On the Political Organization of Miners in Cumberland 1903

Organizer Kingsley in Cumberland

Organizer Kingsley was in Cumberland about three weeks ago. My report is rather late in being ready for publication, but there is a saying, better late than never.

Comrade Kingsley arrived here at a very opportune moment, as the workers here are on strike because they organized a local of the W.F.M.

When the average wage-slave is on strike he is discontented with present economic conditions and is in a particularly good mood for digesting a lecture on the principles of modern socialism. Com. Kingsley has the honor of being the first socialist who lectured to an audience in Cumberland, and consequently he did not have to contend with the difficulties a socialist speaker often encounters when he has to repudiate statements made by a sentimental socialist who has been over the ground ahead of him. The result was that the working men of this town got the straight goods dished out to them and they seemed to like it.

In his first lecture he traced the evolution of man, the tool using animal, in his primitive stages, and pointed out that man first lived under primitive tribal communism, as all the eminent anthropologists were agreed on that point. From the breaking up of tribal communism he traced human society through the different systems of slavery, viz., chattel slavery, feudal serfdom to capitalism, the present mode of economic production. He analyzed the position of the wage slave under capitalism, and in his peroration pointed out the only remedy for the economic evils which afflict society. Judging from the numerous bursts of applause from the audience, Kingsley’s remarks were greatly appreciated.

His second lecture was an economic one, and few men can deliver and frame into such simple English, which is easily understood by any working man, as our Comrade Kingsley. On this occasion the hall was packed to overflowing and some were standing who could not obtain seats.

On the third and last night of our series of lectures the audience was considerably smaller than in the two previous evenings, but that did not effect [sic] Kingsley in the slightest. He spoke for two hours on working class politics, during which he pointed out the antithesis between reform and revolution. He analysed the position of the labor fakir and the pure and simple trades-unionist. He elucidated the futility of sending mere labor members to the halls of legislation, as they are simply supporters of the present capitalist system of society, which spells wage slavery for the worker. In his peroration he impressed on his audience the fact that the Socialist Party is the only working class political party, and the only party which would emancipate the workers of the world from wage-slavery, and which means the transformation of the machinery of wealth production from capitalist property into the collective property of the working class.

We held one meeting in Courtney [sic], six miles from Cumberland, which is exclusively a community of ranchers. Kingsley analysed the condition of the small farmers, and pointed out that the farmers are up against it, the same as the other propertyless proletarians.

The result of Kingsley’s ably delivered lectures is evidenced by the formation here of a Local of the S. P. of B. C, with a membership of 12. We anticipate a visit from Kingsley again before long, and perhaps this time he will be accompanied by Hawthornthwaite. Then we will make things hum.

David M. Halliday.

Sec. Cumberland Local S. P. of B. C.

Cumberland, B. C.