Omaha daily bee., 1883-04-27
Communist Doctrines.

Ban J fancfeco call.
When Professor Winchell was IN.
nounoing his belief that communist
doctrines have taken Q deep root In
this country, he was not probably
conscious that the evidence upon
which he had arrived ct ttst conolu.
sion was open to o quite different pom
struction. What he takes to be SYM
patty with communist doctrines msy
be simply sympathy with popular
movements In opposition to the en-
oroachments of associated capital. The
OBSTRUCTIVE policy toward moneyed
Institutions" Of which he speaks II
simply . determination on the part OF
the people not to permit these
moneyed institutions to shape
legislation for their own benefit. AL
the communism there 10 In the
United States IL the result Of the raids
Of organized capital against the pub.
lilo. These raids have taken on va
rious forms. An untold number Of
millions of acres of public land, which
. wise policy would have preserved
for settlers In this or some future gen.
Grafton, have passed Into the hands Of
incorporated companies to be held by
them, iu many CAGES free from taxa.
tlon, until such time as 1t may serve
their interest to sell them. There Ia
some opposittOn to Q continuation OF
this policy and this Professor Win.
ohell CONSTITUTES as hostility to m~oneyed
institutions. Another method by
which the public wealth Is di.
verified into private channels Il
through the granting Of valuable
franchises by legislative bodies, BY
means Of which o vast amount of un,
taxable property Is created. We viii
assume, for the purpose of illustration,
that the sum Of $40, OOO. 600 IL actually
/ paid In to carry out the purpose of
, franchise. In the course of tn,
manipulation of the stock Issues O
such q corporation, the original sun
. of go, 000, 600 will be represented b,
, $40, coo, 900 In stocks and bonds, OF
which the company will claim the RICH
l to exact dividends, but deny their OBJ
legation to pay taxes. The public, b,
a which we mean the individuals VIII,
4 pay taxes on from 500 to 800, 600
have to pay ON oil their property
The 90 .oalled moneysd institution
which had three-fourths of their prop
erty given them, evsds taxes o.
| a. much ~ they can and pay larg
tees to lawyers to help them In thsi
evAsions. There IL much talk o
g communism Just now In the Ne,
York Legislature. The cry was re
a GENTLY revived in New York journal
!. upon the passage by the New YorI
Legislature Of an aot to reduce fare
o on the elevated railroads. The a
sertlon was made that the bill wa
a an attack on vested rights, inasmucI
. as the money which was invested 4
these roads was put In on a oontrac
In the form of q general law tina
fares should not be reduced to apoin
d which would reduce dividends bslo,
. ten per cant on the capital paid In
: But the companies propose I
1 add the value of their fran
chise, which was given Co them
to the capital actually paid 4
and to declare dividends on the whole
" Because the legislature proposed I
reduce the amount of stock on whic
o dividends should be paid to the poi
y ton which actually represented capl
a tai invested, the moneyed institution
Of Nsw York raised the cry of oommu
u nism. Professor Winchell echoesths
cry. He may know the nature of tn
n work In which he 10 engaged, and b
may not. The Journals which raise
. the cry are not corrupt In the sense |
!" which that term L. generally uset
% They simply represent an II
II terest. They are all owned b
w men whose possessions, asid
!. from the journals, are o hui
% dred times greater than the Walt
n the journals. These newspapers, Iii
1t railroad and steamship eompanie