St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-13

vidual opinions and are involved in neither
Socialism nor Republicanism. And it is by
q mere accidental resemblance between the
words commune and communism that
Socialism has been credited with the Pa
risian riots of 1871. That Instruction in
Paris was one in favor of extreme local
self-government. The idea was to make
each commune Tor township in France at
least as independent as one of our own
states and to unite all these communeS
into confederation with limited powers"
Hence it would be just as fair to credit
Socialism with our late civil war as with
the Partisan riots of March is, 1871.
Socialism is not embodied in an Organi-
cation or series of organizations, but is
widespread movement in favor of the
humber classes which finds expression in
ten thousand different forms. Like every
great movement. it is attended by the man
Hesitation of extremes here and there, as
was the reform movement in England, the
anti-slavery cause in this country, and
as Nationalism is in Ireland. But let us
not identify the foam with the swell in this
rising tide. / simply advert to another I'M
fortunate prepossession with respect to the
leaders in this great movement. The I'M
preston prevails that these men are low,
designing demagogues, who mask under the
guise of philanthropy schemes by which they
will become sharers in other mems wealth
without labor. But to be disabused of such
notions one has only to look at the names
of these leaders. at their social position,
their attachments and wealth which they
spent freely in promoting the cause; also, the
sacrifices by which their sincerity is atteSted.
If have succeeded in impressing my reader
with the facts contained i'll the foregoing
lines he will be the better prepared to APP
preciate what follows Oh the socialistic
problem.
Socialism may be described as a move
ment among ''wageworkers' to improve
the common lot OF humanity, especially
that OF their own class. by such change
in the present order of things as shall Sc
cure distribution of economic goods in
proportion to the services rendered by the
recipients in producing such goods. Then
1.-The distinctive idea of socialism is dis
tributive Justice" The ''wageworker" has
awakened to the fact that under the pres
ent order of things he must be content with
wages" as his portion of production,
which means bare subsistence for
himself and family. The books ex-
press it thus: ''The price of la
Dor is, what will continue labor"
or in other words, what will enable la
borer to raise up a family of laborers. The
mechanic has been taught to think, and it
is not crediting him with any great acumen to
affirm that he realizes that just so long as his
share of production is limited by the ''iron
law" there is no possible chance of his bet
tering his condition or that of his children.
He sees also that whilst recent discoveries
and inventions have increased manifold the
power Of production, the benefits that come
to him are not proportonally increased;
and, therefore, instead of his relative posi-
ton becoming higher, it is becoming lower
year by year. He sees wealth and power
| and their concomitantS passing more abso-
lutely under the control of the few and thus
steadily increasing the inequality between
| the laborer and the capitalist.
The objection to continuation of this
state of things is not broken by saying that
there never was time when the laboring
man enjoyed more of the comforts of life
! that he is better educated. housed, clothed
fed and paid than ever before. Admit that
his actual condition is mitigated compared
| with what it was fifty years ago. his griey-
ance is that his relative condition has not
improved in proportion to that of his en-
ployer. Let us assume that the pay of a
mechanic was SO per week half century
back and it has increased to twice that
amount at the present time. Half century
ago it is doubtful whether there were three
men in New York city who were worth two
millions. At the present you can find
that number who are worth fifty
millions. and if reports can be
credited one recently deceased was
worth two hundred millions of dollars.
Mark the mechanics share of pro-
duction has doubled whilst the cap
capitalists has increased at least twenty
five fold. 1t could be easily shown thai
the expense of living has increased equally
with the mechanics wages. still precluding
the possibility of his laying away a suf-
utlClCI lOi tilIiNo VI SiNhliCSS VI pit tSC' VI
for educating his children for positions
above the sphere in which they were born.
lie has more of the comforts OF life, but be
has no more nope of lifting himself and
children out of the substratum of society
than his father had fifty years ago.
To him society seems organized with q
view to securing and fostering these in
CAPABILITIES. and hence his dissatisfaction
with the present idea of the functions OF
government. He sees legislation under the
influence of capital creating and fostering
the most stupendous monopoiieS and throw
ing vast areas of the public domain into the
hands of few, thereby depriving him and
his children Of a sacred birthright, and
hence his fixed determination to bring
about. if possible. such a change in the
present order of things as shall right these
wrongs. To this end the millions to which
he belongs. in this and other lands. have
entered upon a course of agitation. the con
sequences of which are hidden from every
eye except 0mnscjence. The attitude OF
these vast forces may well create alarm il
the seats of power, for should they yield tC
the cry Of some of their extremists the van
dalism of the past will be eclipsed by that
of the nineteenth century.
How to remove this growing antagonist
Of the laboring classes to the pres
ent order Of things is. strictly
speaking, The Socalistic Problem" The
Socialist declares that the only satisfactory
solution is to give to the wageworker all
equitable portion of the economic goods
which he helps to produce. Since this
claim is not likely to be granted as long as
competition and free contract prevail, he
r-nrlid l,nro tho crn.-orr ,,Iannd NOS.