198 THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIALISM PART III ful,-more subject to the foresight of intelligent direc-, tion, less subject to the chances of accidental survivals. 249. Summary.-1. The earth belongs to all men 2. To those who hold to the authority of the Christian and Jewish scriptures, the authority of these scriptures to this effect is complete. 3. To the scientific mind, the making of the earth and the origin of man cannot be separated. The mo nopoly of the earth by a few cannot make any such use of the earth as would make any satisfactory culmination for the countless centuries of time and the vast movements of the worlds involved in the creation of both the earth and man. But the use of all the earth by all the people through long periods of time, while the great achievements of the race are effected and the perfection of the race-life is attained, does give a fit ting climax to the long processes of the ages. 4. The earth and man are mutually adapted to each other, belong together. Man cannot live without it. Whatever right he has to his life, he has the same right to the earth as the sole means by which his life is possible 5 Those who created the private titles to the earth created these titles and the owners continue to hold them solely by force But as force is the sole foundation of private titles, no such title can be valid in the face of a stronger force The private owners are be coming fewer in number and weaker in power. The disinherited are becoming larger in number and greater in power. Titles based on force must finally deliver the earth to all of the people. He says the "Helpless few who hold the earth are not its rightful owners." CHAP XV THE OWNERSHIP OF THE EARTH 195 sequence, ner order, her intelligibility, her Collectiv- 245. The Test of Strength.- Again, if it be claimed 246. Private Titles Based on Force.-Unreasonable And "Comrade" Mills who says "The helpless few who hold the earth are not its rightful owners" was put on the payroll by the "Comrades" and "Fellow Workers" who dominated the Nonpartisan League and the Colorado farmers are told that "Comrade" Mills has written "A good share of the campaign literature and was a member of the legislative bureau which drafted the laws now on the statute books" of North Dakota. Note the following from their Colorado publication: RE YOU GOING TO HEAR MILLS? One of the Greatest Speakers of the Time Will Be in Your State of Washington. He has been for more than two years a lecturer, writer and of ganizer for the Nonpartisan League. Most of this time he has been in North Dakota. He has covered the whole state five times over. He has written a good share of the campaign literature d was a member of the legislative bureau which drafted the laws now on the statutes of that state embodying actual legislation in the program of the Nonpartisan League He proposed and draft Ted the original bill for creating Now the Nonpartisan League was supposed o be a "farmers' organization"-only farmers could be admitted to it-and yet the farmers had no voice whatever in the selection of the officers of this organization-in the selection of ts organizers or employees-in the writing of ts program or in the carrying on of its work. They had no voice whatever in how, or where, or by whom their own money should be exended-no voice in the character of the readng matter that was to circulate at their ex>ense in two million homes. And when the farmers of the Northwest began to ask why these Socialists (many of them imported from other states) who were neither farmers-nor members of this "farmers' organization"-ruled the Nonpartisan League with an iron hand, these Socialists selected the president of a school of international SocialismWalter Thomas Mills, a man schooled in the art of using the English language to conceal his real thoughts-the biggest man in the Nonpartisan League-but neither a farmer nor a member of the League -a man who has without question made more converts to Socialism than any other single individual in this country. Somebody had to do it. It was a disagreeable job, but it had to be done, and so they selected the man most competent for the job man who had, in 1914, just completed a tour of the, world to make "the world safe for Socialism"-a man whose standard work"The Struggle for Existence"-has been printed and circulated by Socialists in every country on the globe. Walter Thomas Mills was chosen to tell the' farmers of the Northwest whose energy, money, efforts and ballots had made the Nonpartisan League a possibility: "Why a farmers' organization composed exclusively of farmers and supposed to be in the interests of farmers should be owned, managed and autocratically ruled by Socialists who never farmed." And so Walter Thomas Mills (paid by the farmers-but hired by Socialists) put the Socialist typesetters and printing presses (paid for by the farmers-but controlled and managed by Socialists) to work and printed a pamphlet (on paper bought with farmers' money) and they called the publication the "Articles of Association of the National Nonpartisan League, together with a discussion of the democracy of its form of organization, etc." bv Walter Thomas Mills. These "Articles" (without the comment by "comrade" Mills) are reproduced from their own publication in full, and are as follows: The Articles of Association of the Together with a discussion of By Walter Thomas Mills Author of "Democracy or Despotism" Additional copies of this document may be obtained free from the publishers. Ask for "Document 101." Published by the National Nonpartisan League Fifth Floor, Endicott Building St. Paul, Minn. Articles of Association of the tional Nonpartisan League SECTION 1 The name of this association is the Nati Nonpartisan League. SECTION 2 The purposes for which this ssociation formed are: (A) Making government responsive to the of the people-government OF the people; (B) Eradicating special privilege; purif government; improving the general welfare of people-government FOR the people; (C) Raising the standard of citizenship; seminating knowledge of the rights, powers duties of citizens in relation to governmenternment BY the people. SECTION 3 The management and control of this ass tion is hereby vested in a state committee of affiliated state, and in a national committee national executive committee. While the gov ment and control of this association is so тел that those placed in charge may build the orga zation and maintain and protect it against mies from without and within, yet the memb reserve to themselves all political power. majority of the members of this association indorse and support, or oppose and defeat, any didate for national office, and may propose carry out any national legislation; and a major of the members of this association in any sta may indorse and support, or oppose and defeat, candidate for state office, and may propose carry out any state legislation. SECTION 4 An The state committee of each affiliated st shall consist of three or five resident membe The first state committee shall be appointed by national executive committee, and they shall h office until the next state convention and until the successors are elected and qualified. SECTION 5 The national committee shall consist of the tional executive committee, and of the chairma of the state committee of each affiliated state, wh shall hold office by virtue of their position as chair men. SECTION 6 The national executive committee shall cons of three members, one of whom shall be the cha man thereof. The first national executive comm tee shall consist of: A. C. Townley, who shall chairman of the national executive committee a president of the National Nonpartisan League. he shall hold his office for a period of two ye from January 1, 1917; William Lemke, who shi hold his office for a period of four years from sa date; and F. B. Wood, who shall hold his office ic a period of six years from said date. Thereafter, at the end of each two-year period the national executive committee shall nominate one person as a candidate to succeed the member of the committee whose term expires. Such nomination subject to the approval of the national committee. SECTION 7 The national executive committee shall appoint a state executive secretary and manager for each affiliated state, who shall maintain an office within the state and who shall be the executive officer of the association for such state, and secretary of the state committee. He shall be subject to directions, instructions and removal by the national executive committee. SECTION 8 The state committee shall co-operate in carrying out the purpose of this association. They shall assist in making the necessary investigations to find persons qualified and worthy of receiving the indorsement of this association for state offices. They shall assist in formulating a state legislative program, and they shall co-operate with the national executive committee and the national committee. SECTION 9 The national committee shall hold its annual meeting on the first Tuesday of December in each year, and may hold such other meetings as shall be called by the chairman of the national executive committee, or two members of said executive committee, these meetings to be held at the national headquarters. A majority of the national committee shall have authority to remove any member of any committee or any officer acting for or in behalf of this association. SECTION 10 The national executive committee shall be the executive and managing board of this association and, except as limited by these articles, shall have full and complete power and authority to fix, collect and disburse the membership fees and other funds of this association; to control and supervise, generally and specifically, the organization work in the several states; to prepare rules and regulations for the affiliation of other political and industrial organizations; and shall have power and authority' to do any and all acts that a private individual may lawfully do. But it shall have no authority to bind the members of this association for any financial obligation in excess of the dues paid or agreed to be paid by the members. SECTION 11 A quorum of the national executive committee, the national committee and the state committee, shall consist severally of a majority of the members thereof, and they shall be authorized to transact any and all business which such committee is authorized to transact under these articles of association. SECTION 12 · The chairman of the national executive committee shall be the chief executive officer of this association, and except as restricted by these articles or by resolution or motion adopted by the national committee or national executive committee, is em. powered to do, perform and carry out, all and singular, the matters, facts and things authorized to be done by the articles in carrying out the purposes of this association. The farmers had the same voice in the selection of A. C. Townley, Walter Thomas Mills and Arthur Le Sueur and those who perfected the I. W. W. organization-Frank Bohn, D. C. Coates and Joseph Gilbert-as leaders of SECTION 13 All persons intrusted with the handling of funds of the association shall be required to furnish bond in such sum and for such periods of time as the national executive committee may determine. SECTION 14 In case a vacancy occurs in the national executive, national or state committee, then such vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by the remaining members of such committee. SECTION 15 These articles may be amended at any regular or special meeting by a majority of the national committee. (Note: As these articles affect the League in all states, the only power to change them is vested in the representatives of all the states.) SECTION 16 In case of the absence, or inability to act, of the chairman of the national executive, the national or any state committee, the members of such committee shall elect a chairman pro tem. The chairman of the national executive committee shall be the chairman of the national committee. SECTION 17 The national executive committee shall keep accurate accounts of all moneys received and disbursed by it in carrying out the work of this association; and the books and accounts thereof shall at all times during business hours, be open to the inspection of the members of the national committee; and shall be audited by a public accountant as often as may be ordered by the national executive or national committees. (Note: This is the usual precaution for insuring the accuracy of accounts and guarding against abuses in the expenditure of association funds.) SECTION 18 All other matters, facts, things, powers and duties, proper and necessary to exercise in carry ing out the function and purposes of this association, not herein expressly provided for, are hereby expressly delegated to the jurisdiction of the national executive committee. (Note: No emergency can arise under which the League's officers can not act for lack of authority.) SECTION 19 These articles shall be adopted and become the fundamental law of this association upon receiving the approval and signature of the members of the state committees of any two states, and shall be approved and indorsed by all states now or hereafter affiliated with this association, or being organized under this association, in like manner. (Note: These articles have been so indorsed and are in full force and the League is doing its work subject to these articles.) this "farmers' organization" as did the people of Russia in the selection of Lenine and Trotzky-and the farmers of the Northwest had the same voice in the drawing of these "Articles of Association" |