Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-05-07
Socialism.

ing aggressive. On the occasion of the
opening OF the new Board of Trade
building in that city, mob of six or
seven hundred of these anarchists,
headed by brass band formed a pro-
ceSsion, and under the excitement of
the music and the incendiary speeches
of their leaders would no doubt have
caused trouble, but for the timely inter-
ference of the police. Among their
notices was "A Board of Trade is a
Board of Thieves" and one of their
speakers said THAT building cost
50, 600, 900 and will yet cost the laboring
people $4,000, 900, 000."
While it is no doubt true that the
methods of business, If boards of trade
in all our large cities are not what they
should be, there is a legitimate use for
such institutions, and whatever wrongs
may exist are not to be righted by such
demonstrations as that of the misguided
socialists. This dangerous element
seems to be on the increase in our large
cities, and its power to work mischief is
second only to that of the liquor traffic
among the evils of our day. The fall
lacies of their theory are too apparent
to the intelligent reader to require q
word of argument to prove it, and how
much cause they have for discomfort
with anything except themselves, may
be seen by comparing the condition of
the working classes to-day with that of
fifty years ago. Statistics show that
during the last half century the wages
OF labor in Great Britain have increased
during the last half century by from
fifty to hundred per cent, while the
hours of labor have been reduced by
twenty per cent; the workingman thus
gaining from seventy to one hundred
and twenty per cent. Meanwhile the
cost of living has correspondingly de-
creased. Things which formerly only
the rich could afford, are now within
the reach of all.
In our own country the improvement
has been even greater than in England.
In either country the working man has
the benefit of schools for his children,
and there are free libraries and many
other things of the kind which make
life brighter and better. There are also
improved sanitary conditions in factor
les and workingmen' dwellings. These
things help him as much as would an
additional increase of wages. More
over the increased ability of people to
send their children to school is a fair in
dication of an improvement in their
general condition.
That the working classes are better
off is shown in the fact that they live
better. The increased consumption of
articles of comfort is found not so much
among the rich, who have always lived
well. as among the poorer classes, and
it shows very plainly the increase of
their material well-being.
We have taken our statistics from
recent article on socialistic fallacies in
the New York Independent.
What the writer says of New York is
true of other cities. He denies the oft
repeated statement of those socialist
orators. who, while admitting that in
some respects the poor are better off
than they were fifty years ago. claim
that the gap between them and the rich
has, nevertheless, been widened; that
the latter have increased their wealth
faster than the former have arisen into
better circumstances. The rich have
not grown richer in comparison with
the aggregate wealth of society. The
rich men in New York to-day do not
hold 50 large proportion of the aggre-
gate wealth as did the rich men of fifty
years ago. The wealthy class in New
York to-day are not as wealthy in COM
parison with their neighbors as were
the wealthy class of fifty years ago. AS
the wealth of the city increases, the la
boring man or the small operator gets
a larger percentage of that increase than
does the millionaire. The large fortunes
are not increasing as fast in proportion
as the small properties. In other
words, the rich, though absolutely rich
er, are relatively poorer, while the
struggling class are growing better off,
as compared not only with their form err
condition, but also with the aggregate
wealth of the community. The state.
ment that the rich are growing richer
and the poor poorer is false statement
and one pernicious in its embttering
effect. 1t will be secuted by every WELL
informed and thou ghtful man.
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| At the meeting of the manufactures
| in Pittsburg, last week, il was demon