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No. 181 September 1919
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Monday, 1 September 1919
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The Passing of a Brain-Sucker
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On the 12th of August the death of Andrew Carnegie was reported, and all the capitalist newspapers
united to diffuse an odour of sanctity around the man whose fortune—like all other great
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fortunes—was built up by the sucking of other men's brains.
It was on the shoulders of others that Carnegie climbed to affluence. Unscrupulous, alike in his
dealings with his fellow capitalists and his workmen, he crushed out all who stood in his path, until
he came up against a more powerful combination than his own, then he stepped quietly down and
out of business, leaving Morgan, Rockefeller & Co. a clear field.
Carnegie came at the first flush of the era of speculation and "high finance" in America, and the tide
swept him along with it. The keystone of his success was his ability in appropriating the product of
other men's brains (as well, of course, as the product of their hands), or, as he himself repeatedly
expressed it in relation to his managers, finding better men to look after his interests.
The man who is set up as a model of "self-help" was helped by others all his life. The only direction in
which he exercised self-help was in helping himself to the product of the work of others.
A quotation from the full-page effusion on Carnegie's life in the "Daily Telegraph" (Aug. 12th) gives in
a nutshell the story of his life and the cause of his success.
"He began the world without a penny. He retired from business sixty years after one of the richest
men in the world—to put it no higher—with a fortune of some 90,000,000 . . . It was won by a man
who had no training for his life-work. The greatest of iron masters knew nothing of metallurgy."
(Italics mine.) No money—no knowledge of iron—yet the greatest iron master! How did he do it?
"To the progress of the industrial revolution, to the stupendous development of mechanical and
scientific methods in manufacture, Andrew Carnegie owed his millions."
Here we have it. Carnegie's wealth was built up by the ingenious brains and hands of working men.
In other words, the departed saint stole the product of others' toil. And what of the workers and
thinkers whose discoveries brought about the industrial revolution? The main figures in
it—Crompton, Cartwright, Stephenson, Kay, Jacquard, Harrington, Lavoisier, Koening, Roberts,
Trevithick, Gutenburg, Cart, Bourseul, and a host of others, either died in poverty after lives of
struggle against starvation, or—in the case of a very few—gained a niggardly recognition when they
were on the brink of the grave.
Now let us see where the self-help came in. Carnegie's first "start" in life was due to another person.
To quote again from the "Daily Telegraph":
"And now came the tide in Carnegie's life which, taken at the flood, led on to fortune . . . It was
Col. Scott who first taught the youth how to make money earn more money . . . His mother
mortgaged their house, into which had gone all the family savings. With the $600 thus raised Andrew
bought Adams Express Stock, on his astute employer's advice."
Of course the stock paid well: Scott was in the "swim."
Carnegie's next step was to introduce to the Pennsylvania Railroad, through the agency of Scott
(who was president of the company) T. T. Woodruff's invention of a sleeping berth (the forerunner of
the Pullman car). He borrowed the money for his shares, and was "let in on the ground floor," "but
the cars afterwards paid handsome dividends!" "Thus," he wrote, "did I get my foot on fortune's
ladder. It was easy to climb after that."
Thus did he vindicate the glorious principle of self help! I may add that I find no record of Woodruff's
name as one of those who got their feet on fortune's ladder. No doubt he went the usual way of
inventors.
During the Civil War Carnegie's pal Scott (now Assistant Secretary for War) found him a lucrative job
in the service of the Northern wage slave owners, and at the conclusion of the war he utilised the
wealth he had acquired to go in for oil and "struck it rich."
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Like Mr. Rockefeller, he was in at the start. In 1862, with several associates, he purchase the Storey
Farm, on Oil Creek, Pennsylvania for $40,000. It proved what prospectors call a bonanza, and in one
year paid $1,000,000 in cash dividends.
Having gained the early plums of the oil trade, the "self-made man" in the making turned his
attention to steel. On a visit to England he saw the steel rails that were the result of the new
Bessemer process (a process discovered by one of Bessemer's workmen whose name even is not
known!) introduced them into America, and another chunk was added to his fortune.
The process of the Trust in which Carnegie had the preponderating influence was largely due to the
valuable patents which they controlled. The men who were responsible for the subjects of these
patents, however, were but pawns in the hands of the financiers.
Working men have proverbially short memories, yet the name "Homestead" should suffice to recall
to the mind the bludgeoning and shooting of working men that took place at Carnegie's works during
the "Homestead" strike, when Pinkerton and his gunmen were called in. Though daily waxing richer
Andrew the philanthropist (!) was not satisfied, and laid plans to increase the working hours. The
men organised to resist the project, so he retaliated by refusing to employ any but non-union
workers. According to the "Telegraph" "the strike was soon the crux of one of the ugliest scenes in all
the bloodstained history of American labour quarrels." The military (to the number of some 8,000
soldiers) were eventually sent to the vampire's assistance "to restore order"! And such was the man
who professed to be the ardent anti-militarist and apostle of peace, and who presented to the world
the "Palaces of Peace." Like others of his kidney, he did not want war when it interfered with his
accumulation of wealth, but when it suited his purse (as when he took part in the Civil War) his
objections vanished.
By the irony of circumstance, the same day the papers were applauding the incarnation of self-help
and genius in the shape of Carnegie, they devoted a few lines to recording the tragic death of poor
Blakelocke, the American landscape painter. His life "was the story of genius doomed to poverty,"
says the "Evening News" (13.8.19). His greatest works were sold by him for a few paltry pounds to
keep his wife and family from starvation. The same works were afterwards sold for hundreds of
pounds. The same paper further states: "Worry and the hard struggle for existence eventually
produced a break-down, and he was removed to an asylum."
Blakelocke is now looked upon as one of the greatest landscape painters of America, but his genius
only brought him poverty and the lunatic asylum.
What a contrast! The unscrupulous and slimy Carnegie dies in the midst of vast riches, while the fine
artist dies in the asylum! Self-help, forsooth!
After officially stepping out of business (although still drawing his dividends), Carnegie set out to
make a name for himself in a new direction. He made arrangements to distribute libraries in various
places to assist in the education of working men. It appears strange that one who was such a
determined antagonist of his employees should suddenly blossom forth as their benefactor. The
strangeness, however, disappears as soon as we look below the surface. Carnegie and his class
require workpeople who have sharp brains and a good technical knowledge, as these make the most
efficient wage-slaves—hence the library stunt.
Since 1901 Carnegie has been throwing millions away and doing his damnedest to spend his money,
but all to no purpose: he dies worth nearly as much as in 1901! What a power of wealth this one man
must have robbed the workers of, and yet they try to kid us that we do not produce enough!
Away with dreams and delusions; let us wake up and produce for ourselves. Perish the parasites and
vampires.
GILMAC
Monday, 1 September 1919
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The Struggle in the U.S.A.
The Movement of the Blind.
Americabadly needs a Socialist party. The deep ignorance of the workers here is reflected in the
profound ignorance of the organised labour movement. The American Federation of Labour
continues on its capitalist road, exchanging thorough support of the war for the enslaving policy of
our masters' peace. The Industrial Workers of the World has been paralysed by anti-Syndicalist laws
and persecution of its leaders—mostly now in Federal prisons. The Workers' International Industrial
Union—the child of the Socialist Labor Party—does not grow, and is always busy with internal fights,
especially with its parent, the S.L.P. It refuses to endorse the S.L.P. as more than half its membership
belongs to the rotten Socialist Party of America.
"My Country, 'tis of Thee."
The war found the S.P. leaders pro-Ally and anxious for the popular side, many getting Government
jobs and increased publicity. These leaders seceded or were finally expelled, and they formed the
Social Democratic League similar to the Hyndman clique in England. To-day the S.D.L. is little heard
of and is represented in print by Allan Benson's paper, "Reconstruction." Rose Pastor Stokes returned
to the S.P. fold, while her millionaire husband still continues with the jingoes.
A. M. Simons, when not busy misleading Europe, writes lies for the capitalist Press with Chas. E.
Russell, William English Walling, Allan Benson and John Spargo. They flourish in the pages of that
worst of all papers, the "Appeal to Reason," now known as the "New Appeal," of Girard, Kansas.
The leading writer of that journal is Upton Sinclair, who is trying to explain away his jingoism in his
monthly magazine, "The New Justice," of Los Angeles.
Debs and Debsism.
Eugene V. Debs was enthusiastic for the S.P. anti-war stand at the St. Louis Convention in 1916, but
began to wobble when America entered the war. In the pages of the "Social Builder," a social reform
Magazine of St. Louis, Debs argued that the anti-war stand should be modified, especially in view of
the approaching election. All the capitalist papers reprinted his statements to show that the S.P. was
becoming "sane."
When Debs saw that his new attitude was losing him support he wobbled back to his former position,
though at his recent trial he reminded the court that he did not agree with the St. Louis platform.
Debs sought to hold his democratic following, and received 10 years at Cleveland Federal Court for
speaking against the war at Canton, Ohio. He is now in Atlanta prison.
Kate Richards O'Hare, a reformer and leader of the S.P., is also in prison, though her danger to the
ruling class is infinitesimal. Victor Berger, one of the most anti-Socialist leaders of the S.P., has also
been given 20 years, though he supported the Mexican War and militarism. He was widely known as
a pro-German. While Berger wrote the pro-German articles for the "Milwaukee Leader," Simons did
the pro-Ally work on the same periodical.
The Lawyer Leaders.
Even after many of the openly pro-war gentry had left the party the great bulk of the leadership and
many members refused to take the working-class position on the war. The mass of S.P. membership
can be estimated by their continual support of the official clique and by their sticking to such a
rotten organisation. Morris Hillquit, the "brains of the S.P.," one of the many lawyers on the National
Executive, offered to organise an army of Socialists to help to explain democracy to the Germans
overseas. He also admitted that if he had been a member of Congress he would have voted for the
war.
Algernon Lee and six other S.P. aldermen voted $80,000 in New York for a "Victory" arch on which
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the American "victory" at Murmansk in Russia was inscribed. Louis Boudin—another lawyer, and,
author of "Theoretical System of Karl Marx"—rallied in support of the League of Nations, and refused
to adopt any views on the Russian situation as he would not condemn Plechanoff and his other
friends thousands of miles away.
Such a Happy Family!
When Kerensky got control in Russia the S.P. rallied for that capitalist Government, and when Ebert
rose to power in Germany they duly celebrated the German "Revolution." Their support of much A. F.
of L. officialdom, the sickening reform programme, the lack of party discipline, the general ignorance
of Socialism caused a growing revolt in certain centres in the States. More than 50 per cent. of the
membership is composed of foreign language federations. These have always been hotbeds of
reform propaganda and general ignorance. The Finnish, Jewish and German federations supported
every reactionary policy. Until the Bolshevik uprising in Russia the various Russian federations in the
S.P. were small, but they sprang up like mushrooms after the coup of 1917. The Russians wobbled
from the defence of Plechanoff to that of Kerensky, and through their ignorance rallied to the policy
of S.P. reformism.
The great bulk of Jews in the party read "Forward," the national daily edited by Abe Cahan—the
supporter of war and defender of reaction in the party.
Many prominent members of the Socialist Labor Party have climbed back onto the S.P.
waggon—Frank Bohn, Louis Fraina, Solon De Leon, Karl Dannenburg, Seidel, Dr. Julius Hammer—and
some of them began the contest for leadership in the S.P. They preached Industrial Unionism of a
kind, and men like Fraina saw in the rising Bolshevik wave in the party a chance to build up a large
following.
All Aboard for Bolshevism.
One point should be well noted. The elements here who took front rank in their support of
Bolshevism were the very ones who were against revolutionary methods and who ridiculed Socialist
education. Their feelings ran high when Allied intervention in Russia welded working-class sentiment
against the capitalist international. And the anti-political ideas preached for years were good
material for "abolish the State immediately" propaganda. Soviets were formed here but were mere
parodies of the Russian example. Some, like in Philadelphia, advocated the armed rising of a
minority, whilst most of them degenerated into veterans' reform associations.
The Left Wing and its Feathers.
The Left Wing of the S.P. comprises every variety of fool and freak, just like the Right Wing. There is,
however, some good material in the Left Wing, but it is powerless while it remains together with such
an army of ignorance. The test question is not whether you understand Socialism and are in favour
of it, but whether you are a Bolshevik. And Bolshevism here covers almost every conceivable idea
except the scientific principles of Socialism—Mass Action on the streets against machine guns,
Minority Rule, To Hell with Democracy, Action not Study, such are some of the ideas of the Left Wing.
The S.P. have suspended seven language federations—Russian, Lithuanian, Lettish, Polish, South
Slavic, Ukrainian, and Estonian—on account of their affiliations with the Left Wing party within the
party. The State of Massachusetts and many locals in New York were expelled for the same reason,
making nearly half the membership. The State of Michigan was expelled for adopting a "no reform"
constitution. Michigan was not affiliated with the Left Wing organisation as they objected to the Mass
Action, Industrial Unionist, and other confused ideas preached in the Left Wing manifesto and the
Left Wing official organ, the "Revolutionary Age." The support of Michigan only existed where study
classes had been organised by Michigan's proletarian university, a Marxian study class-promoting
body organised by a number of Detroit workers.
The Left Wing is in Pieces
The Socialist Propaganda League was formed in 1916 to preach Industrial Unionism and Mass Action
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within the S.P. Fraina and S. J. Rutgers (now in Russia), and Bucharin the Bolshevik Commissar, were
prominent members. They published the "New International" at Boston, and they eventually merged
into the Left Wing group and gave up their paper for the "Revolutionary Age"—a parrot-like edition of
Lenin's and Trotsky's speeches. It falsifies Marx and dupes its ignorant following.
All Left Wing branches, locals, and States were invited to send representatives to the Left Wing
Convention at New York on June 21st. The Convention was dominated by Jim Larkin, the supporter of
Labourism, John Reed, the war correspondent lately returned from Russia, and Louis Fraina, the
political gymnast of the S.P., S.L.P., and Socialist Propaganda League. The whole business was a
miserable farce, being a sordid struggle for control. The Michigan delegates presented an ultimatum
demanding the immediate formation of a Communist party on the basis of a platform adopted by
Michigan at its special Convention on June 15th. The Russian federations—the backbone of the Left
Wing—also objected to the policy of the Left Wing leaders in trying to capture the rotten S.P. at their
coming National Convention on August 30th; the Russians, therefore, wanted to form a Communist
party immediately. Thus Michigan found itself withdrawing from the Conference in Company with
30,000 Russian members who would easily dominate Michigan's 6,000. At the time of writing
Michigan has been pledged by its delegates to work with the Russian Federations and they have
formed the Communist Party. In doing so Michigan has adopted a programme of Mass Action,
Industrial Unionism, and "Abolition of the State at Once," but many well-informed members in Detroit
are determined to undo this underhand work of the delegates.
Adolph Kohn
Monday, 1 September 1919
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