From
THE ALARM, Nov. 1, 1884. To The WORKINGMEN of AMERICA. FELLOW-WORKMEN:
- The Declaration of Independence says: But
when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same object, evinces a design to reduce them (the people) under absolute
Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government
and provide new guards for their future security." This
thought of Thomas Jefferson was the justification for armed resistance
by our forefathers, which gave birth to our Republic, and do not the
necessities of our present time compel us to reassert their declaration? Fellow-Workmen,
we ask you to give us your attention for a few moments. We ask you candidly
to read the following manifesto issued in your behalf; in the behalf
of your wives and children; in behalf of humanity and progress. "Our
present society is founded on the exploitation of the propertyless classes
by the propertied. This exploitation is such that the propertied (capitalists)
buy the working force body and soul of the propertyless, for the price
of the mere costs of existence (wages) and take for themselves, i. e.,
steal, the amount of new values (products) which exceeds this price,
whereby wages are made to represent the necessities instead of the earnings
of the wage-laborer. As
the non-possessing classes are forced by their poverty to offer for
sale to the propertied their working forces, and as our present production
on a grand scale enforces technical development with immense rapidity,
so that by the application of an always decreasing number of human working
forces, an always increasing amount of products is created; so does
the supply of working forces increase constantly, while the demand therefore
decreases. This is the reason why the workers compete more and more
intensely in selling themselves, causing their wages to sink, or at
least on the average, never raising them above the margin necessary
for keeping intact their working ability. Whilst
by this process the propertyless are entirely debarred from entering
the ranks of the propertied even by the most strenuous exertions, the
propertied, by means of the ever-increasing plundering of the working
class, are becoming richer day by day, without in any way being themselves
productive. If
now and then one of the propertyless class become rich, it is not by
their own labor but from opportunities which they have to speculate
upon, and absorb the labor-product of others. With
the accumulation of individual wealth, the greed and power of the propertied
grows. They use all the means for competing among themselves for the
robbery of the people. In this struggle generally the less-propertied
(middle-class) are overcome, while the great capitalists par excellence
swell their wealth enormously, concentrate entire branches of production
as well as trade, and inter-communication into their hands, and develop
into monopolists. The increase of products, accompanied by simultaneous
decrease of the average income of the working mass of the people, leads
to so-called "business" and "commercial" crises,
when the misery of the wage-workers is forced to the extreme. For
illustration, the last census of the United States shows that after
deducting the cost of raw material, interest, rents, risks, etc., the
propertied class have absorbed i.e., stolen--more than five-eighths
of all products, leaving scarcely three-eighths to the producers. The
propertied class, being scarcely one-tenth of our population, and in
spite of their luxury and extravagance, and unable to consume their
enormous "profits", and the producers, unable to consume more
than they receive--three-eighths--so-called "over-productions"
must necessarily take place. The terrible results of panics are well
known. The
increasing eradication of working forces from the productive process
annually increases the percentage of the propertyless population, which
becomes pauperized and is driven to "crime", vagabondage,
prostitution suicide, starvation, and general depravity. This system
is unjust, insane and murderous. It is therefore necessary to totally
destroy it with and by all means, and with the greatest energy on the
part of every one who suffers by it and who does not want to be made
culpable for its continued existence by his inactivity. Agitation
for the purpose of organization; agitation for the purpose of rebellion.
In these few words the ways are marked which the workers must take if
they want to be rid of their chains, as the economic condition is the
same in all countries of so-called "civilization", as the
governments of all Monarchies and Republics work hand in hand for the
purpose of opposing all movements of the thinking part of the workers,
as finally the victory in the decisive combat of the proletarians against
their oppressors can only be gained by the simultaneous struggle along
the whole line of the bourgeois (capitalistic) society, so therefore
the international fraternity of peoples as expressed in the International
Working People's Association presents itself a self-evident necessity. True
order should take its place. This can only be achieved when all implements
of labor, the soil and other premises of production, in short, capital
produced by labor, is changed into societary property. Only by this
pre-supposition is destroyed every possibility of the future spoliation
of man by man. Only by common, undivided capital can all be enabled
to enjoy in their fullness the fruits of the common toil. Only by the
impossibility of accumulating individual (private) capital can every
one be compelled to work who makes a demand to live. This
order of things allows production to regulate itself according to the
demand of the whole people, so that nobody need work more than a few
hours a day, and that all nevertheless can satisfy their needs. Hereby
time and opportunity are given for opening to the people the way to
the highest possible civilization; the privileges of higher intelligence
fall with the privileges of wealth, and birth. To the achievement of
such a system the political organizations of the capitalistic classes--be
they monarchies or republics--form the barriers. These political structures
(States), which are completely in the hands of the propertied, have
no other purpose than the upholding of the present disorder of exploitation. All
laws are directed against the working people. In so far as the opposite
appears to be the case, they serve on one hand to blind the worker,
while on the other hand they are simply evaded. Even the school serves
only the purpose of furnishing the offspring of the wealthy with those
qualities necessary to uphold their class domination. The children of the
poor get scarcely a formal elementary training, and this, too, is mainly
directed to such branches as tend to producing prejudices, arrogance
and servility; in short want of sense. The Church finally seeks to make
complete idiots out of the mass and to make them forego the paradise
on earth by promising a fictitious heaven. The capitalistic Press, on
the other hand, takes care of the confusion of spirits in public life.
All these institutions, far from aiding in the education of the masses,
have for their object the keeping in ignorance of the people. They are
all in the pay and under the direction of the capitalistic classes.
The workers can therefore, expect no help from no capitalistic party
in their struggle against the existing system. They must achieve their
liberation by their own efforts. As in former times a privileged class
never surrendered its tyranny, neither can it be expected that the capitalists
of this age will give up their rulership without being forced to do
it. If
their ever could have been any question on this point, it should long
ago have been dispelled by the brutalities which the bourgeoisie of
all countries--in America as well as in Europe--constantly commits,
as often as the proletariat anywhere energetically move to better their
condition. It becomes, therefore, self-evident that the struggle of
the proletariat with the bourgeoisie must have a violent revolutionary
character. We
could show by scores of illustrations that all attempts in the past
to reform this monstrous system by peaceable means, such as the ballot,
have been futile, and all such efforts in the future must necessarily
be so, for the following reasons: The
political institutions of our time are the agencies of the propertied
class; their mission is the upholding of the privileges of their masters;
any reform in your own behalf would curtail these privileges. To this they will not and cannot consent, for it would be suicidal
to themselves That
they will not resign their privileges voluntarily we know, that they
will not make any concessions to us we likewise know. Since we must
then rely upon the kindness of our masters for whatever redress we have,
and knowing that from them no good may be expected, there remains but
one recourse—force. Our forefathers have not only told us that
against despots force is justifiable, because it is the only means,
but they themselves have set the immemorial example. By
force our ancestors liberated themselves from political oppression,
by force their children will have to liberate themselves from economic
bondage. "It is, therefore, your right, it is your duty,"
says Jefferson--"to arm." What
we would achieve is, therefore, plainly and simply: First:
- Destruction of the existing class rule, by all means, i. e. by energetic,
relentless, revolutionary and international action. Second:
- Establishment of a free society based upon co-operative organization
of production. Third:
- Free exchange of equivalent products by and between the productive
organizations without commerce and profit mongering. Fourth:
- Organization of education on a secular, scientific and equal basis
for both sexes. Fifth:
- Equal rights for all without distinction to sex or race. Sixth:
- Regulation of all public affairs by free contracts between the autonomous
(independent) communes and associations, resting on a federalistic basis. Whoever
agrees with this ideal let him grasp our outstretched brother hands. Proletarians
of all countries unite? Fellow-workmen,
all we need for the achievement of this great end is ORGANIZATION and
UNITY. There
exists now no great obstacle to that unity. The work of peaceful education
and revolutionary conspiracy well can and ought to run in parallel lines. The day has come for solidarity. Join our rank |