ment over questions of form of organization or technical methods of action in the industrial struggle, but trusts to the labor organizations themselves to solve these questions.

2. That the Socialists call the attention of their brothers in the labor unions to the vital importance of the task of organizing the unorganized, especially the immigrants and the unskilled laborers. . The Socialist Party will ever be ready to co-operate with the labor unions in the task of organizing the unorganized workers, and urges all labor organizations, who have not already done so, to throw their doors wide open to the workers of their respective trades and industries, abolishing all onerous conditions of membership and artificial restrictions.

3. That it is the duty of the party to give moral and material support to the labor organizations in all their defensive or aggressive struggles against capitalist oppression.

4. That it is the duty of the members of the Socialist Party who are eligible to membership in the unions to join and be active in their respective labor organizations." (See discussions of the subject in "The Socialism of To-day," p. 379-381, and also the treatment of Labor Unions in the various sections of the present volume.)

b. Socialist Labor Party.

"Conquer the workshops for your own and your children's use by organizing your industrial battalions into the Workers' International Industrial Union with headquarters at Detroit, Mich." (Platform of S. L. P., 1916.)

"Whereas, Neutrality' toward economic organizations of Labor on the part of a political party of Socialism is equivalent to neutrality toward organizations that endorse and support the system of private ownership of the social means of producing wealth.

"Resolved, That the Socialist Labor Party show the fallacy of craft unionism, and urge the workers to organize industrially on the principles the Workers' International Industrial Union." (Resolution Economic Organization, 1916.)

Socialist Party Contribution to Strike Funds.

Anthracite Miners' Strike Fund

on

(Appeal Almanac, 1916, Page 184.)

1902

$9,967.15

1913-14 Calumet strike fund (to Oct. 1)

Colorado strike fund (to Oct. 1)

30,912.01

2,163.45

$96,965.89

Strike childrens' relief fund (to Oct. 1)... 6,352.51

Grand total

$103,318.40

3. AGRICULTURE.

a.

Socialist Party.

The following "Farmers' Program" was adopted at the National Convention of 1912:

1. The Socialist Party demands that the means of transportation and storage and the plants used in the manufacture of farm products and farm machinery shall be socially owned and democratically managed.

2. To prevent the holding of land out of use and to eliminate tenantry, we demand that all farm land not cultivated by owners shall be taxed at its full rental value, and that actual use, and occupancy shall be the only title to land.

3. We demand the retention by the national, state or local governing bodies of all land owned by them, and the continuous acquirement of other lands by reclamation, purchase, condemnation, taxation, or otherwise, such lands to be organized as rapidly as possible into socially operated farms for the conduct of collective agricultural enterprises.

4. Such farms should constitute educational and experimental centers for crop culture, the use of fertilizers and farm machinery, and distributing points for improved seeds and better breeds of animals.

5. The formation of co-operative associations for agricultural purposes should be encouraged.

6. Insurance against diseases of animals and plants, insect pests, and natural calamities should be provided by national, state, or local governments.

7. We call attention to the fact that the elimination of farm tenantry and the development of socially owned and operated agriculture will open new opportunities to the agricultural wage-worker and free him from the tyranny of the private employer.

In addition to the above program, the Convention of 1912 made the following demands:

1. The erection by the state at convenient points of elevators and warehouses for the storage of grain, potatoes, and other farm products; and connected with these, provisions for municipal markets wherever the people of the community desire. We call attention to the fact that constitutional amendments providing for these measures were killed by the old parties in the last legislature.

2. Establishment by the state of one or more plants for the manufacture of farm machinery and binder twine.

3. State or county loans on mortgages and warehouse receipts, the interest charges to cover the cost only.

4. State insurance against destruction of animals and crops.

b. Socialist Labor Party.

The declaration which follows, copied from the Maximum Demands for Unity, shows a distinct though not ir

reconcilable difference from the attitude of the Socialist Party toward the farmer:

"3. Declaration that the United Socialist Party aims to socialize, along with other means of production, all land used for the production of commodities, whether such land be owned by a big or small farmer, or be tilled by wage labor or otherwise."

4. THE TARIFF.

Neither of the two American Socialist parties makes a platform declaration regarding the tariff.

The Socialist Party convention of 1912 inserted and afterwards struck out a plank demanding "the gradual reduction of all tariff duties, particularly those on the necessities of life." The discussion of the matter in the Convention showed, however, that the party definitely favors free trade, but prefers not to make an issue of the tariff, on the ground that the working-man is affected very little by changes in import duties provided the capitalist system is allowed to continue. (See "The Socialism of Today,” p. 482-4.)

a.

5. IMMIGRATION AND THE RACE PROBLEM. Resolution of the International Socialist Congress of 1907, at Stuttgart. (Extracts only.)

"1. Prohibition of the export and import of such workingmen as have entered into a contract

3. Abolition of all restrictions which exclude definite nationalities or races from the right of sojourn in the country and from the political and economic rights of natives, or make the acquisition of these rights more difficult for them.

4. For the trade-unions of all countries the following principles shall have universal application in connection with it:

a. Unrestricted admission of immigrant workingmen to the trade-unions of all countries.-"

b. Socialist Party.

The American Socialist Party has not yet arrived at a definite stand regarding the immigration question.

The committee appointed to report on the matter to the Congress of 1910 brought in a resolution favoring exclusion; this resolution was defeated, however, and a substitute adopted. At the Congress of 1912 the majority of the committee on Immigration again brought in a resolution favoring exclusion, while the minority proposed the reaffirmation of

the Stuttgart resolution. No action was taken by the Congress and the committee was continued.

In 1901 the Unity Convention adopted resolutions on the Negro question containing the following:

"Resolved, that we declare to the negro worker the identity of his interests and struggles with the interests and struggles of all workers of all lands without regard to race or color or sectional lines;-that the only line of division which exists in fact is that between the producers and the owners of the world-between capitalism and labor-that we, the American Socialist Party, invite the negro to membership and fellowship with us

6. THE LIQUOR PROBLEM.

The Socialist Party.

The following resolution was adopted at the National Socialist Convention, 1912.

"The manufacture and sale for profit of intoxicating and adulterated liquors leads directly to many social evils. Intemperance in the use of alcoholic liquors weakens the physical, mental and moral powers.

"We hold, therefore, that any excessive indulgence in intoxicating liquors, by members of the working class is a serious obstacle to the triumph of our class, since it impairs the vigor of the fighters in the political and economic struggle, and we urge the members of the working class to avoid any indulgence which might impair their ability to wage a successful political and economic struggle, and so hinder the progress of the movement for their emancipation.

"We do not believe that the evils of alcoholism can be eradicated by oppressive measures or any extension of the police powers of the capitalist state-alcoholism is a disease of which capitalism is the chief cause. Poverty, overwork and overworry necessarily result in intemperance on the part of the victims. To abolish the wage system with all its evils is the surest way to eliminate the evils of alcoholism and the traffic in intoxicating liquor."

7. WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

The Platform of the Socialist Party demands "unrestricted and equal suffrage for men and women."

In 1912 Congressman Berger introduced in the House of Representatives a joint resolution including the following:

"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."

8. MILITARISM AND WAR.

The General Problem.

Of several manifestoes issued by the National Executive

Committee we give extracts from that adopted by the National Committee, May, 1915, and later ratified by a referendum of the members of the Party.

I. "Terms of peace at the close of the present war should be based on the following provisions:

1.

2.

No indemnities.

No transfer of territory except upon the consent and by the vote of the people within the territory.

3.

All countries under foreign rule be given political independence if demanded by the inhabitants of such countries.

II. International Federation.

Special commissions to consider international disputes as they may arise. The decisions of such commissions to be enforced without resort to arms.

1. 2.

Universal disarmament as speedily as possible.
Pending complete disarmament:

a. Abolition of the manufacture of arms and munitions of war for private profit and prohibition of exportation of arms, war equipment, and supplies from one country to another.

1.

b. No increase in existing armaments under any circumstances. C. No appropriations for military or naval purposes.

IV. Extension of Democracy.

policies.

Political democracy.

a. Abolition of secret diplomacy; democratic control of foreign

b. Universal suffrage, including woman suffrage.

2. Industrial democracy.

In 1915 a referendum was passed by a vote of 11,041 to 782 expelling any elected official of the Socialist party who should give his vote for war or war credits.

On the opening day of Congress, in the fall of 1915, Meyer London introduced a resolution calling upon President Wilson to convene a congress of neutral nations to attempt to mediate between the warring nations of Europe. This resolution was afterwards introduced in the Senate by a Democratic Senator.

a. Socialist Party.

Preparedness.

The extracts already given from the Manifesto of September, 1915, contain the following demands:

"a. No increase in existing armaments under any cir

cumstances.

"b. No appropriations for military or naval purposes." Congressman Meyer London was the only member of the House of Representatives to vote against the Hay Bill,