Arbeter Fraint, October 12 1888, page 4
[Column 1]
Socialism strives to get rid of private property and all such things via which, if someone owns them, it is possible to rob the people, to exploit them. This school of thought also strives to eliminate of all kinds of government and authority, because as long as the people are governed, they will always be misled and robbed, because thievery and rulership both go hand in hand, come from the same source—from egoism and avarice—and have one and the same purpose: to impoverish the working masses, the people, and to make them unhappy.
The elimination of private property and instituting of collective or community property on one side and the destruction of government and authority on the other side must bring about the political and economic liberation of the workers from their slavery, must [as a consequence] bring with it equality and true freedom. And in such a condition, it is natural that then the best possible solidarity will exist, true fraternity.
Therefore, Socialism is liberty, equality and fraternity!
Awake.
________________________
Dreams of Tomorrow.
________
1
While I was still a child,
She moved my breast.
I saw her in my dream
Like an adorned spring night.
2
In the light of day, in the dark of night
She lives deep in my heart,
She hates, she loves, she sobs, she laughs,
Makes me happy, makes me sad.
3
[She] pours into my weak breast
Courage to fight for what is right:
For the people’s woes, the people’s anguish,
For the oppressed slave.
4
Sound brightly, Oh my harp.
Into the still night!
Sound sweet notes, sharp ones
For you Freedom; it is you I mean!
5
I want to sing for freedom!
With freedom I will be happy.
May my voice pierce deeply
Into the suffering heart.
6
Only to Freedom do I want to complain,
About my suffering, my feelings.
Awful is my drudgery.
My breast oppressed, my heart is still.
7
Tomorrow is empty. My hands and feet
are in chains.
My shoes and pants are threadbare.
Freedom come quickly to save me.
Before I am completely crushed.
8
The tired sun has gone.
The sky is colored fire-red.
Freedom plays [a role] in all my battles.
It comes to pull me out of poverty.
9
Up, rise up you working people
In the south, the east, the north!
Raise the flag of fire red
For freedom far and wide.
10
Refresh yourselves. In the heat of battle
With a strong hand swing your sword.
Awaken the foe, press him,
Beat him, pummel him until he sinks.
11
Throw . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . [sic]
Lords [?], kings, magnates ---
All. . .all mankind!
12
Have no fear, brothers dear!
Fight for freedom and what’s right.
A thousand deaths are preferable
Than living like a slave.
13
So refresh yourselves, dare to live!
The payoff is very large!
Spare no effort, do your utmost.
Happiness then will be our fate!
14
A genuine citizenship is coming.
Minerva* will govern.
[There will be] no masters, no slaves,
No popery [?]
Only righteousness will govern us.
15
A free land will be formed;
The world will be born anew
Raise your hands in the air.
Freedom has been sworn [to you].
16
The sun comes, the rays shine,
The golden time is near.
I will sing, play, dance
From morning until evening. N. P.
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Letters to the Editor
________
London the 5th of October, 1888
Dear Brother,
It has already been such a long time that the foreign Yiddish newspapers are screaming that in London we should not allow the free money-eaters, who cheat our poor brothers of their last shilling, but it doesn’t seem to help. We were under the impression that the workers had already become a bit smarter. In the end, it seems that in London there is a new gang of thieves that go from house to house and take the food out of the workers’ mouths. Namely: From Russia there came to London a man named Yankev Tsinen, who found a new way to con poor workers out of their paltry pension.
He, Yankev Tsinen, just like Moyshe Mendel of Jerusalem, assumed the name of “the messenger from Kovno,” and goes around from house to house stealing money by nailing up charity boxes from the Yeshiva of Kovno.
[Column 2]
He takes the money for himself and stuffs his belly. His belly is full of the blood of poor workers. It wouldn’t be so bad if Kovno would at least benefit in some way from this, but the unfortunate [yeshiva] boys will still have to suffer quite a bit before they get even a cent from this “messenger.” The accounting is quite plain: from the money he earns in London, he takes his living expenses off the top, and from the rest, which he cannot manage to eat, he sends half to his wife and he simply keeps the other half for himself. Kovno has yet to see anything, as I will explain to you in the next letter.
I ask you, my dear brothers, don’t you have anything else to do with you hard-earned money? I think that with those shillings you could rather warm your poor, small children, who are walking around naked and barefoot.
Because of this, dear brothers, let us call a general meeting and let’s see what this “messenger” did with the money. Perhaps he will respond that he has a receipt from Kovno [saying] that he did send something, in which case I will ask that he show that receipt at the general meeting, where I will also be and will demonstrate the falsity of it all.
In the meantime I ask of you, my dear brothers, that until the whole thievery is exposed, no one should give any money and not let [anyone] take anything out of the charity boxes. I hope to expose everything at the meeting and will see that all the poor workers get back their blood money, for which they toil from 6 in the morning until twelve at night.
Aaron Gamze
Although the W[orkers’] Fr[iend] has little to do with charity boxes for yeshivas, no one forces people to put them up and no one forces the foolish worker to give away his with-blood-earned pennies to swindlers for foolishness. We make this letter public so that the poor worker might see how blind he is. The editors.
_______________
International Workers’ Education Club
40 Berner St., Commercial Rd.
___________
Notice
The new rules have already been worked out and take effect on Friday the 12th of October. As with all matters pertaining to the club, this will be given over to a committee, and at the next meeting the committee will be elected. All members are requested to come on time.
_____________
In the evening [?] the 13th of October
Program [?] by Mrs. Shok and Gen. Semuel
Admission to the program is free
Sunday evening: Concert and Dance
__________________________________________________ ____
The Bootmakers’ and Finishers’ Union
Meet every Sunday evening in the Public House
Black Eagle, Pelhand St., Brick Lane E.
__________________________________________________ ___________
Jewish Carpenters’ Apprentices Union
Meet every Sunday evening in the Public House
69, Brick Lane, E.
__________________________________________________ ____
London Tailors’ and Machinists’ Society
Meet every Sunday evening at 7:30 in
“Man in the Moon,” Plough St., Commercial Rd.
__________________________________________________ ___________
“The Knights of Freedom” Group
Meet every Sunday at 6 o’clock in the evening at
7 Spelman Street, Spitalfields, London, E.
Address donations and business letters to E. Ritterman
__________________________________________________ ______________________
For America.
We are announcing to all our readers and friends in America that we have turned over the main agency of “Worker’s Friend” for all of America to the “Pioneers for Freedom” group in New York. In matters of money and other business dealings one should apply to the following address:
B. Rudashevsky, 125, Norfolk St., New-York [sic]
We are letting all of our friends and readers know that we have turned over the agency in the greater New York area in America to the New York “Worker’s Friend” committee. In matters of money and other business dealings one should apply to: Isidore Priluzka, 39, Prince Street, top floor, Newark, N. J.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
One can get the “Worker’s Friend” at
H. Adler, Corn. Essex & Grand St[s]., New-York.
Silbeguide, 83, Canal Street
M. Freedman, 429 Lombard St., Philadelphia, Pa.
J. Dyshe, 3, Little Templar Street, Leeds.
M. Jacobson, 1 House, 6 Court, Dukenfield St., Liverpool.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
The New York Jewish Folk Newspaper
A weekly workers’ paper, price 2 ½ pence
Can be bought at the London agent M. Weidenfield
51, Christian St., Commercial Rd., London, E
[Column 3]
[Russian ad]
Thomas Bolas, Leaflet Press, Cursitor Street,
Chancery Lane, London, E. C.
__________________________________________________ _________________
Yiddish ad: Tailoring [picture of a scissor] work: I do a good job, inexpensive and prompt, with either my material or that of the customer
M. Eagalovitz
25 Brushfield St., Bishopsgate, E.
__________________________________________________ ___________________
The London Cloth Cutters’ Workers’ Cooperative
Announces to all that is undertaking
All Hand Tailoring Work
At cost
The cooperative is not looking to make a profit for itself; it only wants to cover its costs, [the price] a worker would earn in a sweatshop, so the profit remains with the one ordering the work. Whatever the cleanliness and the value [?] of the work calls for, it is done in the best possible manner, since the cooperative consists of the best tailoring workers. All orders accepted at S. Goldman, 130 Rothshild’s Building, Commercial St. [In Yiddish]
130, Rothschild’s Buildings, Commercial Street, E. [in English]
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Let it be Known
That the
Worker’s Friend’s
Issues for its whole second year
From the time the newspaper began to be published weekly,
Including the featured story
“Les Miserables”•
the famous novel by Victor Hugo
nicely hardcover bound, price 4/9 If sent by mail
postage and handling extra. Express mail available.
__________________________________________________ ___________Just released!
Lopatin’s
Biography
Written by
Father Lavrav ••
And
The Lawsuit••• of 21 Nihilists
In Petersburg, May 1887
A fascinating brochure – price 2 p., with postage 2 ½ p.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Socialist Literature
The following brochures published by the Socialist Library in German-Yiddish are sold in the ___________ and by agents of “Worker’s Friend”.
How Does One Survive, cost 2 ½ pennies.
Father Lavrav and the Jewish Worker
Price 1 penny.
The Debate, 2 notebooks, price in London 2 pence; in the provinces 3 pence; in America 6 cents.
The Haggadah in a new addition, price 2 pence; with postage 2 ½ p.
Lamentations or workers’ songs of lament. Price 1 penny.
G-d’s Holiday. Price one penny.
Agents receive the usual discount.
__________________________________________________ ______
Can be purchased at:
W. Wess, 40 Berner St., Commercial Rd., London E.
The Eight Chicago Martyrs—one beautiful picture of the Chicago Martyrs,
Size 24 by 18 inches. Price I/3; more for postage & handling if sent by mail.
Anarchism: its philosophy and scientific foundation. A 200-page book from [?] parsons, together with a beautifully produced picture of the author: in English or German. Price 2/3; very finely bound with gilt, 1/6.
==============================================
The “Worker’s Friend” Printing Office,
40, Berner St., Commercial Rd.
[End of page 4.]