Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-29
SOCIALISM IN TIE WEST.

SOCIALISM IN TIE WEST.
Socialists are very active in Chicago.
An element has tioated to and lodged in
that CRY that appears to be taking root
firmly and to WELD much influence. On q
recent Sunday in three different parts of
the city lectures were delivered to large
audiences in advocacy of the doctrine of
socialism. The lecturers all proposed, &C
cording to the Inter. Ocean, system that
will "abolish the landlord, the capitalist,
the enterpriser, the employ r and the
money lender, the merchant, the middle
man. tie corporation, the bank and the
manufacturer, and so to give to every Ia
borer the whole proceeds of his labor. with.
out any deduction being made for rent of
land, interest on capital or profits of en-.
terprise." By reformed suffrage sys.
TEN these things are to be accomplished
all values in lands, railways and banks be
obliterated except as to the men and women
who are to do the voting directing their
disposition, control and employment. There
is an utter denial of credit or property
right to the capitalist who by use of his
money puts the unemployed at work, or
develops new labor or new avenues for
labor.
We have no fears that the workingmen
of America will in any large numbers at
tach themselves to any such doctrines,
which are not at all new and have not pro-
crossed particle from the position they
occupied hundred years ago. But it is
unpleasant to note that the socialist class
almost exclusively foreigners, whose chief
business is to snafl at governments go
largely represented in the West. One OF
the Sunday speakers referred to was very
enthusiastic in favor of the crushing out of
railroad enterprises, the legal lettering of
landlords, the exclusion of all foreign CAPT.
tai, limitation of land ownership, a pro-
gIessive tax on incomes, and limitation |
of the capacity to inherit, all in excess of
fixed sum going to the common treasury.
These utterances were loudly applauded. |
The hearers appeared to be unable to real
lze that in an even start made to- |
day OF all men, each one being equipped as
is his neighbor, still in brief time the en-
ergy and skill, and provident disposition of
the few would absorb the shares of the |
many. This capitalization woull then |
represent the labor, the skill and the wis. |
dom of those on whom it conferred, and |
most largely the improvidence, laziness
and unwisdom OF all the others. 1t would !
represent, it is true, to some extent, ad-
vantage taken of the unskilful BY the
skllIful, Of the wise over the unwise but |
the principle remains that it would repre-
sent ownership, and without which there
can be given no stimulus to labor.
The organization of industry is as i'm
portant to labor as the opportunity for
labor itself, and those, as has been well !
said, who organize industry secure the
larger reward, because those who try to |
do so and fail, keep losing their invest. |
ments in behalf of those who succeed 80 |
those who keep on succeeding become the |
residuafy depositaries of the losses of all |
the previous failures-and because there
always has been and must be fewer organ.
izsrs of industry, than possible laborers in
the fields of industry"
As labor is practically impossible with.
the ambition to possess, and which with all |
men has starting point at nothing, be.
come assaults upon labor possibilities and |
opportunities. The thoughtful in indus
trial fields know very well that labor is
most benefited, and the opportunities for it
the broadcast where capital and property
are assured of protection from the assaults
OF those who would cripple enterprise and
industrial ambition. In a republic like |
ours, where capital is the possibility for
every man, and labor is Its closest kin,
there is least reason for arraying it as an
enemy to industry, As Sumner puts it,
capital represents but supervision of organ
lied industry. There is no possible great
progress without the use of great capital,
and Of necessity it must be used by the
great organizers, since it is impossible to
advance and still set the metes and bounds
OF the capacity of the organizers, and say
to them Labor still for the good OF
mankind contribute still to the common
support of organized society but the prof.
It's you make, the accommodations you
gather shall be given to those who have
not your ability to gain.