More Socialism by Organizer Gerald Desmond 1911
G. O. D. on SOCIALISM
More Socialism by Organizer Gerald Desmond 1911
G. O. D. in another lecture on SOCIALISM
Gerald Desmond lectures on Socialism again.
The Summerland Review, Summerland B.C., March 4, 1911
MORE SOCIALISM
Organizer Desmond again Lectures in Summerland.
A mere handful of people gathered in Elliott's Hall on Thursday evening when Gerald Desmond again lectured on one phase of socialism. On the merits or otherwise of this system of economic reform we will say nothing; but we do think that it would do many people good to learn what socialism really is. Some condemn it yet not knowing what they condemn.
Following a few brief introductory remarks Organizer Desmond spoke; for over an hour on ''the History of the Working Class." He explained that previous to the division of society into the working and: the non-working classes, a state of primitive communism prevailed. All things were in common. Neither the natural resources nor the tools of production were any one individual's property but the common possession of all. The first departure from these conditions came with the introduction of forced labor, chiefly by prisoners of war. These captives were enslaved; that is, they were made to work for the primary benefit of others. And it was along these two lines that humanity continued to develop. All down through history, ancient, medieval and modern, labor had undoubtedly played the greatest part. By it civilizations had been built up, and, in many cases torn down. Rome, for instance, fell through the instrumentality of the very people she had enslaved. And although rebellion and revolt had marked the path of this unjust labor forcing system, it yet remained for the workers of today to finally overthrow it, and substitute their system of economic equality.
Gerald Desmond Books
In the same number of Summerland:
Mr. Gerald Desmond, Dominion organizer for the Socialist Party of Canada held a meeting on Monday evening of this week in the Opera House to a fair sized audience. At the close of the lecture steps were taken looking towards the organization of a Socialist executive here. But of this more later.
