Adolph Germer

“ If we permitted the gamblers in foodstuffs to pay our bills the Socialist party would be of no benefit to you.
The Socialist party relies first, last and all the time on the working class for political and financial support.
The Socialist party stands for the abolition of the system of private ownership of the collectively used tools of wealth-production. We want the collective ownership and democratic management of all large scale industries. The Socialist party stands for the workers getting the full social value of their labor. ”

“ Do you think prices will come down by your growling and snarling? If you think that you can bring prices down by quarreling with the grocer and butcher, you are mistaken. Your grocer and butcher are only the errand boys for the well organized speculators. You will have to do more than growl and quarrel. ”

“ Food prices are fixed by a well organized group of food speculators. These food speculators know how valuable it is to be organized. They know that unless they are organized they will work to each others' disadvantage. Being thoroughly organized they can hold us up at their will when we buy flour, sugar, potatoes, butter, eggs, meats, etc., etc. Organization spells power and advantage for the speculators in foodstuffs and other necessaries of life. ”

“ You ought to have a better reason than that for staying out of the Socialist party. All the workers have a common purpose and must be organized before we can get any tangible results.
The manipulators of prices are not always in love with each other, but for business reasons they belong to the same organizations and work together. There are members in the Bankers' Association that hate the thought of each other. ”

“ The above skyrocket prices are the result of organization among food speculators.
Organization means power for you. When you are organized with your fellow workers, then you have power and advantage and can do things for yourself. Don't you think it is your duty to organize and deal with these vexing problems? Let us briefly talk this matter over.
Those who raise prices support the democratic and republican parties. The Socialist party holds out the hopes of the workers. It is always on the side of the victims of organized speculators. ”

“ Don't you think that in every instance where a despot has been elected those who voted for him did so in the belief that he was the best man? Haven't you gone from one "good man" to another and haven't conditions remained the same so far as you are concerned? ”

“ This is true of members of the Manufacturers' Associations and Citizens' Alliances—they miss no opportunity to cut each others' throats in business, but they still belong to the same organization, for they know that only through organization among themselves are they able to keep labor down. ”

“ Another objection that you may have is that you do not like some Socialists. This is more fine stuff for the exploiters. Do you like all the republicans or democrats? If not, why do you stay in their ranks? ”