CONTENTdm
Pritchard, W.A.
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Western Clari The Official Organ of TiS:f* v/^ No. 798] THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF CANAC^ *>% V*. Vancouver, B. C, November, 1917 [Month m "We who address you have a policy distinct and different from that of any other party engaged' in this election. As workingmen to workingmen we wish to point out certain facts with regard to conditions as they .exist today. Society as at present constituted is based upon the ownership of the means of life—the land, mills, mines, railroads, etc.—by the capitalist class, in consequence of which the workers* by whose labor wealth alone is produced, are enslaved. There is, therefore ,an antagonism of interests between those who possess but do not produce, and those who produce and do not possess. This .antagonism can be abolished only through the emancipation of the working class from the domination of the master class, by transforming the property of the master class into productive forces controlled and administered by the whole of society for the benefit of all. The machinery of the State, in- eluding the armed forces—army navy,« police, judiciary, etc.—exists only to conserve the interest of the master class. The workers ,therefore, must organize on class conscious lines for the purpose of capturing the powers of government, so that these forces may be converted from an instrument of oppression into the agent of emancipation. Since all political parties are the expression of certain olass interests, and as the interests of the workers is opposed to the interests of all sections of the master class, the party whose object is working class eman- Dominion Election Manifesto TO THE WORKERS OP CANADA cipation must be hostile to every other party. The Socialist Party of Canada, therefore, enters this election campaign for the purpose of giving expression to the war it must wage against all other political parties, whether alleged LABOR or avowed- by CAPITALIST. f| That was the position put forward by the party three years ago. And that position has been proven correct by every military and diplomatic manoeuvre since that time. However, the master class of this country*drunk with power, and evidently staking its chance on the workers mental density, is apparently attempting to fasten upon our necks the yoke of military servitude. As to the need of this, from the masters standpoint, we need say no more, outside of drawing your attention to recent manifesto upon the matter. We are opposed to Conscription, not because Canada has not been allowed to arrange her own foreign policy (such a thing is inconceivable when we realize from what quarter she is controlled) nor yet because we imagine that a free (sic) people, fighting a fight for freedom should be allowed to voluntarily offer themselves; but because we object to being scientifically slaugh tered in a fight in which working class interests are not involved. That is a position which is unassailable, and.from that position we refuse to recede. Six hundred year sago the means for producing wealth were very crude, yet a man could produce enough to keep his family and himself for a whole year by twelve week's labor. What vast strides have since been made in the means of producing wealth, and how many times has the fertility of our toil been multiplied. Yet men like Campbell Banner- man and Lloyd George .confessed some years ago that obout 30 per cent of the population of Britain lived in the grip of perpetual poverty. ^p|| That is a wonderful state of affairs in an Empire about whose untold wealth we are now urged to wax so enthusiastic. And what has been the effect of the wonderful increase in the productivity of human labor. Has it raised those who work above that poverty line. It has not, and if you are only honest with_yourself you know we speak the truth. The-work- era are compelled to become the WAGE-SLAVES of those who own the mines, mills, railroads, and other means of production. If the workers in the Middle Ages produced more than they required, in their own fields* they could store it against a rainy day, leave it to rot in the fields, or take a layoff and produce less. Today* however, the wealth produ'ced by the working class in excess of what is essential THE WESTERN CLARION to its own maintenance ,belongs, to the master class. It accumulates until the world market becomes glutted an dthe warehouses are 'full, throws the workers out of jobs because there cannot be found any to buy the product of their toil and thus relieve the situation. Not only so! it brings a problem to the master class finding an outlet for their surplus goods and so Jhe workers, from whom it has been extracted, are called upon to display their loyalty by shouldering a rifle for the purpose of shooting their fellow, workers of other lands in order that a market may be located wherein this stolen wealth may be sold. We, therefore* call upon the workers of this Province to study the conditions of their own miserable existence and realize the cause for ^* fi§-_»^_£p' -__$^ the same. To those who desire to register a protest against this system, of exploitation, and go on record as being opposed to the continuation of wage- slavery, we say: Support at the polls, in the forthcoming election, the nominees of the Socialist Party of Canada. Dominion Executive Committee. THE YELLOW MENACE HERE AND NOW Local Vancouver No. 1....4 9 0 Local ISt. Cats. No. 30 3 1 0 R. "Taylor 3 0 Local Winnipeg No. 3 1 3 0 Roy Addy 2 0 0 J. F. Maguire '. ..2 0 0 Geo. Bloomfield :.l 2 0 T. B. Roberts 1 1 0 Jock Reid 1 1 0 Viola Wood 0 .3 0 Geo. Rossiter 0 2 1 H., Bolingbroke \ 0 0 3 Singles—$, M. Goudie* John Burton, B. E. Polinkas, J. W. Trofan- enko,. A. A. Cronk, Chas Johnson,, M P Aune, J. A. Teit; R. Thomas, Geo. G Ross., j 50c—G. M Pugh. 25c—Local Montreal No. I Total of 56 new readers. Six better than last month. Coming ahead slowly. Don't let the progressive action fail. JODAY, in the year 1917, the fourth year of the war, one looks back and finds that from 1914 to 1917 an immense stretch of time has been covered. Human society has passed through many and varied experiences, particularly in the line of production. In short, progress has been made in society which cannot be measured by thex number of times the sun has risen and set. War, itself a necessary part of the present system, has so stimulated production that even one who understands the forces which are continually at work shaping society, is hardly able to keep pace with the film like changes which are occurring. Amidst conditions of this nature, it is the duty of the Socialist to analyse and explain.to the members of his class what is taking place in society. The present method of production is competitive. It follows that if a number of individuals are engaged in the production of boots,/ the struggle will induce them to cheapen production. ,That yeu may have cheap boots? Nothing so altruistic enters the brain of our manufacturer! He endeavors to cheapen the production of boots in order to Undersell his competitor and when he succeeds with new methods or machinery his competitors must follow suit or die. There is no escape. The- law of the survival of the fittest operates on groups of nations as in individuals. The German Empire* previous to the war, had so far outstripped her rivals in production that she was already beginning to strangle them. When the secret of her success is analysed the basis upon which it was built appears cle/aiiy—ehefap- ness. She had learned the art of extracting from her slaves larger~ quantities of value than her competitors. But along with this success was bred a nightmare to the ruling class of Germany. The workers were becoming so productive that even her high powered selling machine was being clogged with surplus commodities. Something haM to be done to relieve the congestion and the instructions were: Go forth and pry off the lid of our competitors markets. This is what is meant by a place in the sun, might is right, etc., etc. But the big lesson being "driven h^me to every nation today is that places in the -sun are becoming a vanishing quantity, and in order to have a chance in the race they will have to adopt all the tricks, with a few additions, that their competitors are using. Can you doubt that the nations of the world today are apt pupils? The fruits of their learning is seen in conscription for army and industry, dilution of labor, standardised stripping, etc., which simply means conservation of energy. For this the master class deserve neither praise nor blame. It is merely an historical process and progress. The working class/Will fight these changes, through trades unions and kindred organisations, just as the weavers fought the steam loom and with as much chance of success. The rumblings from these changes in the organization has penetrated deep, and when this great war .has ceased it will find the na-, tions t rearranged in fresh groups, ' probably larger, with newer and better industrial processes and machinery lined up"" as antagonists in a still greater struggle for markets. Surplus commodities, that old man of the capitalist sea,! continue to | choke the system. To say that the method of production prevailing' is _* competitive one is to state a platitude. That being so the group of nations which can produce the requirements of modern society cheapest* will win. Reader, have you ever heard of the yellow p&ril? You have. So has THE WESTERN OLARION 1? f II ii -n your master, and, from the time when the oily Jap made his debut as a world-power in the Russd-Jap war down to 1917,. he and his near relative John Chinaman, have given your master many anxious moments with his peacefully penetrating methods of doing business in spheres of influence which were formerly for older established firms and, let us whisper this, sometimes his methods of pentrating have been none too peaceful. They wj.Il do as mulch for you, my brother. For relaxation I would advise a trip to the nearest drug, hardware ,or grocery / storg. Inqujire, about Japanese goods. Also you might have noticed these cute little ads. in the press. Peaceful penetration, brother. Less jobs, unemployment, need I add the miseries which follow. Hardly. You know. These are but a few signs that presage the coming storm. It simply lets us,, who know, understand, that Japan has a surplus of commodities to sell. She will require a place in the sun and by Confucius China looks good to her. The words of Baron Ishii,v Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary to the United States* )are signicant. j "We wish to be and always to continue to be," he declared, "the sincere friend and helper of our neighbor (China), for we are more interested than anyone else, except China, in good government there, only we must, at all times, for self protection, prevent other nations from doing What we have no right todo." Thus the vicious circle of capitalism grows. No sooner does a market appear than, hey presto, it has vanished and become a competitor. And in this connection it is not go- in gto take China fifty year sto devel* op with an accelerator like our friend the Jap. Nay! Nay!! The food, Clothing and shelter necessary to produce a package of labor power, owing to the standard of living in Japan and China, is small compared to tl\at necessary in Europe or America. . Given, therefore, the same degree of technical devel opment, and don't delude yourself with the idea that the Japanese or Chinese ruling class are slow* the Asiatic will be able to undersell his Occidental competitors handily. The necessary elements for the building of a great empire are there, e.g., 400,000,000 of cheap laborers and an unlimited supply of coal and iron. ISm Simultaneous with the rise of Industrialism will arise an army and navy, which will make the weapons of Europe look like a comic opera .fighting machine, to protect the interests of the Asiatic ruling class. What will this development in the^ Industrial world mean to you and I ? It will mean that, to meet the hitherto despised Asiatic competitor, the best brains of Europe and America will organise, Generalise, dilute, - etc., the working class with the object in view of obtaining the maximum of value^out of your body with the least possible amount of food, clothing and shelter; men, women and children reduced to one dead level as to skill owing to the perfection of machinery. Did I hear someone suggest better conditions after the war, under capitalism? I cannot endorse that view. The age limit of the»workers' usefulness reduced and the unemployment evil reaching its full stature kfterrorism and, we may add,, that in conditions such as these the anti-social instincts will create new figures in criminal annals with suicides in untold numbers ; truly a terrible price to pay for ignorance. But there is one bright spot in this drab picture. With the worker reduced to one dead level in skill* there will appear a concept of unity of interests, in short, class con-- sciousness, the starting point of working class education. The veil of hypocrisy will be torn from labor- leader, churchman and intellectual, and capital will stand forth in all its hideousness. Need I say more? What then is your duty, fellow worker? If you are a Socialist your duty is to educate ; if you are not a Socialist make yourself acquainted with Socialism through Marx andJEngels. In doing so you are helping human society to solve the economic problem which when solved will allow myriads of humanity the opportunity of tackling problems which afflict and scourge us and will give to humanity a happiness which it cannot, in the meantime, understand. C. Stewart. Grand Vital, Man. WORK. HE common problem, the problem that has always existed, for Man is procuring the necessaries of life. Whether the human race was young, and in consequence, crude in its desires and means of satisfying them, or whether it had developed to the various points along /the trail of civilization, the great task that had to be done by some means or other was to convert the materials found in Nature to a form in which the ycould,aid man in his desire to live. The only means by which man has ever wrung his food, clothing, and shelter out of native ^"s by working. Of course "man" is used here in the general sense, we all know that some men have, since the very dawn of civilization, lived without working, but even so, man producer! those things that enabled these gentry to exist—it's a "cinch" they were not found ready made in nature. Work has always been of the same character, it has always been a process in which man sets in motion his arms ,legs, hands and brain, seizing upon the material that he finds around him, thereby altering its characteristics. The reasoning faculty in this process plays a most important part. It is as cunning as it is powerful, • and enables man to make one thing react upon another, in accordance with its own nature in such a way that man's purpose is served. The primitive man dug holes* covered them with branches in order to obscure them, then killed the animals that fell into them with M i 4 THE WESTERN OLARION pointed sticks or stones. Later on he discovered that the springy nature of some kinds of wood, coupled with the tensile strength of catgut (or was it elephant gut?) could be utilized to project an arrow much further than he could throw one. Fire, the domestication of animals, the built habitation, the growing of crops, although possibly discovered by accident, have only been perpetuated, reproduced by a continual process of work. There have been many times in the history of man when his efforts failed,! when some factor in the process did not turn out to be* as he had figured it would, and the results have often been terrible. It has only been very recently that famine was not always a possibility. The same old story still holds good. Outside of such things as air, sunlight, etc> the material things upon which man depends, if he is to satisfy the instinct to live, and the desire for comfort and luxury, are possible for him only through the medium of that process—work. It is certainly grand to be able to look bacfc on the history of the human race and consider the struggle that man has had against the forces of nature and then compare his im- potency then with his power today. As far as converting the resources of the earth to forms useful to him is concerned, man is-indeed free. "No longer does he fear famine, because of an inefficiency of work-process. The world yields up more to him than is necessary to merely keep him alive, and afford him the luxuries of yesterday, the only boundaries now to his productive forces are his-desires. As far as work is concerned, the problem is solved. But if it is grand to contemplate the progress made in production, how much more bitter become the thoughts that arise when we look around and take note of the actual conditions under which the human race exists, in this, the 20th century? Quite apart from a world war, which has already engulfed millions, and which bids fair to engulf millions more, the condi tions obtaining under- civilization for the majority of human beings certainly do not show much advance in security of living, increase of comfort ,and generally, that raising of the standard of life that one would suppose would follow such an increase in the productive powers of man. There is, it is true, a small portion of the people; a class, by the way, that does not work, who live in a greater degree of luxury than ever ..was dreamed of before, and a "middle class" (composed of the small fry of the capitalists and the upper- strata of the working class) who, as far as its standard of living goes is not badly off, (but whose security of the means of life is by no means cer- ta|in)i but the great bulk of the- human race merely exists; its living conditions are* regulated entirely by physical necessity —it gets just enough (and this refers to the class, not to the individual—many of whom starve) to function as a working class. The advance of science, the development of the machine, in a word—the conquering of Nature— leaves it in the same position, the position of a slave class. But the development of the forces of production, the method in which man works, has at last arrived at a point where it is antagonistic to the mode of production (production for profit). Man is not only unable to possess, and use, those things that he has produced by work, but he is prevented from working, and, just think! for the reasont hat there are no consumers ! |||| This, then, becomes Man's new problem. No longer has he to worry about how he is going to produce-— he always knows how, but he must consciously organize society with the satisfaction of human wants as the sole end. The solution of the problem—the social ownership of the means of production, the production for use instead of profit—is put forward by the Socialists, not because it "is Just; not because it is in accord with the "'Eternal Principles of Equality and Truth/' but it is put \ forward for no other reason than that it is necessary in order that the work- process may be carried on, and that Man may ,as a result of that process, live and enjoy life; something that to-day, even though we are '' fighting to make the world safe for Democracy" is, to say the least, difficult. Ambrose Tree. IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE HROM a selling point of view, it is good business to use the outside of the workers' pay envelope as an (advertising meduim. Principally because of the overjoyed state of mind that the plug is in whe he finds that he is in possession of enough money to enable him to buy those things which enable him to exist for another week in order to produce more wealth for his employer. The banking concerns have used the pay envelope largely in th fpp| and appeals to "Start art aoount with a dollar," stare out from the majority of these useful articles. Then various storekeepers took to the habit of printing glowing advertisements of their store and the wonderful value for the money that it afforded, and these were given to large concerns to be used m paying oil' the help. But that watchful guardian of the master class interests, the National Association of Manufacturers, has hit upon a happy idea. They, are now issuing to members, of that body pay-envelopes that carry an __ all-important message on the face of each one. They are making each humble receptacle "do its bit" in this great work of fooling the wage plugs., Here is what appears on these latest '\ avenues of information'': America for Americans! Manufacturing is the backbone of the Nation Every man in industry helps prosperity Returns in wages and profits are mutual Inter-dependence is necessary in all industry Capitalists include every man who has a dollar or more THE WESTERN CLARION Add your belief in the future of our Nation's wealth National strength is industrial strength §||| # # # Industry supports 100,000,000 persons in the U. S. Nothing oppressive to industry should be tolerated Don't be fooled by agitators or by alarmists Unite to make industry YOUR cause Stand firm in your belief in the rights of industry Treat every man you work with with as a friend Remember the interests of employe | ar^d employee are the same Your allegiance: lst,t To America; 2nd, To Your Home; 3rd, To Your Business. # # * The wage plug will no doubt ap- prciate his master's method of showing contempt for the slaves mental calibre by expecting him to swallow and digest the above hotchpotch wlithout using just a little grey matter. Marx and Engels stated in the "Communist Manifesto" that the workers had nothing to lose but their chains. Some later genius has stated that they were wrong. He insisted that the workers had nothing to lose but their brains— "And they haven't any!" he added. Well ,|the National Manufacturers Association evidently think that the working mule of today who receives his weekly hay—L mean pay—in an envelope is on an intellectual level with the aurang-outrang or one of their own hired industrial thugs and lackeys. The evidence is on the pay envelope isued by them from their office at 30 Church Street, New York city. " Capitalists linclude every 'man who has a dollar or more''—then the poor hunch-backed mutt with callouses on his hands and warts on his brain who gets the pay and reads the message—he too is a capitalist! How simple. Almost as childlike as Judge Charles Evan Hughes sol ution of the labor problem: "There are no capitalists—there are no workers—we are all citizens!'" Its really strange that no one ever thought of it before that way. "Don't be fooled by agitators or by alarmists." No; dear working- men, be fooled by the agents of the robber class. Be fooled by the/ir line of dope about the "Interests of employer and employee are the same/." Be fooled by the master class henchman, the priest and parson when they offer you "Pleasant pastures" in the great beyond in exchange for a life of slavery and humiliation here and now. But how the capitalist class does strive to obscure the class struggle betweel- them and the class which works for wages. Those of the workers who have emancipated themselves from master class thought* this thing should make more determined than ever to carry the message of Socialism to those of our class who are still in mental bondage. Let us look the facts of present day society squarely in the face and—accepting no ready-made philosophy' from our exploiters —bend all our energies to help our class to reason our way out of wage slavery via the class war and its termination with victory for the now subject class. "He who cannot reason'is a fool, He who will not reason is a bigot, He who does not reason is a slave!" Let us surprise the National Association of Manufacturers by getting their slaves to disturb the serenity of their brain by viewing things in the light of Socalist economcs. W. D. ALBERTA NOTES By J. F. M. candidate. He will be taking a tour through that riding in the course of a few weeks, and by the anticipations of the comrades in the southern part of the riding good meetings will be held. Comrade Ruschkow- ski, of Delbourne, has offered the use of his auto to carry on propaganda in the Hat riding. # .Comrade Knight has held several meetings in Red Deer riding during the past few weeks. The 'slaves of the farm' seem to be waking up. A hot election compaign is anticipated in Red Deer owing to the fact that Dr. Clark is the "win-the-war" candidate. mm # # Comrade "Jock" Reid at time of writing is in the southern part of Bow River constituency speaking for the comrades in Vulcan and Travers. So far as reports go Bow River will be a four-cornered fight. The comrades throughout this riding are determined to carry on a strong campaign. # # # Homer Thomas is breaking in new territory in West Edmonton riding with a series of nine meetngs. * * * Edmonton Local expects to commence propaganda meetings at the old stand in a week or two. Many of the comrades have returned from the farmland are settling down to pass a quiet winter. # # # Judging by present appearances a general strong propaganda will be carried on throughout Alberta this winter. * The party in Alberta have decided to contest Medicine Hat riding, With Comrade George Paton as Saskatchewan comrades are patiently awaiting an organiser to travel,, where several meetings were to have been arranged. At the present time we are unable to satisfy their desires owing to lack of organisers. Any comrade who can rustle and DELIVER THE GOODS to the farmers, willing to make a tour should communicate with the provincial secretary, Box 785, Edmonton, Alberta. ^fflgn^sn^Kj^ mmm&mi mmmffm^-: ■.-. ^%K*'£" J THE WESTERN OLARION The ern Clarion Published by the Socialist Party of Canada at the office" of the Western Clarion, N.E. corner Pender Street and Dunlevy Aye., Vancouver, B. C. Subscription Rates i Per 20 issues 1.00 Per 10 issues 0.50 Bundle Bates:—3 cents per copy per issue. In making remittance by cheque, exchange must be added. Address all communications to Managing-Editor. "Western Clarion" office, "N. E. cor. Pender and Dunlevy Ave., Vancouver, B. C. I Readers advising us of change of address can only insure csrrect and prompt delivery by sending the old address along with the new. If yor. receive this paper It is paid for. mm m .the number before your a name on the yellow label of your paper reads 7QQ your subscription Iss expires with the next issue. It has happened! The millenium is dawning! The OUR NEW troubled waters of GOVERN- Canadian politics MENT. present for the mo ment a beautiful and placid aspect. A Union Govern., ment has been appointed. Would not ONION Government be a more fitting title? It smells strong! As the chewing gum wrapper has M— "The flavour lasts/' What a galaxy of Solons we have now to rule us. Impenetrable indeed must be the brain that fails to realize our new salvation. It seems nigh impossible, as we scan the history of political bitterness and treachery during the past half century, to assimiliate the information that is enow presented. Session after session, and election after election, the leading lights of both political parties have vied with each other in framing adjectival phrases ithat would best procMm the dishonesty and corruption of each other. Ever -since the days of responsible government the family compact, and confederation, party politics has been considered an unavoidable state of affairs. .The adherents of one political faith must exclusively control the reins of power for a stated period. Various in terests, all of a capitalistic nature, were alternately represented. Railway --corporations, harvesting ma chine companies, mining trusts and other interests all had their turn in influencing the affairs of state. But now! ah—now the scene changes. The vilifiers and maligners of yesterday are the bosom cronies of today. Adversity does surely make strange bed-fellows. Just imagine the conglomeration—the scholarly and dignified Borden, the egotistic White, the frankly ambitious Meig- hen, the effeminate Sif^n,. the ^straight-laced Rowell, and the ven- emousi CarveU. Not one in the whole mess could give a lucid or * ^rational explanation of modern production and yet, so little developed is the mental apparatus of the great majority of their constituents that these political shysters make ideal representatives. Gl'ancing over the new Government programme we again discover all the^ much discussed reforms and* nostrums that made their appearance in bygone days. Those hardy annuals— clean government, the curbing of excessive profits* woman suffrage, tariff readjustment and the abolition of patronage are again to the fore. Like the creator of the universe—'' they are with us always." Two new planks merit our attention for a moment. One of these is labor representation hr the cabinet. Our - emancipation draw- eth nigh! We of the Socialist school who erroneously considered that the slaves freedom must be the work of themselves can now review our mistakes. Borden is going to do it. A goverment dominated by such poverty striken mortals as Sir Joseph Flavelle, Lougheed, Perley, Kemp, and Sifton certainly should be in a position.to understand the cause of our oppression. That a fitting representative can be found from the ranks of labor goes without saying. "The woods is full of them." We could name a dozen, *hould Sir Robert call upon us to do so, wh owould, be only too willing to sacrifice their all and shoulder the responsibility of leading the proletarian hordes from the sloughs^of despond into the smiling oasis of a new Jerusalem. The other new plank not to be found in previous party platforms is: "Win-the-war."' This one, of course, is today the most important. This' it is that caused the Sons of Jesse and the sons of Kish to sink their ambitions and forget the past, The war must be won. To win it a much larger number of that class who possess no country must be coerced into taking, up arms to guard and extend the property of their masters. A knowledge of their class position is today greatly lacking among Canadian workers. They will undoubtedly hear their master's voice and hurry to the rescue. If sufficient numbers respond to the call victory will surely be theirs—ij.e., their masters. What rewards those who do the fighting will reap we cannot at present ascertain. Our best guess is that should they be fortunate enough to avoid being crippled for life, they might get jobs. The revolutionary Socialist alone understands the situation. He sees clearly through the hypocrisy and treachery rampant through all their actions. He knows, full well, that no Government be it ever so clean, honest, and pure, can in any way rei!U' edy his ..condition. He has learned through analysing the capitalist system of production that nothing less than the complete abolition of a master \?.lass rule can secure for him an abundance of the necessaries of' life. He has fathomed the shallow reasoning of Bordens* and Lauriers, Brewsters and Bowsers* and has little trouble in placing them in the category to which they belong. This, then, is his goal—social ownership of the means of life, and his weapon —education. J, A. McD. \ THE WESTERN OLARION 7 Misinformation Ourselves and the "Weekly People" Again - The greatest enemy with which the socialist propagandist is at present confronted is misinformation peddled under the guise of sound working class education by pseudo scientific journals. Like slander, it is at lanms difficult to place your finger on this type of humbug. In the "Weekly People" of Oct. 6th, 1917, an article appears under the caption "In British Columbia,!' byF. S.F. P. S. P., a one time resident of these parts, landed in Vancouver for a few days in the month of September, and judging from results acquired more misinformation during that peripd than appears at first sight possible. . It is, however, within the bounds of possibility that all this* was not acquired. It is just within the limits of reason that a vivid im- iagination may be responsible for most of the bunk. To quote: "On one occasion a sol- "dier was worsted in an argument with a Socialist* and he "challenged the Socialist to come and say the same things to those at the Returned Soldiers' HomeJlThe Socialist took up the dare and had,a splendid meeting. '' The "Socialist" here referred to is a prominent member of the Trades Union movement, and, no doubt, resents as much as we do, the appellation. MM To quote further: "The editor of the Socialist Party organ, the "Western Clarion"- expressed himself unofficially in favor of industrial unionism If the Canadian Socialists, with their clear-cut views on working class needs, come over to the industrial program, they will set the working class movement considerably ahead in Canada" Had the editor of the "-Western Clarion" so expressed himself he would, by this time, be holding membership in th I. W. W. or the S. L. P., but he still holds down a card in the S P. of C. What actualy transpired- during a conversation in Which the merits and demerits of trades unionism were being discussed, was a statement that the industrial form of organization being the most efficient, was bound to succeed. That we are in favor of any institution under this system excepting such as are working for its complete destruction is a malicious falsehood. When we allow that^the industrial is a higher form than the craft organization,, it does not follow that we endorse the S. L. P.'s erroneous conception of "Industrial Unionism bemg the embryo of a future society," nor yet their twaddle about "Industrial vote" and "Industrial government.'' While we are^ fully cognisant of the fact, that living under this system requires some form of organization to resist the encroachments of capital, our complete energies are bent towards its final overthrow. Speed the day. W. B. M. Apart from this, however, this challenge' stands open for all comers, Labor candidates included. Subject preferred as follows: Resolved: That it is to the interest of the common people to study and support the policy1 of the Socialist Party of Canada rather than that of any other political party. Thanking you in anticipation for the space taken by this letter. We remain, on behalf of the above organization, W. A. Pritchard J. M. Jenkins Com. A CHALLENGE The following letter was sent by Local Vancouver No. 1, S. P. of C, to the following Vancouver papers: Province, World, Sun, Critic', and Federationist: Pear Sir: Local Vancouver No. 1, Socialist Party of Canada, hereby issues a general challenge to debate, to the representatives of other political parties with candidates nominated (for the forthcoming Federal election. l&P We particularly wish to meet Mr. W. W. B. .Mclnnes, on account of that gentleman's apparent anxiety ~to debate with certain other of his political opponents; and while we realize that he is a candidate for an outside constituency, still, we think that such a debate in Vancouver city might be productive of much good. THE REFdRJMATION In the ordinary course of events the month of October of this year would have been celebrated by the Protestant church with gladness and great joy; it being the fourth centenary since Luther defied the Papal hierarchy. Of course, at present, such celebration would bring Germany to the front as the birth-place of mankind's emancipation from the Papacy, and at present it is necessary to maintain and prove that nothing good can come from Germany. The Protestants firmly attached to the Great Man theory could only celebrate their Jpreselnt freedom by making glorious the name and birthplace of Luther, and the freedom which they enjoy, would be gravely imperilled by such action. We are therefore spared the usual slop peculiar to the recurrence of great historical events. Restraint has some advantages. Crimes committed in the name of liberty are not confined to deeds of blood. However, in this instance Germany was behind the advanced European nations. Luther merely applied the match to the inflamatory pile which social progress had accumulated in the 15th century.^ Two discoveries had rendered a social revolution possible—printing and gunpowder. While every act and word of Luther is preserved, the date and circumstances known; (Continued on page 14.) 8 THE WESTERN CLARION THE SLA VE OF THE FARM BY A, BUDDEN THE WESTERN OLARION 9 LETTER No. 3. You are now fully aware of the position we have been trying to establish, that the coming of the great machine industry "dealt the death blow to freedom for the time being," and that, nevertheless, the farmer, long since /dispossessed from the rude but plenteous position of small owner, still hangs on to the ideals of that happy period. The reason for his degradation we place at the door of capital, of machinery of production functioning as capital, and now it is time to explain just what we mean when we speak of capital, and who are its possessors, for the farm slave, comical as it may appear to you and I, fondly imagines that he is the owner of this "key to all things desirable." "Have I not land," he will cry, "and machinery: Is not this capital?" And indeed it is, but alas for him, he is owner of neither. The benefit of capital comes to its owners; that is why the capitalists are wealthy beyond, their wildest dreams. The beautiful things of the earth are theirs, the choicest of labors' creations, the servility of the Courts, the subservience of the press; the parliaments are but their executive committees; the soldiery, police and judges, their obedient slaves. Can this be said of the Western Farmer? Absolutely, no! All these are arrayed against him. Even from his own mouth is the absurd notion refuted, for we read in page 7, Resolutions submitted to the United Farmers of Alberta Convention, January 1914, at Lethbridge: "Whereas the farmers do not have sufficient time to dispose of their grain between threshing time and October the first, in order to raise money to meet their implement notes, which come due on said date; and Whereas a great hardship is imposed upon the farmers by being COMPELLED to haul their grain out so early in the Fall, thus depriving them of any time for fall plowing. . :||| Therefore, be it Resolved that Local petition this Convention to use its influence with the implement men to induce them to change date of payment to December First." And again: "Whereas the machine and implement companies urge farmers to buy and when once they have the farmer's name to paper, crowd him without mercy: Therefore, be it Resolved that we recommend all farmers to buy no more machinery or implements for the next twelve months." That they are compelled to haul their grain does not sound as if they stood in the same class as Patten or Guggenheim, does it. Of course, it would make no difference if the masters would shift the date of payment, the compulsion would be just as urgent, for the capitalist has the power to "crowd" the slave "without mercy." It is indeed the function of capital- Just how oppressive this power has become is shown by a cutting from a Calgary newspaper dated December 24th, 1913, in which it is stated that "so bitter has the feeling become between the farmers in many parts of the Province of Saskatchewan and the collection companies, that the Attorney-General will in all probability have to interfere, as acts have been performed within the last few days that could be. classed as little outside of sedition. .... The farmers have got together and formed a fund to pay the fines of any farmer found guilty of assaulting the collection agent of any implement company. ... In the last three days two assaults have been made upon collectors, resulting in a fine of $ 10 and costs, the fine being paid out of the fund." This is as unlike the actions of a bunch of capitalists as possible. These poor slaves, banded together to resist the robber power of the masters, are guilty of "something like sedition," because they wish to retain enough to keep themselves alive. The capitalists, my dear E., when they wish to resist payment, do not band themselves together to assault collection agents. They procure an injunction or finance a lobby, and are obeyed in direct ratio to their financial standing, and they are branded patriotic according to their thieving capacities. 'Tis only the slave who is seditious, for it was ever a crime to resist starvation by trying to retain a little of that produce which belongs to the owners of capital. As witness! the newspaper quoted goes on to say: "George Moore—who no doubt fancies himself a capitalist— (the inset is mine) a thresher of Alsask, had to pay ALL his season's earnings back to the implement company from which he bought his outfit. When his men sued him for their wages, he had to go to jail in default of paying them." A pretty capitalist ,forsooth! Who ever heard of capitalists slaving and starving as these farm slaves? Who ever saw capitalists' wives going gowned in gingham and such shoddy raiment as these farm women wear? Who ever heard of an owner of capital following a weary round of threshing, and then landing in jail after havin given "all his season's earnings to the implement company?" How bloated we felt, you and I, when we surveyed our capital over there at North Battleford, did we not? What fine raiment and sweet wines were ours? And yet the machinery and land are -there, and the farm slave sometimes sees title deeds to that property, so we shall need to go deeper and explain. Let us take machinery first: The Socialist definition does not include small items such as carpenter's tools or a gardener's hoe, but only that great social machinery of production, mills, mines, factories, railways and land, in short, those things the workers must have access to in order to live. I presume no one will be foolish enough to come forward, although some disagree as to who are the capitalists. We see, then, that the farmer is surrounded by enemies which he, himself, recognizes- He is acutely aware that because the masters own the railways, mills, elevators, factories, shipping, etc., they hold a gun to his head and cry: "stand and fir deliver!" But what he has not seen is that, because they own all these things, they own all the produce of the soil, nay, own the very farm and its machinery. We have said, in a previous letter that the settlement and exploitation of the West was not possible until the invention of modggi machinery of production, and a moment's reflection will show us that this all too true. The division of the West into quarter sections, has a deeper meaning than most think of. The manufacturers of the East, having erected a tariff wall next proceeded to make the home market as large as posssible, and it will be clear to the greenest homesteader that more machinery will be used to work four quarter sections than to farm one section. To fill the west with people using primitive tools, would have meant nothing at all to the interests that were already, as early as .the beginning of the last century, reaching out for the ownership of labor's product. Indeed, they would have formed, as did the settlers of Upper and Lower Canada, the greatest stumbling block to the growth of capitalist fortunes. The economist, Wakefield, gives us the master class opinion of such a state of affairs, when he calls it a "barbarizing tendency of dispersion of producers and national wealth." Marx, quoting Wakefield, speaking of the Atlantic shores of America, says: "Free Americans, who cultivate the soil, follow many occupations. Some portions of the furniture and tools they use, is frequently made by themselves. They often build their own houses, and carry to market, at whatever distance, the produce of their own industry- They are spinners and weavers; they make soap and candles, as well, as in many cases, shoes and clothes for their own use. In America, the cultiva-- tion.of the land is often the secondary pursuit of a blacksmith, miller or a shopkeeper." And Marx adds the query, "whence then, is to come the internal market for capital?" In other words to fill the West with producers for use, who would consume th. produce of their primitive industry, was not an alluring prospect for Canada, and furthermore, could not have been done. The great prairie country west of Winnipeg was to be made "that eternal market," and care was taken to insure this desirable result. The Donald Smiths, the Harrises, and the Masseys, the Jones' and McDonalds, the Petries and the Houstons, the family compact, and the "Johnnie A" fraternity; these gentry framed things for the settler of the West, and did it well. The land and machinery laws reflect as much upon the skill as the barbarity of their framers. That George Moore languished in prison December 1913, for working his best, and surrendering his all to the machinery company, testifies as much to the freedom of the Canadian citizen, as to the intelligence of the slaves, who con-v tinue to vote for this state of affairs, who support, by all means in their power, the rule of the robber capitalist class: It points us to the inevitable conclusion that this farm machinery is one of the means whereby the masters fleece the slaves; show us all too plainly that the slave who fancies he owns it, is, in reality, in no better position than any other worker, manipulating the machinery of production for a parasitic class, who own the proceeds of his toil. Indeed, after the passing of the Farm Machinery Act (which of course was not designed to protect the farmer, as we shall see later) )the machine masters put the pos ition up to the slaves in no uncertain manner, as the following circular letter will show: "Bear Sir,— We beg to advise you that owing to an Act entitled 'The Farm Machinery Act, we feel that we can no longer safely do business in the Province of Alberta, and have decided to close our Calgary Branch, and ship all machinery and repairs to our Regina Branch. "We will sell no new machinery in Alberta, and as regards for repairs for machinery already in Alberta, it will be necessary for customers to order them from our Regina Branch, and accompany the order with a remittance by Express or Post Office Order to cover the amount of the repairs ordered. "While we regret the inconvenience and delay which this will- probably cause customers, yet there is no other course for us, with the present law in Alberta. Yours very truly, NICHOLS & SHEPARD COMPANY, By F. C. Higgins, Mngr. Which simply means, "If we cannot have your whole hide, we will not bother with a part thereof." For that was exactly what brought the Sifton Farm Machinery Act into being. Aside from its political aspect—and of course it served as a powerful election weapon coming into effect, as it did, immediately before the 1913 election—it was an instrument designed to render more equitable the division of the spoils amongst the spoilers who of course were and are grouped roughly into three divisions: Machine Companies, Banks and Mortgage Companies. The Machine Companies sole aim is to unload their property as fast and as securely as possible; their alL too generous "credit" system merely requiring that all a "creditor" need have was habitation on a homestead. The velvet tongued sales agent canvassing the farmers is succeeded by a horde of especially handpicked bullies called, for want of a better name one supposes, collectors! These gentry .armed with all the powers of a properly constituted bailiff and bulging with an overwhelming display of legal shackles, chattel mortgages, etc., endeavor by all possible means to induce the victim to sign his name to what they are pleased to call "security," in fact documents so ironclad and so well devised to "protect the interests of the vendor" that the signee finds himself and family bound to the service of the Machine Companies with chains more galling, because less visible, than those which covered the limbs of slavish antiquity. The results are usually secured by what has been aptly termed "bulldozing" and indeed the psychological side af the performance is almost overdone, the collectors undertaking to conduct an inquisition as brutal and disgusting as any "third degree" examination ever staged. How old are you? Where were you born? Are you married? If so how many children? And crowning piece of blatant cynicism: Are you prosperous? The victim's ignorance ,or his well grounded fear of legal processes are ruthlessly used to coerce him into "placing his' hand to paper" with such dire effects that he frequently finds himself homeless, cast out of what little shelter he may have to start life over again. Small wonder then that there now and then appears spasmodic turbulence such as that "something very like sedition" which we have seen burst out in Saskatchewan. His blundering psychology, however, hopelessly floundering be- 10 THE WESTERN CLARION tween the deepseated hope that one day perhaps he will sit amongst the mighty in the land become in fact an arch exploiter, and the well founded fear that they will get him yet, coupled with his total failure to grasp the t^ue nature of the game, drives him to willingly support by voice and vote the very system of exploitation which makes the foregoing disgusting state of affairs, possible. "He wallows before his master while "beating up" that other slave sent to torment him. Under these circumstances it is of course no trick for the Machine Companies to maintain the perfectly masterful attitude that although "The ownership of this machine remains vested" in the vendor" nevertheless, by some legerdmaine, it is at the same time the property of the victim. -* Indeed there are numerous cases where, through faulty design or unskilful assemblage machines, absolutely worthless, mere collections of scrap-iron, were foisted upon the farmers— quite innocent of course of the nature of such things—despite which the Companies involved used every means, outside recourse to law, to compel the slaves to retairTand "pay" for them, even going to the trouble of ferreting amongst the neighbors for any weak spot in the honesty or industry of those whom they had ensnared and this with the full knowledge of the condition of the machines in dispute. Mr. P. P. Woodbridge, general secretary of the U F. A., and a most enthusiastic supporter of the Capitalist Class, is nevertheless compelled to substantiate the above in his yearly report before the Calgary convention in 1916. He cites the case of two farmers who, to quote one of "them, "would certainly have iseen ruined" had not the organization fought the matter out for them. One victim "In July, 1914 purchased a steam' threshing outfit from a certain implement company, which however, failed to give satisfaction, and in fact WAS UNFIT FOR USE, and after prolonged negotiations, the machine was eventually removed by the company, who, however, FAILED TO RETURN THE MORTGAGE PAPERS AND NOTES WITH WHICH AS USUAL the purchaser had burdened his land." It should be pointed out, however, that these cases occurred jn Saskatchewan, and not under the jurisdiction of the Farm Machinery Act. It was felt that the one party of exploiters were "comin' it a tfit thick," and that some measure of protection for the animal who produced was necessary else he was in danger of being extinguished altogether. A most shocking thing to contemplate, from the view point of the other two, who kept no collectors, but were acutely aware of the economic truth that vacant, unworked land was worse than useless to those who looked for interest on Capital, and that profit grew* not upon trees, like pears. The Farm Machinery Act, then, fulfilled this long felt want, but you are not to imagine, my dear E., that the task of stalling off the vampire fell to the other twain, by no means. The burden of proof was placed upon the grain raiser. He must take the matter into court, must expend money and time to the end that he might assist at a more equitable division of his hide, that if he won, if he lost? Well, we are all aware of the fate that awaits the poor slave who comes under the ban of our Courts of Justice. Are we not? THE WORKERS SOCIALIST PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES B Manifesto on the War We publish the following in order to acquaint our readers with the fact that the Socialist position finds advocates and adherents "over the line."—Ed. Cause of the War In view of the explanations and reasons offered by the spokesmen of the Capitalist classy as to the .cause of the war in which the United States is now engaged, and in view of the many statements of pseudo- Socialists and others, misrepresenting the Socialist positon, thus spreading confusion in the minds of the workers in general and particularly in the minds of those workers who are interested in Socialism, we deem it necessary > at this time, to restate the correct workng class position. The underlying cause of the present war, involving the principal capitalist nations of the wnrld, was the competition among the capitalist groups of those nations for the opportunity of industrial expansion. Industrial expansion is a necessity which presses with an ever-increasing intensity on all industrially de- veloped nations. This is occasioned by the fact that home markets are insufficient. The industries of these nations are able to produce much more than the home market will consume,! owing to the specialization of labor and the development of machinery. On tne other-hand, the purchasing power of the great mass of the people, the working dass, is limited by the amount of their >vages. Competition among the workers for employment keeps their wages at a .point which, on the average allows them to buy back only enough of the wealth they have produced; to ^sustain themselves. Therefore, all the wealth produced, over and above the amount necessary for the maintenance of the workers, is thrown upon the market, to be consumed, either by the capitalists themselves, or sold in a new market. As the capitalist class cannot consume all this surplus wealth, they are obliged to look about for a place to dispose of it, otherwise a panic ensuesiMThus, the glutting of the home market makes it necessary to and new territory to develop, where this surplus wealth can be disposed of. The inevitable result is a struggle betwee nations, representing various groups of capitalists, for the territory necessary to the carrying out of their plans. Whether that territory consists of colonies,, undeveloped countries, a'.eaboar'd territory, or territory possesing rich natural resources, the final object is the same. And whether the struggle is for concessions with the governments of undeveloped countries, or for the freedom of the seas> or other trade privileges, the object is again 'i 'Wa 11 the same. This object can be summed up^as: Disposal of surplus wealth. Back of this condition of "surplus wealth lies its cause—overproduction. ' We point, also, to the fact that there is nothing in the announced proposals of any of the belligerents, which Avill insure peace after this war. The same causes will be operative while ■ capitalism lasts, nor is there any assurance that the effects of these causes can be avoided by any plan of federation, disarmaments, etc., even if those plans are Carried out.' In this connection we advise the workers to watch closely the trend j)i commercial rivalry.be- tween various nations, after this war, particularly those nations just entering on a period of industrial and commercial expansion. -The Socialist Position As for the workers, their position is clear. Their exploitation under -Capitalism stands at one end of the chain of causes leading to war, and therefore leads directly to their destruction in war. We, therefore, re-assert that the question of peace is bound up in the ending of exploitation. We realize that a never ceasing struggle goes on between' the two principal factions in capitalist society,—i.. e., the working class and the | capitalist class—one to increase the portion they receive^ of what they produce; the other to abstract as much wealth as possible from the workers and so decrease the workers' portion. This struggle we call the Class Struggle, the highest expression of which is the organization' of the workers, consciously and politically, for the purpose of wresting the political power from the hands of the master class, to use it to transfer the ownership of the means of production to the wealth producers—this is the labor problem and its only solution. Efforts to deal with the effects odi capitalism, such as anti-conscription propaganda, federation of nations, pacifist schemes, peace conferences, etc., are unsound and unworthy the THE WESTERN CLARION attention of the workers.,. Strict ad- -herence to the Class Struggle is our only course. National Executive Committee HOW LONG? • OW we are asking ourselves how long must we wait before the breaking *of a new dawn ? The Mexican war was horrible, but with all its awfulness it was a sweet 1 sleep compared to the awfulness of today. President Huerta, when asked by the President of the U. S. and' others "To put an end to Mexican sanguinary troubles and rule her by the direct will of the people," replied that if any attempt was made to interfere with his country it would mean the imperilling or perhaps the complete loss of the many millions of foreign money invested in Mexican developments and loans. "You let me alone to govern this country in my own way or you will lose £very cent invested here," and no doubt he spgke truthfully. They would rather see the people treated even more cruelly than lo§e one copper invested, and the same moneyed interests that were behind the Mexican wft*> are behind this European war. Man has lost sight of everything save money, and for that he continues to wade through blood that his masters may divide the plunder. Today, man has, by collective effort, forced one invention after another into being and now some of us are at that stage where no invention seems impossible, although many of us said impossible when, just a few years ago, the first old box ear started along the steel rails with its old iron horse. Within the last few years we have experienced the successful operation of the wireless; by the touch of a button we give light to millions. Science has brought the ends of the earth within speaking distance and science is making war more deadly and dreadful every day. Just as we have felt the need of new inventions we now feel the need of new conditions and if -we as .socialists can show the necessity for a change in the method of production and distribution there is no reason to suppose that socialism is- any ritore impossible tlfan any of the recent inventions. It took many years of chattel slavery to prepare the way for feudalism, and centuries of feudalism to prepare the way for capitalism, so today capitalism is preparing the way for socialism. - Three things are necessary to any society in order that it may prosper Th.ese" are food, clothing and shelter. We find that when any new social organization could provide more adequately food,, clothing and shelter it superceded the old form and now, today, social production has reached that point of development. A reorganization is taking place within capitalism, and capitalism's death knell can be heard on every, side. Now is the time for every socialist, to act. Education is the first .thing needed. We must teach the workers their true position in society. This hour before the dawn is dark and discouraging, but let every man and woman in our movement put forth their best efforts in educating their fellow slaves, then when the time comes they may act in the interests of their class and make life worth living. It depends on you. HOW LONG?\ Johnfiie. MANITOBA MISCELLANEA gif By "Pat." The much talked of (and by the average capitalist much desired) Union Government has}i according to Friday, October 12th, 1917, newspapers, now been formed and it is amusing to read of the righteous indignation expressed by our local Labor Leaders ,at the fact that neither they nor any of their kidney have been chosen as members' of the cabinet. We -expect an old Liberal hack to express himself in the following manner: HH THE WESTERN CLARION Controller A. W. Puttee: Labor men were ignored. It is the only government in the world in which labor men are not included. We are not surprised when an ex.- I. L. P'er from Scotland gives his views in the following way: H. G. Veitch, Pres. Trades Council : This cabinet is merely representative of the two old political parties. It is not representative of all classes. There is no labor man included. Such a clipping merely shows that like Ramsay Macdonald and Philip Snowdon, this ex-I. L. P.'er repudiates the Class Struggle,? the principle on which Socialism is founded, but when we find, to quote his own words, "the only representative of International Socialism in any Legislature in Canada" expressing himself as follows:— R. A. Rigg, M.P.P.: There is no labor man included. As to the personnel named I have not yet studied it. Then we think it time to point out to the few members of his Party who are Socialists or rather who are students of Socialism where they get off at. There are only two points of view that Mr. Rigg ian adopt., First, that in his opinion a Social Democrat could take a place in Canada's capitalist cabinet. Second, that International Socialism is not Labor's only party, and Labor's only platform, and therefore in his opinion the Class Struggle is non-existent. If a Labor man should be included, as he infers, then there must be a community of interests between capital and labor, the slave class and the ruling class must have something in common to defend and to fight for. Perhaps Mr. Rigg will tell us what it is or maybe he could tell us what a Labor minister (himself for instance) could do if he did land such a glorious job. # An interesting letter from" the trenches was read to me the other day and one clause is worth repeating, it read as follows: "Tell "Pat" that I'll take that "Western Clarion" sub. out as soon as I can, and believe me I'm not the only one here.'' That sure sounds good to me, especially as another soldier who wears a D. C. medal writes me direct saying: "This is my second war and I like a scrap, but next time I fight it will not be for but against the capitalist class." I've an idea he thinks the capitalist class is something to eat; but the spirit is grand. w w w Hay Tells Next-ofKin Members Anarchist Is Only True Man (From Winnipeg Trubune, Oct. 18, 1917) Consternation was caused at a meeting of the Next-of-Kin association, Wednesday evening, in the Industrial Bureau, when Pte. A. C. Hay, formerly president of the Great War Veterans' association, made the statement that "the anarchist is the only true man." "He takes the bomb and with it he brings about his reforms quickly. Working by legislation one can get things done more slowly, but the bomb turns things upside down at once, and these times need quick action," said Pte. Hay. Mr. Hay was speaking of the evils of party government, which he said was unjust and immoral. Mr. Hay some time ago told a wondering audience that he was a Socialist, and spoke in familiar terms of Bobby Blatchford and other famous jingoes who by some freak of nature were once called Socialists. He has advanced somewhat and may at some time be eligible for membership in the I. W. W., the Holy Rollers or some other organization who aim to do something now. _b «_> -ib The local members had a fine visit last week from A. Kohn, of the S. P. G. B., and hope at some future time to renew the acquaintanceship. '^M Comrade Walker >the wandering Socialist, wandered in on us the other day from Calgary, the profits of the C. P. Railway will fall conditions that are oppressive. According to that Imperialistic Review "The Round Table,'," for September 1917, the miners of New Zealand called a strike, for, as a manifesto reads: "We wish to state we have no quarrel with the companies whatever. In the present instance it is conscription alone and nothing but conscription." As a result of the strike the terms of settlement included the following clause: \' It was to be made plain to the Military Service Boards that every essential worker in coal and gold mining should have his appeal allowed." This is an object lesson to the Canadian workers which, of course, they will not benefit by. Why, of course not, you know it might hurt the supply of blood stained putty knives for our Labor Leaders to take action of this kind. v-H|StEffi?3@S_i«jr ORGANIZATION QO greater ignorance, amongst the workers, exists than that regarding " organization." To the vast majority of the members of our class, they are organized as soon as a number of them are brought together in a meeting, made to pay four bits a month to an individual called "the secretary," wear a but- torn; and pack a card in their pocket. Of course it is perfectly true that any bringing together of men, putting them in a position where they can exchange their ideas . and find out their .fellows) viewpoint upon problems that mutually affect them may be termed, correctly, organization. It is only organization, however,* insofar as it brings about that realization of the mutual needs of the .members, and we must keep in view the underlying basis of it in order to be able to get the greatest benefit therefrom. The great factor that leads up to organization is the knowledge that by concerted action—by sticking together—the workers, may, under certain eiifeumsftances, obtain better conditions for living under, whether that betterment is effected by raising wages, shortening hours, or removing some of the working con- 1 THE WESTERN OLARION 13 siderably when he is conscripted. When the labor market is glutted with men looking for a jo]}," the viewpoint of the worker is much different to that when the boss is known to be hunting around for men, with small prospect of getting them. In the first case the worker looks upon each of his fellows as a competitor for the job that he himself has his eye upon, and very rightly so, because experience has taught him that when there are more men than there are jobs, somebody has got to go without one; while in the second case he knows that, since the employers are competing amongst themselves for men, it merely requires concerted action to wring concessions from them. Inasmuch as the workers look at things in that wayj to that extent are they organized. Knowledge is the basis of the whole thing, notwithstanding the fact that the knowledge may be entirely limited to the conditions which may enable the wage worker to raise his wages, &c. But the knowledge that embraces can only be of use to them in dealing with those factors; when once bigger problems present themselves our class falls down because of its ignorance. In order that the workers may be effectively organized, either economically or politically, they must have sufficient knowledge to look at things from a class standpoint; they do not necessarily need to understand all the ramifications of an elaborate system of political economy, but they must understand capitalism sufficiently to be able to accept the class struggle as a reality, and know that nothing can permanently better their conditions but the abolition of the wages system. The function of the Socialist Party of Canada is to spread a knowledge of the laws governing the relations between man and man in capitalist society, and to explain the actions of man—his institutions, his customs ,and his ideas^—in order that the problems that now confront the workers may be dealt with in a scientific,, logical manner. This is education. And the more that education is absorbed by our class the more will it be organized, because, not only will it be consciously working to the end that capitalism may be abolished, but it will have the knowledge to grasp any chance that occurs to get a little more butter on its bread. Ambrose Tree DOMINION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Convened in the office of the Secretary, 22nd October, 1917, at 8 p.m. Present: J. Shepherd; J. M. Jenkins, J. Harrington, -J. Kavanagh, and the Secretary. Chairman: J. Shepherd. Minutes of the previous meeting adopted as read. Correspondence: Local Victoria (4); J. T. Stott, R. Thomas,, Victoria; Wm. Churchill, A. Goodwin (2), Trail; H. W. Leibhart, T. B. Roberts, Silverton:, J. A. Tait, Spences Bridge;; Geo. G. Ross, Alberni; Wm. Healy, W. Reed, Quatsino; T. Hyde, Thomson's Sound; M. T. Kirby, Tourner Island; G.J H. Laundry, Qualicum Beach; T^ B, Coughl'an (2), Waldo, B. C; C. Johnson, Chase, B. C. j Alberta P. E. C.(2) • J. Redd (3), Calgary; Lee Wilson Barons; Roy Addy, Hespero; J. Bewsher, Nordegg; C. M. Christian- son, Wildunn; , J. Torrill, Spring Coulee; C. C. Segrave, Strathmore; J. W;. Trofanenko, Wayno P. 0., Alberta; T. Buick, Saskatoon; Nels Sorlie, Milden; C. Stepehenson, Swift Current, Sask.; Local Winnipeg (5); Alex. Paterson (3), Winnipeg ; T. Hanwell, Brandon, Man.; Local St. Catherines (3); Geo. Rossiter, Toronto ((2) j S. P. of N. A., Toronto; Dominion Press Clipping Agency, Toronto; Mervyn Smith, Kitchener; • Viola Woods, Thames- ford, Ont.; Local Montreal; M. Goudie, St. John, N.B.; W. Lafon- taine, Forty Mile, Y. T; M. Watson, Seattle; A. Budden, Big Sandy, Mont.; Moses Baritz, John Keracher, 0. F. Chevillot (2); L. M. Beardsley, W. Davenport, Detroit, Mich.; Mrs. A Davies, Leicester, Eng Application for membership.—T. B. Roberts, Silverton, B. C. Ad- mittedj||A. Goodwin, Trail,, B. C. Application refused for the following reasons, on motion (Jenkins— Kavanagh) : "That any individual attempting to enter political life as a laelkey of the present political parties is unfit to hold membership in the S.P. of C. That the action of A. Goodwin in allowing his name to be used as a candidate for Deputy Minister of Labor in B; C, and his acceptance of the candidature by the absence of any public repudiation placed him in the position above stated.''—Carried unanimously. Financial Report Western Clarion Receipts Subs. $51.40 Directory and Bundles 8.00 C. M. F 10.60 $70.p0 Expenses Printing $63.00 Wages 1 17,00 Miss 1 9.55 $89.55 D. E. C. Literature J .....$22.50 Stamps | 39.50 $62.00 Expenditure Wages |f| ! ..$19.,00 Miss 1 6.00 $25.00 Adjourned. f? THE WESTERN CLARION (Continued from page 7.) ■■j||t the origin of these two revolutionizing inventions is hidden in obscurity. The dates and inventors names are unknown. They fell upon a society ignorant of their potentiality, while Luther's thunderbolt feir upon a society trembling with expectancy. . The Papal Hierarchy having passed through a period of' anarchy, and for some years had been regaining her former power and; arrogance, but her triumph was short lived. Her great rival, Mohammedanism, had become em- .-broiled in civil strife. Northern and Western Europe were no longer menaced by the Arabs. The Turks were; however, an object of concern to Austria, Italy and the Mediterranean (ports.; , America had been discovered, Cape of Good Hope had been doubled; Copernic- ius had given Jiis discoveries to the press; a new world lay before Europe, a world in which saintly relics and monkish buffoonery were impotent and stupid. The year Columbus discovered America, 1492, the rich silver mines of saxeny were opened, and fresh discoveries continued to be made. The commercial and industrial class centred in fortified towns, developed rapidly. Large bodies of men were drawn from the productive- areas into regions barren and cold- Traffic in wood, woollen' goods, and dried fish developed. A central power to make safe the trade routes became the great need of the day. The only central power heretofore had been the Papal See. But it was entirely inadequate to the new social needs. It was too far removed in point of space and sympathy for the new order. Admirably adapted to organize ing crusades against Infidels, and crushing knowledge ,or to deciding such abstruse questions as "Whether God can become the substance of a woman, of an ass, of a pumpkin,, or of the devil, and whether if so, could a pumpkin preach a sermon, or work miracles,, or be crucified," as Erasmus satirically suggests, it failed utterly in providing the merchants and industrials with a staple government, to protect them from the rapacity of the landed nobles and with laws by which to regulate- their increasing complex relations. While failing to find an excuse for its existence it did not fail to make increasing demands upon the wealth of Europe's new masters. The occupant of the Papal chair at the time of Luther's defiance was a member of the famous Medici family. Like all his tribe he was ambitious to leave some monument of his greatness for posterity to marvel at—a disease by no means peculiar to the Medici tribe. He was the patron of art and letters, and was feputed to be a sceptic 1 and is supposed to 1iave said "one thing we do know, the Christ myth has been very profitable to us." Leo X. was enormously wealthy but he kept a magnificent establishment. He desired to complete St. Peter's Church at Rome, a task beyond his private purse and prodigal life. He had recourse to the usual means of the Papacy when in need. He sold Cardinal's hats at enormous sums, granted dispensation from oath to those whose youth "and vigor rebelled against monastic vows, and pardon to those whom age _.ad brought nearer to God than their manner of living; rendered desirable for a consideration. The sale of indulgences was instituted on an enormous scale. But Xhe evil did not end with the Pope plunder. The recipient of a "filthy red hat" did not purchase it to appease his^. vanity. Frequently he had incurred ruinous debts or obligations, and had to extract from his district the money to discharge them. The landed barons and the free cities alike felt the hand of the church over heavy. 'The monasteries were in control of the richest 4ands in Europe and their inmates, lazy and desolute, ignorant and arrogant, interfered with progress wherever it appeared.; The Barons, yes even kings, 'Ai-idd -ojd sine). *\v saouBjS suotauo ^s'bd The. lives of the monks had been lield up to ridicule in the coarsest of satires; the printing press scattered theni through Europe. The more obscene books were enony- mous, but some of the more moderate, but too coarse for, modern British eyes, were boldly' isued in their author's name. ,,The monks were furious^ | The Papajl dignity itself was not secure from these courageous jesters ,and a dialogue between Julius II. (lately dead) and St. Peter at the gate of heaven set Europe rocking with laughter. It was staged in Paris 1514. France was in open revolt against Rome. The indelicate portions might cause a" blush in the office from whence -comes commands as to what we shall not print. But no objection can be made to the following: "St. Peter: But Christ died for all men, and how can Christ's vicar reject those whom Christ accepts? Julius: Laecept everyone who will pay me taxes—Indian, African, Arab or Greek, if they only admit my supremacy, those who will not I cast off. Greeks especially, who are obstinate schismatics. Peter: So~ Rome is the general treasury of the worlds Julius; May we not re'ap their carnal things where we sow our spiritual things?" Beside these satires, Erasmus had published his translation of the New Testament, with notes. These notes were as hitter and telling as the satires, and were much more effective; appearing in the word of God, and expressly sanctioned by Pope Leo himself. In them we are told "the averice of priests and hypo- cracy of monks" exhibited the virgin's milk, our Lady's petticoat, St. Anne's ' cowl, for money; and that the fragments' of the true cross if collected would freight a large ship. In Rome these things and the sacred objects they were supposed to represent were the jest to the Papal court. (Continued..in next issue.) if- I 11 THE WESTERN CLARION ^ SEND YOUR intin TO THE Western Clarion 15 Socialist Party Directory DOMINION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Socialist Party of Canada, meets every alternate! Monday 8 p.m., Socialist Hall, N.E. cor. Pender and. Dunlevy, Vancouver, B. C—W. B. Mitchell, f||$fv Secretary. BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL Executive Committee, Socialist Party of Canada, mets same as above. ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. — Secretary^ __Jp.h_ P. Maguire, Box 785, iMmonton. Phone 4803. Jj NEW BRUNSWICK PROVINCIAL EX- ECUTIVE COMMITTEE.—A 'Taylor, Secretary, East St. John, N. B. Por Party literature and information on organization matters, etc., write to above address. LOCAL ALHAMBRA, No. 74 (Alta.) S. P. of C.—P. O. Peters<*n, Secretary, Horseguards, Alta. LOCAL CALGARY, No. 86 (Alta.), S. P. §||j|of C.—^Business meeting every Tuesday, 8 p.m. Economic class Thuraday and Sunday at 8 p.m. Headquarters, 220—8th Ave. E. Secretary, H. Ciif- ford Morgan, Suite 49, Thomas Block. LOCAL CLAYTON, No. 83 (B.C.)) S. P. of C. —John T. Dempster, Secretary, Clayton, B. C. LOCAL CRAWFORD BAY, No. 72 (B.C.), S. P. of C—J. E. McGregor, Secretary Crawford Bay, B. C. LOCAL CUMBERLAND, B. C, No. 70.— ||jj| Business metings every first and third Sunday, in- the month, at 10:30 a.m., Economic classes every Monday and ^Friday, at 7 p.m., in the Socialist Hall opposite P. O. Regular Propaganda meetings at every opportunity. C. Walker, Box 181, corresponding and financial secretary. |p|| LOCAL ECKVILLE, No. §8 (Alta.), S. P. of C—J. P. Knorr, Secretary, Eck- ville, Alta. | LOCAL ENDERBY, No. 65, S. P. of C— Business metings first Sunday-in each month at 2:30 p.m. Propaganda third Sunday in each month at 2:30 p.m., in the Theatre, Main St., Everybody welcome. J. Pilkington, Secretary, R. B. No. 4, Armstrong, B. C. LOCAL EDMONTON No. 1, S. P. of C— Pree reading room and headquarters Room 5, Bellamy Blk. Propaganda meeting every Sunday in the Bijou Theatre, First St., at 8 p.m. Business meetings every Tuesday at 8 p.m. J# Slater, organizer. E. H. Flegg, secretary, P. O. Box 785. LOCAL ERSKINE, No. 32 (Alta), S. P. of C—A. A. McNeill, Secretary, Erskine, Alta. . •' . '::$s)iM LOCAL FERNIE, S. P. of C.,^ hold educational meetings in the Socialist Hall every Sunday at 7. Business meetings third Sunday in each month, 7:30 p.m. Economic class every Sunday afternoon at 2:30. Oscar Erickson, Secretary, Box 505. LOCAL ROSSLAND, No. 25, S. P. of C. —Meets in Miners' Hall every change Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Will Jones, Box 125, Secretary. LOCAL FERGUSON FLATS, No. 85 (Alta),—O. L. Fuller, Secretary, Ferguson Flats, Alta. LOCAL KINDERSLEY, No. 10 (Sask.) ' S. P. of C—W. K. Bryce, Secretary, Collins, Sashk. LOCAL LETHBRIDGE, ALTA., No. 13,'- S. P. of C.—Meets every Sunday at 3:30 p.m., in Miners' Hall" Secretary, W. Shaw, 624—14th St., S. Wm. Devoy Organiser. MEDICINE HAT (Lettish) Local S. P. of C. Meets first Sunday in the month at 528 C Princess Ave., J. R. Kalnin, Secretary. LOCAL MARKERVILLE, No. 31 (Alta.), S. P. of C.—S. E. Baldwin, Secretary, Markerville, Alta. LOCAL MONTREAL, No. 1, S. P. of C— * Address all enquiries" to P. O. Box 253, Station B, Montreal, P. Q. LOCAL FLOWERDALE, No. 71 (Alta.), S. P. of O—Mrs. J. R. Macdonald, Secretary, Richdale^ Alta. LOCAL SUNDIAL, No. 70 (Alta), S. P. of O—Mrs; A. Thorburn, Secretary, Sundial, Alta. LOCAL SILVER LEAF, No. 101 (Alta.) S. P. of C.—Ed. Haugen, Secretary, Baraca, P. O. Alta. LOCAL ST. CATHERINES, No. 30 (Ont.) S. P. of C.—D. Thompson, Secretary, 34 William Street LOCAL ST. JOHN, N. B., No. 1, S. P. of C.—Visiting Comrades welcomed. .Secretary, Stanford E. White, 24 Main St. LOCAL TRAIL, No. 37 (B.C. (, S. P. of C. —D. Wilson, Secretary, Box 531. LOCAL TRAVERS, No. 55 (Alta.), S. P. !||||?ofC.—W. A. Brown, Secretary, Travers, P. O., Alta. LOCAL VANCOUVER, No. 1, S. P. ol O. —Business meeting every Tuesday evening, 401 Pender St. E. Propaganda meeting at the Rex Theatre every Sunday, 8 p.m. Secretary, J. Kavanagh. VANCOUVER LETTISH LOCAL No. 58, S. P.'-of C.—Business meeeting every firsts Sunday of the month and propa- | ganda meeting every third Sunday at 11 a.m. Open to everybody, at Socialist Hall, N.E. cor. Pender and Dunlevy. Secretary, R. Amat, Box 667. LOCAL VANCOUVER, B. C, No. 45, Fin- nish. Meets every second and fourth- Wednesdays in the month at 2215 Pender St. East, Ovia Lind, Secretary. LOCAL VICTORIA, No. 2, S. P. of C— Headquarters and Reading Room, 1424 Government St., Room 8. Business meetings every second and fourth Tuesday in the mqnthjfr Secretary, J. Stevenson, 1424 Government St. LOCAL WINNIPEG, No. 3, STPTTf^C^ Business meetings every Sunday 11 a.m. Economic Class every Monday 8 p.m. Headquarters, Room 4—328 Smith St. Organiser, W. Ashton. Secretary, Leo. Schoor. LOCAL OTTAWA, No. 8 (Ont.) S. P. of O—Secretary, A. G. McCallum, 276 Laurier Ave. 16 THE WESTERN CLARION PLATF Socialist Party of Canada We, the Socialist Party of Canada, affirm our allegiance to, and support of, the principles and program of the revolutionary working class. Labor, applied to natural resources, produces all wealth. The present economic system is based upon capitalist ownership of the means of production, consequently, all the products of labor belong to the capitalist class. The capitalist is therefore master; the worker a slave. So long as the capitalist class remains, in possession of the reins of government all the powers of the State will be used to protect and defend its property rights in the means of wealth production and its control of the product of labor. The capitalist system give to the capitalist an ever-swelling stream, of profits, and to the worker, an ever-increasing measure of misery and degradation. The interest of the working class lies in setting Itself free from capitalist exploitation by the abolition of the wage system, under which this exploitation, at the point of production, is cloaked. To accomplish this necessitates the transformation of capitalist property in the means of wealth production into socially controlled economic forces. ' The irrepressible conflict of interest between the capitalist and the worker necessarily expresses itself as a struggle for political supremacy. This is the Class Struggle. Therefore, we call all workers to organize under the banner of the Socialist Party of Canada, with the object of conquering the political powers, for the purpose of setting up and enforcing the economic program of the working class, as follows: 1. The transformation, as rapidly as possible, of capitalist property in the means of wealth production (natural resources, factories, mills, railroads, etc.) into collective means of production. 2. The organization and management of industry by the working class. S. The establishment, as speedily as possible, of production for use instead of production for profit. VANCOUVER LOCAL NO. 1 LENMN BalDHHH 1 HEADQUARTERS SOCIALIST HALL, N.E. cor. PENDER & DUNLEVY, VANCOUVER Economics, Philosophy, History, Biology, etc., etc. The best works o nthe above subjects by the greatest writers of the last century: Marx, Engels, Dietzgen, Labriola, Lafargue, Darwin, Huxley, Benjamin Kidd, and many others. Most of the works in this Library cannot be found in any other in the city, not even in the Carnegie Library. Membership per annum: Fifty cents. Socialist Party of Canada MANIFESTO § With introduction written specially by the author of the original. Whole work revised and re-cast. Now Ready. $6.00 PER 100, EXPRESSAGE PAID. PAMPHLETS Issued by the DOMINION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (Prices include Express Charges) (3) WAGE-WORKER AND FARMER (Pilkington) Price—Per 100, $4.50; Per Dozen, 55 cents; per Copy, 10 cents. (6) WHAT IS SOCIALISM? Hardenburg) Price—Per 100, $5.' 50; Per Dozen, 70 cents; per Copy, 10 cents. Propaganda Meeting Vancouver Local No. 1 S. P. of C. EVERY SUNDAY, 8 pm. REX THEATRE, Hastings Street. Boost the Western Clarion i
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