The Age-old Class Struggle.

The Socialist Party and the trade unions will inevitably come closer and closer together. and the  unions will eventually come to stand for socialism. The Socialist Party will thus become a component part of the labour movement. The union and the party together will then make war upon the enemy, the capitalist class.

In their war upon the working class, one of the most effective weapons of the capitalists has been the physical force wielded by their political government. Everywhere the workers have been fooled into supporting the government. The pro-capitalist parties are maintained to keep the workers divided. Whichever of these capitalist parties is victorious, the workers are always defeated. Labour and Tory politicians alike use the powers of government in the interests of the master class. Whenever the workers strike they are brutally clubbed, put in jail. Injunctions prevent them from picketing and talking to the strike breakers while the courts seize the funds of the unions and turn them over to the capitalists.

Workers have the right to vote yet they foolishly try to defend themselves by voting for such politicians that call themselves "the friends of the worker." But they soon find out that such “allies” out of office, quickly become the enemies of workers when in office.

The great purpose of the Socialist Party is to seize the powers of government and thus prevent them from being used by the capitalists against the workers. Freedom of speech and of the media, now often curtailed by the capitalists, will be secured to the working class. Then they can continue the education of the workers. The Socialist Party is not a political party in the same sense as other parties. The success of socialism would abolish practically every office existing under the present form of government. Legislatures and parliament would not be composed principally of lawyers, as they are now, whose highest ambition seems to be to enact laws with loop-holes in them for the rich. But the committees and councils  of the workers would be composed of men and women representing the different branches of industry and their work would be to improve the conditions of labour, to minimise the expenditure of labour-power, and to increase production.

It was generally thought that history was made by great men who won battles, made treaties of peace, created constitutions and laws, ruled nations, and saved humanity from destruction. Marxists through their study of history, that this was a childish view of life and of government. The great facts of history, its wars, its governments, its art, science and literature, these were created by a deeper social force. This force was the economic or material force. People lived as they did and acted as they did, because they made their living in a certain way. If they used small, rude tools, and the soil they worked. was poor, their ideas would be much different from what they would be if they used larger and more productive tools upon richer soil. The nature of man's social life depends chiefly upon the physical conditions under which he is living. This same principle is true in matters of morality. An individual, or nation, or a class, will finally come to think that right which is to his material advantage. Nations make war in order to add to their possessions. Individuals engage in such work or business as will yield them the largest pay or profits. A class will fight to the death with another class over profits or wages. In war, killing people and burning cities is thought to be a patriotic work. If successful it is considered to be right and fine. In industry the capitalists will enslave small children, and the profits wrung from their pitiful toil goes to build churches and universities and support Christian missions. The murderous capitalist who robs cradles to get his gold comes to be praised as most "benevolent," "virtuous," "religious," etc.

When the worker, either through experience or a study of socialism, comes to know this truth, he or she acts accordingly, retaining absolutely no respect for the property "rights" of the profit-takers. He oe she will use any weapon which will win the fight. People know that the present laws of property are made by and for the capitalists. Therefore they do not hesitate to break them. They know that whatever action advances the interests of the working class is right, because it will save the workers from destruction and death. A knowledge of economics places the workers squarely on solid ground and makes them bold and independent of mind.

An understanding of the class struggle comes only from a knowledge of the economic interpretation of history. If the conditions of a people are determined by the nature of the tools they use, of the work they do, and by their relation to these tools (that is, whether they own them or not), then we may easily obtain an insight into the working class struggle. All the great revolutions of history have been class struggles. So, too, must be the movement of the workers. No class has been really free until it has ruled society. Therefore the working class, to be free, must rule society. But the workers, when they free themselves, will make slaves of no one. Machines will be so developed that every one can work and live in freedom. Long ago slavery was necessary to the end that the master might develop civilisation. In socialism, a higher and better civilisation will be open to all.

The Socialist, through his knowledge of the law governing social progress, gains an insight into the future which is impossible to those ignorant of socialism. Through  study of history comes understanding of  the part played by revolutions. Whenever a social class has become powerful enough to rule society it has seized the reins of government. Thus the capitalist class in westernkings. They have accomplished this through a number of revolutions. The most important of these were the Europe and America has made an end of the power of English Revolution in 1642, the French Revolution in 1789, and the American Revolution in 1776. The Civil War in the United States was a very great revolution. It made an end of the power of the Southern slaveholding class and established capitalism in the South.

When the working class is strong enough both in its industrial organisation  and politically at the ballot box, it will make an end of capitalism and will be the period of the social revolution. Of course we cannot tell when this will come. Neither can we tell whether the period of revolution will be long or short. Both will depend upon several factors. The most important question is, how long will it take to educate and organise the working class? The revolution might be hastened by a panic. It might be retarded by a foreign war or by capitalist reforms. But it is bound to come.

For the revolution to be successful, it will have to result in the ownership and control of the land, shops, mines and railroads by the workers. The present trans-national corporate empires will be changed into an industrial democracy where the workers will administer and manage global industry. Socialism will recognise no political boundary lines.

Socialism has no concern with the innumerable social reforms which the capitalists are now preaching in order to save their miserable profit system. They are either charity doled out to paupers, or bribes given to lure voters by politicians. State ownership can never lead to socialism. It is not a step toward socialism which involves means industrial emancipation.

When a worker understands socialism, he or she does not ask who will do the hard work, will socialism divide up, will socialism destroy incentive, initiative and innovation. Everybody now realises that it is ridiculous for sane people to work all day and every day. "The less work the better," is the motto which the workers must set themselves. Let all those who currently work in unproductive occupations  go to work and produce real wealth. Let all the wealth now wasted in wars,  in competition - let all this waste cease. Let the newest and best machines and scientific methods be everywhere used. Let the intelligence of the workers be liberated for the many inventions and the development of better processes. If all this were to be done, it is readily seen that a small portion of the day, or a few days per month, or a few months steady work per year, will yield wealth in abundance.

Those who deign to not work but prefer the idle life of the drone will not be permitted to starve. At present, all healthy people wish to work, yet none desire life-long slavery to the profit of others.  Most of the diseases which now afflict humanity will be unknown because their causes will have been removed. Where there is plenty for all, none will be driven to swindle, to steal or to take profits.

 The basis of socialist  freedom will be the freedom of the individual to develop his or her powers. People will be educated in freedom. They will work in freedom. They will live in freedom. Science and the arts will flourish.The working class, through securing freedom for itself, will liberate humanity. Socialism will free not only the slave but also the slave-driver and even the slave-owner. Socialism today makes war upon the enemies of the working class. When it is victorious, the enemies of the working class will embrace it. Peace and brotherhood will come with freedom.

The mission the Socialist Party sets before itself is twofold:
First, it must be the bearer of sound knowledge, using its great and growing organisation to teach socialist principles and practice.
Second, it must lay bold of all the powers of political government and prevent them from being used against the industrial organisation of the workers.