Organise with the Socialist Party

The Socialist Party came into existence in June 1904.The Declaration of Principles upon which it was founded, and has consistently adhered to, have won it the recognition from many of being the only genuine socialist organisation in Britain. The Labour Party and the Trotskyist parties are parties of social reformism. Their election policies are made up of capitalistic reforms, calculated to capture the votes of the capitalist-minded workers. Although they claim to have for their object the ultimate establishment of a new social order, their immediate aim is the reforming of the present social system. Their appeals are mainly made to those workers who desire to improve their lot within the confines of the capitalist system.

The Socialist Party is not a reform party. Its purpose is the abolition of the present capitalist society, ending of the exploitation of labour by the parasite class. It appeals for the support of the workers as propertyless wage-slaves, not as “tax-paying” citizens. The efforts of the Socialist Party are continually devoted toward organising the workers as a revolutionary class. It points to the necessity for the conquest of political power from the capitalists. The re-organising of society upon a class-free basis is the aim of the Socialist Party.Its objective is the breaking of the power of the exploiters of labour, and its immediate task is the organising of the necessary forces for that purpose. The important thing is the building of powerful political party It must not be a party of wings and factions, but a united force with a common understanding and a common will to action, moving along a definite course, not pulling in different directions. Its task is to ripen fellow-workers as a politically conscious class. The immediate work of winning the working class includes reaching out to influence and change our fellow-workers social outlook.

It does not devote itself to criticising trade-union leaders, bad enough as many of them are. Its contention is that the elimination of the labour traitors and betrayers, the professional mis-leaders can only be brought about by an enlightened membership. Therefore, the way out is through education by guiding fellow- workers reaction to the exploitation of capitalism and preventing their militancy from being shattered and demoralised by ill-considered actions. A correct understanding of actual conditions of the class struggle, and the political and economic trend of affairs, have helped much to prevent the Socialist Party from the wild goose chasing policies that have marked the career of certain other workers’ parties. The Socialist Party has pursued the policy of reaching as large numbers as possible with a sound elementary propaganda of socialist principles. This work has been carried out through street meetings, mass-meetings, lectures, and personal contact. In fact, everywhere that workers gather it has been our aim to keep class issues before them.Within the party, a thorough, systematic training is consistently carried on. This has brought forth capable speakers, teachers, and writers and the influence they wield, are constantly on the increase.

In capitalist society, that which the worker sells — labour power — his or her physical and mental skill, takes on the character of a commodity. Certain economic laws govern the capitalist system, which is a commodity producing one. A knowledge of those laws is imperative, if the workers are going to participate intelligently in the daily struggles against their exploiters. The economic principles, or laws, as laid bare by Marx, furnish the workers with the requisite knowledge to fight effectively. It is not enough to know how to strike, but it is necessary to know when. That is only one of the advantages that flow from a sound understanding of economics, the general historic nature, the make-up, of capitalism. A knowledge of history in general is useful to the worker, but he is often encumbered with it, not enlightened. The mode of interpreting history, as taught by the Socialist Party, the materialistic conception, the Marxian mode, is an illuminating method that clarifies the past. History, often but a jumble of dates and data in the mind of the worker, from materialistic standpoint becomes clear and comprehensible. “Great Men”,the creation of the myth-mongers, appear no longer as the mighty makers of history, but on the contrary as the products of history. The capitalist class and their servants cannot admit these facts. They dare not divulge American history as a history of class struggles.

What makes the class struggle a political struggle is the organized “public power of coercion,” the State. It upholds the power of the owning class, the capitalists, and represses (when necessary) the producing class, the workers, when they resist the rule and robbery of their masters. The State, or government, is the real organized force that confronts the masses of the people, the exploited proletarians. They can not meet this organized force of their class enemy as a disorganised and helpless mass. Organisation must be met with organisation, and ultimately the workers must triumph. Without this course being pursued, the workers and their children, and their children’s children, will remain the wage-slaves of the capitalists forever. It is the existence of class society with the State power in the hands of the exploiters of labour that determines the need for a political party to combat the ruling class and organise the working class for its final act as a class, namely, the political overthrow of capitalism.

If not yet a member of the Socialist Party, and convinced of the need for organization such as described here, then its logical to link up with those who are organised for the abolition of all exploitation, through the ushering in of a new class-free social order. Join the Socialist Party.