War—What For?

by George R. Kirkpatrick

Then and then only shall we be in position by legally possessing the power to defend ourselves, our class.

Then and then only shall we be in position to destroy the parasitic class aggression, the class robbery, out of which grows the class struggle—the civil war in the shop, and the war, the civil war, of the toil-stained brothers of the working class on the battlefield.

Then, and then only, shall we be in best position to declare war against war.

Then we shall cease forever to foolishly wet the earth with our blood and tears and cease to be robbed in the shop and factory; and then we shall claim our own, a greater life.

The only safety therefore for the working people in all lands is to organize themselves into a political party, an international political party, of the working class, and patiently build their party big enough for each national group of workers to seize the political powers of government in their own country—always, everywhere, loudly declaring war against war.

There is but one working class political party on all the earth. That party sincerely proclaims: “Freedom for the working class! No more war!” And loudly and patiently that party sounds an immortal call of brotherhood to all the workers on all the blood-stained earth:—“Workingmen of all countries, unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains; you have a world to gain.”

That working-class party is the Socialist Party.

Already this working class party, loudly calling, “Freedom in the shop and freedom from the battlefield”—already this party is beginning to save the blood and tears and homes and joys of the working class.

Every working man and woman should learn—and teach the children to recite at school—the following page of history, four historic events:

First Event: In 1847 two men, geniuses, wrote a very small, but powerful book.[^[326]] The book was published in 1848. Kings, emperors, tsars and presidents have turned pale when their common people began to understand that small book. The first proposition in that astonishing book is: “The [recorded] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” That is a great fact. Pack it into your mind. That sentence has opened wide the mental windows of millions of working men—and women. The last sentence of that book of social lightning is this:—“Workingmen of all countries, unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains, you have a world to gain!” That is a sublime call. That call has thrilled millions of weary working-class people. Every year it thrills millions more. Some day that call will enter your soul. Then you will know the meaning of this next event.