Anarchy and Anarchists: A History of the Red Terror and the Social Revolution in America and Europe; Communism, Socialism, and Nihilism in Doctrine and in Deed; The Chicago Haymarket Conspiracy and the Detection and Trial of the ConspiratorsSchaack, Michael J.
History
Anarchy and Anarchists: A History of the Red Terror and the Social Revolution in America and Europe; Communism, Socialism, and Nihilism in Doctrine and in Deed; The Chicago Haymarket Conspiracy and the Detection and Trial of the Conspirators
Whereas, political liberty without economical freedom is but an empty
phrase; therefore, we will, in the first place, direct our efforts
to the economical question. We repudiate entirely connection with
all political parties of the propertied class without regard to
their name. We demand that all the means of labor, land, machinery,
railroads, telegraphs, canals, etc., become the common property of
the whole people, for the purpose of abolishing the wage-system,
and substituting in its place coöperative production with a just
distribution of its rewards.
The political action of the party will be confined generally to
obtaining legislative acts in the interest of the working class
proper. It will not enter into a political campaign before being
strong enough to exercise a perceptible influence, and then in
the first place locally in the towns or cities, when demands of
purely local character may be presented, provided they are not in
conflict with the platform and principles of the party. We work for
organization of the trades-unions upon a national and international
basis, to ameliorate the condition of the working people and seek to
spread therein the above principles. The Workingmen’s Party of the
United States proposes to introduce the following measures as a means
to improve the condition of the working classes:
1. Eight hours’ work for the present as a normal working day, and
legal punishment for all violators.
2. Sanitary inspection of all conditions of labor, means of
subsistence and dwellings included.
3. Establishment of bureaus of labor statistics in all States as well
as by the National Government, the officers of these bureaus to be
taken from the ranks of the labor organizations and elected by them.
4. Prohibition of the use of prison labor by private employers.
5. Prohibitory laws against the employment of children under fourteen
years of age in industrial establishments.
6. Gratuitous instruction in all educational institutions.
7. Strict laws making employers liable for all accidents to the injury
of their employes.
8. Gratuitous administration of justice in courts of law.
9. Abolition of all conspiracy laws.
10. Railroads, telegraphs and all means of transportation to be taken
hold of and operated by the Government.
11. All industrial enterprises to be placed under the control of the
Government as fast as practicable and operated by free coöperative
trades-unions for the good of the whole people.
The Constitution of the “Workingmen’s Party of the United States” was
as follows:
The affairs of the party shall be conducted by three bodies: 1. The
Congress. 2. The Executive Committee. 3. The Board of Supervision.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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