THE COMMANDMENTS GROWN WITH THE WORLD.
If men claim that we are to be forever satisfied with the commands, "Thou shalt not steal," and "Thou shalt not kill," we will answer that these commands have grown, and that under the banner of the New Democracy we shall declare in thunder tones to all the world, "thou shalt not be killed," "thou shalt not be robbed," and not only this but also, "thou shalt not allow thy brethren to be killed," and, "thou shalt not allow thy brethren to be robbed." These commands have developed still further, so that the cry shall go up from sea to sea that our present and past systems of thievery, robbery and murder shall be swept away, that the teaching of the churches against thievery, robbery and murder, through all the centuries, has borne fruit, and that now, not only shall the poor, dependent teachers of abstract truth proclaim between hymns and prayers, "thou shalt not steal," and "thou shalt not kill," but that the whole people shall Join in one mighty chorus, and declare that public thievery, robbery and murder must cease from off the earth and that our social and political systems shall be made to conform to the teachings of our religion.
To those who oppose us in the name of religion, let our answer be, "We do not fight the church; without the church and its teachings for nineteen centuries, the New Democracy would have been impossible." The New Democracy is an outgrowth of all religions. Religion has protected and kept alive, through the barbarous past, the great moral truths that we are now applying to actual life. Even if the church or any part of the church or priesthood or ministry attempts to oppose us, we will simply laugh with God at every futile effort to stem the flood, the source of which is their own teaching through nineteen centuries. For the church, or any part of it, to oppose or belittle or criticise the New Democracy, is for the tree to disclaim its own fruit, for the rivers to disown the sea, for the fountain to dry up its stream, for the mother to cast aside her child.
The founders and prophets of all the great religions taught the principles of justice and brotherly love. The New Democracy makes possible their realization.
What nobler work can any man engage in on Sunday than the proclaiming in open air or behind closed doors these eternal truths, or tell of the new impulse that is fast taking hold of men to weave these truths into the texture of our social institutions.
CHAPTER X.
ONLY TWO PARTIES IN THE WORLD.
Another of the few foundation truths upon which the structure of the world's present progress is being reared, a truth that cannot be too often told nor too continuously urged, is that THERE ARE ONLY TWO PARTIES IN THE WORLD.
One party consists of those who, seeing wrong, try to end it; seeing injustice, strive to abolish it; and, being told of possible improvements, investigate and EXPERIMENT, hoping to attain them.
The other party is made up of those who cannot see wrongs when practiced upon others, who are blind to injustice for fear of the unjust, and who, being told of possible improvements, antagonize their instructors, in defense of the private interests of themselves or their masters, that might by change be jeopardized.
One party represents the cause of the people; the other the selfishness of kings, nobles and plutocrats.
The fight now is not simply a continuation of the old fight that has been going on from ancient times, but is the world climax, the end of the struggle. Those who produce and trade and teach, earning their money by honorable exertion, are forming all along the line, against those who are too lazy to work, too stupid or too proud to trade or teach, but who wish to grow rich by acquiring other people's property. The honest masses who believe in law, order and progress, are approaching a decisive contest for permanent supremacy with the dishonest classes who, in order to defend their systems of plunder, utilize in their service the combined forces of ignorance, superstition, toadyism, lawless cunning and the force of arms.
If the lawless, irresponsible dictators of industry and commerce are successful, then liberty, constitutional government and personal security are at an end, civilization is derailed into an abyss, and retrogression displaces progress through another age of barbarism. Gold becomes the only God, and bayonets the only prod to duty. The university, the press and the pulpit will all be made permanent attachments to the one despotic machine which is to control every source of communication and instruction, and stifle all thought and aspiration that does not strengthen the ruling power.
On the other hand, the people's victory will end class rule forever, and gradually abolish all special privileges and monopolies by means of which one man holds an unjust advantage over another. The people holding the reins of power will apply the best talent, experience and energy possessed by man to the establishment of justice, order and public achievement. This is the situation confronting our country and the world. It is the situation as it confronts every individual man. The war is universal. There are no non-combatants. Everyone is affected by the outcome. Each has the power to help decide the result. Whether in compliance with or against our will, each of us must participate and assist one side or the other.
Which shall it be? The party of the people or the party of tyranny. This question presents itself alike to the citizen of America and the inhabitant of Europe. Since the historic people's victory at Chicago, July 6, 1896, the people's party in America has taken the name "REGULAR DEMOCRATIC." In Germany, France and England it is known as the "Social Democracy;" in the Balkans and Asia Minor it is the "Greek;" and in the West Indies, the "Cuban Army."
When once the masses realize that the same class of adventurers, tax-gatherers and oppressors of labor who in this country have gotten absolute control of the Republican political machine, are the present friends, the advisers and colleagues of the despots, plutocrats and military leaders of Europe, that their families are intermarrying, their interests being pooled, their cause becoming one, their interests identical, all their plans and hopes one and inseparable, then will it be impossible for designing demagogues to mislead or confuse them further. When it becomes generally understood that the forces of reaction throughout the world are one, then will the common people come into closer union and bind themselves together as a unit.
The union of those who profit by tyranny necessitates the union of all who believe in liberty. The internationalism of millionaires is creating an internationalism of the common people. The situation is being so simplified that all may comprehend clearly the two forces whose conflict extends over the modern world. All minor and secondary divisions and issues are swallowed up. The international aspect of the problem does not, as one might at first suppose, confuse the mind, but, on the other hand, simplifies the issue so that none can mistake concerning it. Old prejudices, reverence for party names, sectional hatreds, sores left by historic feuds, religious differences and affiliations with local political machines, in which self or friends are interested selfishly, all tend to cover up the real issues, when only the local end of the fight is studied.
But, when we learn that the same class that induced the governments of Europe and America to co-operate with Spanish murderers in starving, killing and torturing tens of thousands of our patriotic brother Americans in Cuba to protect the value of their Spanish bonds and got these so-called Christian governments to assist the Turk, supply him with arms and drill and general his soldiers for the massacre of hundreds of thousands of defenseless Armenians and Greeks, to secure the continued payment of interest on their Turkish bonds; that this class is made up of the same individual bondholders who are gaining control, through syndicates, of our American breweries, distilleries, railroads, street car companies, gas companies and other manufacturing and commercial institutions; that they are ever ready mercilessly and barbarously, by murder or giant fraud, to advance their interests, regardless of duty to humanity, country or to God, all of which they deny; and, when we prove that this class now controls absolutely the machinery of the Republican party in America, and is trying again to control Democracy, the masses, in their fury against it will, regardless of historic prejudices or past or local political affiliations, unite in common defense of home and country to stamp it out.