Page:Olive Malmberg Johnson - Woman and the Socialist Movement (1908).djvu/49

 Rh learn the value and pay the price of liberty. "He who would be free must himself strike the blow."

The machine is here which Aristotle designated as the emancipator of mankind. It only remains for mankind to emancipate itself from it. Man has harnessed the elements to his will, let him now harness his will to control the giant he has called into life!

Expert statisticians have figured out that with the aid of of modern machines, if all able-bodied men were employed for a reasonable number of days in the year, for only four hours of the day, the nation could be supplied not only with the necessities of life but also with luxuries such as now only the rich can enjoy. Four hours' work a day can be called neither work nor labor. It is only healthy exercise. By men and women aiding each other in their different capacities it would reduce the workday till it was so short as to amount only to a bit of pleasure.

Some people like to speculate on the Socialist Republic and wish to know if women are to work side by side of man in the factory or if she will stay at home and do work there only. That question will take care of itself and future generations will settle it without the least regard to what we might have to say about it. One thing is certain, woman will be economically as free as man. She is part of society and society will own the economic powers collectively. That there will be division of labor is certain. That is part of progress. That this division will be based on natural tastes and powers is also quite certain. That is according to common sense and reason.

The great subject to-day is the education and organization of the working class both upon the political field, the great field of agitation where the capitalist hirelings can be met on their own ground, and upon the economic field where the workers must prepare for taking over the industries and carrying out the administration of the future. Women should do all they can to become organized to resist the oppression by the employer if possible, but most of all