WE THE WORKERS OF THE WORLD, HAVE COMMITTED A GREAT CRIME AGAINST YOU RUSSIAN WORKERS, BY REMAINING SILENT AND SUBMISSIVE, BUT NOW WE WILL SUBMIT AND KEEP SILENT NO LONGER! WE WILL BEGIN TO ACT NOT ONLY TO SAFEGUARD YOUR FREEDOM BUT ALSO TO FREE OURSELVES!

Workers of America! Unite into Workers' Soviets everywhere, Get ready get ready to respond to the call of the GENERAL STRIKE THROUGHOUT

for the

general THE COUNTRY, for that great day will mark the beginning of the strike. social revolution. The Workers' Soviets of Russia shall never be destroyed!

Their destruction means our continuation in slavery!
Their victory means our liberation and the liberation of the workers
the World!

Therefore we call upon the WORKERS OF ALL COUNTRIES AND Act at UPON THE WORKERS OF AMERICA TO ACT!

once! AND ACT AT ONCE!!

Questions on the foregoing Readings 1. When and why was the I. W. W. organization formed? 2. What attitude was expressed toward trade unionism in the mani

festo calling a convention to organize the I. W. W.? 3. What does the preamble the constitution of the I. W. W. say

about class struggle? 4. What revolutionary watchword was to be inscribed on the banner

of the I. W. W.? 5. Who was Dr. Maximilian Cohen? 6. Outline the views of this man with regard to mass action ” and

the social revolution. 7. What opinion did Dr. Cohen express with regard to the government

of the United States? 8. Define sabotage. 9. Outline the statement of Vincent St. John with respect to sabotage. 10. How does Robert Hunter describe sabotage? 11. What is the threefold object of the I. W. W. press? 12. What message did the New Solidarity convey to the working classes

of Germany in 1919? 13. What opinion was expressed in the November, 1919, issue of

The One Big Union Monthly, as to liberty in this country? 14. What prophecy was contained in the August, 1919, issue of The

One Big Union Monthly with respect to the farmer and land
ownership?

15. What is a favorite method of advocating sabotage, the general

strike, and revolution? 16. Outline the contents of the Anarchist Soviet Bulletin for July,

1919, with respect to the general strike and the social revolution. CHAPTER XV

MILITANT SOCIALISM: THE BOLSHEVISTS

85. Socialism is established in Russia 1 Ever since the days of Karl Marx socialists the world over had At last the

social revobeen agitating for the “social revolution.” This revolution came

lution. in Russia in 1917. On November 7 of that year the reins of government were seized by a group of socialists calling themselves“ munists,” but better known as “bolshevists.” On July 10, 1918, the bolshevists adopted a constitution, which began with the following declaration of rights:

com

A. ARTICLE ONE. DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF THE

LABORING AND EXPLOITED PEOPLE

Chapter One 1. Russia is declared to be a Republic of the Soviets of Workers', Russia deSoldiers', and Peasants' Deputies. All the central and local power

clared to be

a Soviet belongs to these Soviets.

Republic. 2. The Russian Soviet Republic is organized on the basis of a free union of free nations, as a federation of Soviet national republics.

Chapter Two 3. Bearing in mind as its fundamental problem the abolition of The Conthe exploitation of men by men, the entire abolition of the division gress of this

Soviet of the people into classes, the suppression of exploiters, the estab- Republic lishment of a socialist society, and the victory of socialism in all lands, the Third All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies further resolves:

(a) For the purpose of attaining the socialization of land, all private property in land is abolished, and the entire land is declared

1 From the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, Constitution, Article 1, Chapters i and n.

declares abolished the private ownership of land.

Other industrial resources are also declared to be national property.

Declarations with regard to loans

to be national property and is to be apportioned among agriculturists without any compensation to the former owners, in the measure of each one's ability to till it.

(b) All forests, treasures of the earth, and waters of general public utility, all equipment whether animate or inanimate, model farms and agricultural enterprises, are declared to be national property.

(c) As a first step toward complete transfer of ownership to the Soviet Republic of all factories, mills, mines, railways, and other means of production and transportation, the Soviet law for the control by workmen and the establishment of the Supreme Soviet of National Economy is hereby confirmed, so as to insure the power of the workers over the exploiters.

(d) With reference to international banking and finance, the Third Congress of Soviets is discussing the Soviet decree regarding the annulment of loans made by the Government of the Czar, by landowners and the bourgeoisie, and it trusts that the Soviet Government will firmly follow this course until the final victory of the international workers' revolt against the oppression of capital.

(e) The transfer of all banks to the ownership of the Workers' and Peasants' Government, as one of the conditions of the liberation of the toiling masses from the yoke of capital, is confirmed.

(f) Universal obligation to work is introduced for the purpose of eliminating the parasitic strata of society and organizing the economic life of the country.

(8) For the purpose of securing the working class in the possession of complete power, and in order to eliminate all possibility of restoring the power of the exploiters, it is decreed that all workers be armed, and that a Socialist Red Army be organized and the propertied class disarmed.

and banks.

A Socialist Red Army and its purpose.

a

The bolshevist constitution limited the suffrage

86. The suffrage under bolshevism? One accepted index to the political character of a nation is the extent to which the adult population of that nation enjoy the right to vote. A century and a half ago, it was generally true that the masses of the people had relatively little control over the conduct

1 From the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, Constitution, Article iv, Chapter XIII.

of their government; more recently, however, the steady spread of democracy has markedly extended the suffrage. The plea of some socialists has long been for an even greater control of government by the masses, yet the Russian socialists definitely and unqualifiedly excluded important classes of the population from the suffrage. The following excerpts from the bolshevist constitution illustrate the attitude of the Russian socialists toward the suffrage:

groups,

Chapter Thirteen 64. The right to vote and to be elected to the Soviets is enjoyed to certain

enumerated by the following citizens of both sexes, irrespective of religion, nationality, domicile, etc., of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, who shall have completed their eighteenth year by the day of election:

(a) All who have acquired the means of livelihood through labor that is productive and useful to society, and also persons engaged in housekeeping which enables the former to do productive work, i.e., laborers and employees of all classes who are employed in industry; trade, agriculture, etc., and peasants and Cossack agricultural laborers who employ no help for the purpose of making profits.

(b) Soldiers of the army and navy of the Soviets.

(c) Citizens of the two preceding categories who have in any degree lost their capacity to work.

65. The following persons enjoy neither the right to vote nor the while a right to be voted for, even though they belong to one of the categories

number of

important enumerated above, namely:

classes were (a) Persons who employ hired labor in order to obtain from it specifically

denied the an increase in profit.

ballot. (6) Persons who have an income without doing any work, such as interest from capital, receipts from property, etc.

(c) Private merchants, trade and commercial brokers. (d) Monks and clergy of all denominations.

(e) Employees and agents of the former police, the gendarme corps, and the Okhrana (Czar's secret service), also members of the former reigning dynasty.

(f) Persons who have in legal form been declared demented or mentally deficient, and also persons under guardianship.