended animation, rises up snatches
the surgical instrument, ties his tormentor to the couch and begins
to experiment on him. The EXPERIMENT in either case may be equally
beneficial to science, equally dangerous to the victim. But the
personal value of the EXPERIMENT to either of the principals depends,
in a large measure, upon WHETHER HE IS THE EXPERIMENTER OR THE MAN
EXPERIMENTED ON.
The millionaires united are at present experimenting on the people.
The records of their discoveries are doubtless of great value to
political science but when the unfortunate public, heretofore thought
dead or safely hypnotized, arises and with ghastly alacrity, begins to
EXPERIMENT on its doctors, not only will science be equally benefited,
but the "corpse" will enjoy the operation hugely.
This outcry on the part of the plutocrats against political
experimenting means simply that _they want to do all the experimenting
themselves_.
OUR ENEMIES ARE THE INNOVATORS.
A family, sheltered for many years to their entire satisfaction by an
old homestead, that also protected their property, suddenly discovers
that their silverware is fast disappearing with many heirlooms, jewels
and valuable papers and pieces of furniture. They discuss a plan for
changing the locks and, with the aid of a skilled mechanic, make an
examination of every wall, floor, door and window with a view to a
general overhauling and repairs. A neighbor makes serious objection and
in a solemn manner appeals to his friends not to interfere with the
ancient landmarks nor lay an irreverent hand upon the old homestead,
that served their father so well and that sheltered them and protected
their property so long. His only object in thus warning his friend
against dangerous innovation being grateful reverence for which has
been so useful in the past.
Supposing the owner to be possessed of common sense, his answer
will be: "Yes, my friend, the old homestead has served me and my
fathers well for a long period of years and I had never intended to
irreverently destroy it. But I have discovered that some stranger has
already laid an irreverent hand upon our home and broken the locks of
our doors and windows. We find that he has cut a hole in the floor
of our side closet and effected entrances through the roof and the
cellar window. The home which once protected us serves no longer as
a protection, because mutilated by an intruder. If the house still
protected us as it did our fathers we should be satisfied; but, since
others have changed it, we, in self-protection, must adapt ourselves
to the changed conditions. It is not the old house that protected our
fathers that we are changing, but the new house, the changed house,
the mutilated house--this it is that we wish to renovate and re-adapt,
so that it may again be made to serve us as did the old one. The same
outside framework, the same old flag-pole, brown front and corner stone
remain, but many of the foundation stones are gone, the strength of the
house, its power to serve and protect us have been taken away so that
we are in constant fear of its caving in upon us. Therefore, we shall
repair it thoroughly or else remove to another."
Our government for many years served the people well. Its past is
sacred. It protected our fathers, made our lives and our fortunes
possible and we are tempted to give weight to the arguments of a
compatriot when he says to us: "Touch not the ancient landmarks; do not
lay irreverent hands on our government; do not seek to change its laws
or institutions; it has served us well and we should show our gratitude
by protecting it and by opposing innovation."
In answer, however, we are forced to say that, although we have the
same flag-pole and flag, the same brown front and corner stone, an
enemy has for years been removing one foundation stone after another.
He has removed the vital parts from the locks of our doors and windows;
made entrances through the roof, the floor and cellar, so that our
silver is now disappearing, our jewels and our heirlooms are missing,
and our liberty, our lives and our property are in danger.
WE ARE NOT THE INNOVATORS. WE ARE THE VICTIMS OF INNOVATION. We seek
to battle against the invaders who have mutilated our government and
would destroy us. We strive to make our government, of which now only
the shell remains, serve us as it served our forefathers, capable of
affording us that shelter and protection, which is the true function of
government, and which our forefathers intended we should have.
TWO GOVERNMENTS IN MORTAL COMBAT.
We have two distinct governments in our country, whose interests are
antagonistic and irreconcilable. One government is the United States;
the other, the United Trusts and Syndicates. The former is democratic;
the other despotic. This inner-treasonable despotism controls our
industry, commerce and means of life and pleasure. It is using the
United States government as a machine to enforce its decrees and extend
its dominion, hoping soon to abolish the last vestige of popular rule.
It is world-wide in its extent, and only uses local and national
governments as means of power.
The United States enacts laws openly. The United trusts and syndicates
enacts laws secretly. Disobedience to our state laws is punished only
after a public trial, but the merchant who breaks a trust law is ruined
without a trial, the laborer who ignores it is secretly blacklisted;
the minister who defies it is forced out of the church, and the lawyer
disregarding it loses his profitable practice. The nation enacts a law
and the trust officers laugh at it so far as it applies to them, and
then, by gaining control of the law-enforcing power, use this law as an
additional club in the subjugation of their victims.
When the people attempt to defeat a new aggression on the part of the
trusts by carrying out the plan of some renowned thinker, known to be
uninfluenced by special interests, the emissaries of the trusts scatter
the people by crying: "EXPERIMENT." "An untried and Utopian scheme,"
"Innovators." While the patriots argue as to whether their plan is
really an EXPERIMENT, the enemy captures a new position.
The United Trusts and Syndicates, by experimenting constantly and
pushing forward all along the line and at the same time by convincing
the United States not to EXPERIMENT, succeeds in approaching the
same relation to its rival government that a live ant sustains to
a dead worm. By incessant and fearless activity, and by using our
constitution, traditions and flag as a blind, this irresponsible
despotism is fast nearing the time when it hopes to throw off its mask
and publicly usurp supreme power. Not a day passes but these organized
conspirators try some new EXPERIMENT, attempt some new aggression never
dared before, attack some nearer outpost of the people's liberties
heretofore thought impregnable.
Often these EXPERIMENTS fail. The people are sometimes bull-headed, and
repulse the attack with loss to the United Trusts and Syndicates. But
failing once, twice or a hundred times, do they cease to EXPERIMENT?
Even though they lose millions in attempting some audacious act, do
they therefore refuse to attempt another act equally bold? Never.
They see clearly that all enterprise, all progress, all victory, all
increase in power and dominion, result only from repeated EXPERIMENTS.
The boldest of all EXPERIMENTS was the hatching of the conspiracy that
gave their present organization birth. EXPERIMENT gave them all they
have. They live and grow by it. To stop EXPERIMENT is to stop action,
for the modern world is a new world and in it there are no tried and
beaten paths. The floods and glaciers of innovation have carried away
the ancient landmarks, and by raising new barriers and structures
largely shut off from all progressive peoples, even the kindly rays
from the lamp of experience. Not agitators, but science and invention,
have pushed us away from the ancient world, with its well-worn roads
and lighthouses, and where we walk now human feet never trod before.
The light from our foreheads is our only lamp, and eternal truth our
only guide, prefer to EXPERIMENT, OR TO BE EXPERIMENTED ON; TO BE THE
SURGEON, OR THE CORPSE.
The Democratic party in power in 1900 controlled by the common people
will, without doubt, EXPERIMENT boldly. It will lead our government
into new and untried ways, as our enemies very clearly and very
truthfully predict. It will, without doubt, commit blunders and make
mistakes. The one thing that above all and in spite of all it is
pledged to do, is to arouse the United States government from its
paralysis, stupor and corpse-like state of being experimented on, and
declare that whatever the EXPERIMENTS of the future, instead of being
made ON THE UNITED STATES, THEY SHALL BE MADE BY THE UNITED STATES.
The important question for the citizens of the United States to answer
is simply this: Do you prefer to EXPERIMENT, or to be experimented on;
to be the surgeon, or the corpse?
When the victimized people declare their independence, through their
own government, of the despotism of the trusts, it will necessarily be
an EXPERIMENT.
Every time General Grant ordered an attack on the forces defending
negro slavery, he tried an EXPERIMENT. Never could he tell exactly
what the result would be. There might be more dead Union men than
Confederates, or there might possibly be more dead Confederates than
Union men. The one thing of which he was certain, however, was that
his duty consisted in going ahead, and, when defeated, he gathered his
troops together and tried again. He knew that, if followed long enough,
his plan would crush the Confederacy.
So each attack on the white slave power to-day is an EXPERIMENT. We
cannot at any time foretell the immediate result. An attack on a
special monopoly may fail. Many times we may be repulsed with loss,
but by constantly renewing the attack and continuing to press forward
we shall eventually triumph. During the late war, the southern states
defended black slavery. They lost. Black slavery was abolished. To-day,
the southern states, dominated by the common people, have espoused the
cause of liberty and to the oppressors of the North and East they say,
"White slavery also must be destroyed."
Both parties are parties of EXPERIMENT. The only difference is that we
avow ours openly and write them in our platform, while the experiments
and aggressions of the Republican party are planned in secret and
executed in dark corners where only traitors and adventurers are
allowed admittance.
To hesitate and refuse to EXPERIMENT is to tie our hands and remain
inactive, while our enemies harass us, rob us, and assault us from
all directions. It is as important to weaken the enemy as it is to
strengthen your own forces. Therefore, when by an extensive literature
the money-power instill in the people a horror of EXPERIMENT, they
palsy their limbs and incapacitate them for defense.
Therefore, the Democratic Volunteers will frankly admit the charge
that they favor EXPERIMENT and will boldly proclaim that EXPERIMENT is
one of the foundation stones of their creed. By ceaseless and tireless
repetition in every community of our nation we will ask the people
to begin to EXPERIMENT on their own account, instead of permitting
EXPERIMENT to longer remain a monopoly in the hands of those who
continually decry it. We will ask them to decide whether they will
longer remain objects of EXPERIMENT, or, by government action, begin to
EXPERIMENT on their persecutors.