Agenda for the Socialist National Convention

...The mere collapse or overthrow of the present system wouM not assure the advent of Socialism...

...THE NEW LEADER Agenda for the Socialist National Convention rOC committee appointed by the National Executive Committee of the SStaiHtT party for that purpose herewith submits • set of proposed resolutions for the Agenda ef the National Convention...

...The capitalists, as beneficiaries of the existing system, seek to maintain it...

...As the workers come to understand their class problems, they learn to combine pointful with Industrial action, and by both methods at once to Improve their present status and to hasten their complete emancipation...

...Fraternally submitted, morris hitja* urr, j am eh oneai* iiakrv w. lArouat, Committee...

...This has kept it in touch with reality and prevented it from degenerating into sterile dogma...

...It is not by any reform of the existing economic order but only by the substitution of a radically different one that they can be ended...

...Tor similar reasons the committee haa failed to Include a number of miscellaneous proposals which, in its opinion, should be referred to a committee en resolutions, likewise to be elected by the convention...

...Neither political nor economic liberty can be expected to be conferred on the workers as a free gift of the privileged class...

...It spreads from country to conn, try, and everywhere It develops in essentially the same way and produces similar results...

...Where different views have appeared on questions of principle or policy the committee has endeavored to present the main divergent points under each head...

...The army of the unemployed grows with the growth of capitalist profits, even In times of industrial activity...

...Furthermore, we recognise that violent counter-revolution within a Socialist state may justifiably be put down through ths use of violence...

...Its arms are essentially antagonistic only to those of the classes which benefit by exploitation...

...Where production can in general be carried on with simple and inexpensive tools, private ownership may conduce to individual liberty...

...Unless the forces consciously and constructively working for the realization of the Socialist 'deal are first sufficiently developed, such a cataclysm might result in the ruin of civilization or to the rise of some new form of class rule...

...The Socialist movement Is therefore International in scope and International in spirit and In aim...

...Setting up riches instead of moral or mental growth as the standard of success, and throwing individuals into ruthless competition, it disintegrates the family and the community, commercializes art and sTfanntt uouupts public adteiuistraiion and the eeurts...

...Modern industry, however, requires the use of huge and costly aggregates of land, buildings and machinery, operated by the combined labor of great numbers of workers...

...in framing these resolutions the comnrittee haa endeavored to preaent to the cenvention an intelligent summary of the most important proposals submitted to it by the various party locals...

...It should not promise to restore to them any class advantages they have lost but Invite them to join b> the establishment ef a classless society...

...The power of making, Interpreting aad> administering the laws is used by the cspitahsta against the workers and against the tabor m seem set, The working class needs a party of its own to defend its immediate Interests...

...To promote such harmonious relations is especially the duty and interest of the Socialist party...

...Neither of these can attain Its maximum efficiency unless the other Is likewise active nor unless harmonious relations exist between them...

...The Socialist party In the United States Is an integral part of ths Labor and Socialist International...

...DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES The purpose and policies of the Socialist party are not determined by considerations of temporary expediency...

...Hence, follows en inremant struggle over wages, hours ef labor, eassawtons of employment and related issues, waged principally on the industrial field, but also in the political arena on both sides...

...While national, regional or local differences to economic, social and political conditions may often necessitate differences in the minor details of tactics and procedure, the fundamental principles of SocialIsm are not peculiar to any nation, but are valid throughout the world...

...employed, jf* their immediate Interests are diametrically opposed...

...Throughout recorded history society has at all times been divided into two or more rliascs, according to the ways in which men got their livelihood, by their own labor or by exploiting others...

...Socialism Is essentially democratic in aim and method...

...It wibatdaaes fakwhood hi the press, curbs the free expression of public aptolBn, tramples on the civil rights of whole peoples, ana even enters into affiance with the criminal underwork...

...It recognizes no such thing as an American Socialism different in principle or purpose from Socialism In other countries...

...Ths duty of the Socialist party hi each country Is to cooperate with the Socialist parties of all other countries In combating imperialism and militarism, to striving for the prevention of war, in promoting International friendship, in resisting**1...

...Numerous proposed amendments of the party constitution have also been submitted to the committee dealing with almost every provision of the constitution...

...Every betterment of their conditions which the workers obtain through organized struggle In the industrial and political field or through the efforts of workers' cooperatives Is to be welcomed for its own sake and also for Its effect upon working-class morals...

...Amendment The Socialist party reaffirms its faith In democratic methods for this country in the attainment of Socialist goals...

...The Socialist party does not expect an automatic breakdown of the capitalist system to bring it an opportunity to set up a new economic and social order...

...The product being divided into wages for the workers and profit* for the capitalists, neither share can be proportionately increased without dmnnlstrlng the other...

...At short Intervals the system plunges into crises of overproduction, during which unemployment is enormously increased, wage rates are beaten down, and the savings of the poorer classes are wiped oat, and from which the great capitalists often emerge richer than before...

...The struggle over wages, hours and conditions of employment Is the primary function of the unions...

...They are guided by certain basic principles, which are derived from ecientlflc understanding of the process of social evolution...

...For this purpose, the union* must strive to organize all workers, regardless of their political opinions The party, necessarily, making political opinion a quaHfloatlon for membership and necessarily admitting many who are not wageworkers, stanot perform this function, but it can and should give whole-hearted sympathy and assistance to the unions In the work for which they are responsible...

...Socialist theory has developed through practical experience of the class struggle...

...Unionism aloes, moreover, can only limit capitalist exploitation, not abolish It...

...These evils are inherent In the fact that under capitalism production can be carried on only for profit...

...The agenda subjects herewith submitted are confined to questions of principle, policy and organization...

...But this appeal should be made from the working-class, point of view...

...The more Industry Is rationalized, the more the capitalist system Is perfected, the worse become its resultant evils...

...employing the workers and the latter can make s living only by betas...

...The two principal forma of organisation necessary for this struggle are the trade union and the political party...

...attacks upon democracy and upon the rights and Interests of the working class...

...It is but one national division of the world-wide movement of revolutionary, democratic, working-class Socialism, to whose service it pledges the loyal devotion of its membership and It* organization...

...With every improvement of machinery it throws masses ef workers into unwilling idleness and want...

...The ultimate interests of the two classes are likewise irreconcilably opposed...

...It has been considered impractical to include these in the agenda because of their volume and also because the convention will undoubtedly elect a committee on constitution, whose function it will be to sift the various proposals...

...Freedom, equality and plenty for the workers can therefore be obtained only by socializing the ownership and control of the productive wealth which is now held as capital...

...In the interest of brevity and economy It was, of course, necessary to discard many proposed resolutions of locals which seem to be substantially covered by similar resolutions submitted by other locals, but the committee believes it has not omitted any important viewpoint and, in this connection, it should be borne in mind that its formulation of the agenda is not final but is subject to any amendments which the convention may deem fit to make...

...Kven as a system of wealth production, it stands condemned...

...the wage-workers alone are impelled to do so by conscious class Interest Only when the members and adherents of the Socialist party are recruited mainly from among the wage-workers, when its propaganda is addressed primarily to them, when their success in the class struggle Is its chief concern, can it realize its aims...

...The basic reorganization of society is necessarily a political task and can be accomplished only by an independent working. class party...

...While piling up monstrous fortunes for the few, It does not assure the workers an opportunity to earn the merest livelihood...

...The Socialist movement grows out of this revolutionary class struggle...

...The Socialist party, accordingly, while keeping its ultimate purpose always In mind and clearly proclaiming It on all occasions, baa also its program of immediate demands, which all tend to the strengthening of the working class...

...Even In their dairy struggle over the division of the product under the capitalist system, the unions cannot safely ignore politics...

...to break labor pigiaimttans and debauch elections...

...In freeing itself it will do away with all class rule...

...It is essentially a movement of class conscious wageworkers, aiming to better the conditions of their class, to develop Us powers, and as rapidly as possible to emancipate it from exploitation and class rule...

...Thus the struggle over the division of the product develops into a struggle over the basic institution of property, which can be decided only through the use of political power...

...Ths emancipation of the masses must be achieved by the mass** themselves, and In order to achieve it they must develop through self-directed struggle the capacity to govern themselves...

...The wage-working class cannot become and does not aspire to become a new ruling and exploiting class...

...nor dees it think of its present task as being the negative one of destroying capitalism...

...The Socialist party may logically appeal to than m the light of their future...

...The more capitalism develops, the more does it demonstrate it* unfitness to serve general human interests...

...The Socialist party explicitly rejects the notion that improvement of the workers' lot is an obstacle to its progress It rests its hope, not on the workers stoking into such misery as win make them desperate, but on their desire for a better life and their Increasing intelligence, power and determination to act together for their common good...

...The Socialist party, therefore, devotes its efforts shove all to the duty of preparing within capitalist society the conditions necessary for building the cooperative commonwealth...

...The future society which it foresees and for whose establishment It strives will be a classless and therefore a democratic society...

...Capitalism is confined by no national frontiers...

...It is neither possible nor desirable to go back to the methods of small-scale production...

...From this it follows that the Interests of the wage-workins...

...The dominant class antagonism In present-day society is between the wage-workera and the capitalists—between those who must sen their services in the labor market, and those who are enabled to appropriate the whole profit of production because of their ownership and control of the industries...

...The working farmers, the self-employing mechanics, the professionals and the petty business men are, through the growth of capitalism, being deprived of opportunities they formerly enjoyed and being reduced in ever larger numbers to the status of wage workers...

...It fosters militarism and imperialistic aggression and breeds war on a gigantic scale...

...Under these conditions, private ownership involves control by the few over the opportunities of the many to work and live...

...The two classes are nsterdependea* in the sense that the capitalists profit only fa...

...It is therefore vitally necessary both that their party and their unions should be democratically controlled by their rank and file, and that they should consistently defend whatever measure of political democracy exists and strive for the complete democratization of the state...

...The wage workers, as fast as they come to understand their position hi capitalist society, seek to bring about this socialization, and thereby to free themselves from dependence upon the capitalists...

...Ws recognise, however, that differing conditions call for differing tactics, so that whenever and wherever democratic channels for action have not bean developed, or having been developed, become closed, Socialists must use any means at their com* mend to achieve a social and economic system for the benefit of ths workers...

...class in each country are not only opposed to the interests of its own capitalists, bat are inseparably connected with those of the wage-workers in every other land...

...Individuals from other classes may join it from idealistic motives...

...Interests and those of their children...