Workmen's advocate., 1886-12-26
IN SPRINGFIELD.
SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM IN YANKEE LAND.
A Lecture by Dr. Ayeling Than Was A CIinchpr-Seyen lmprcgnab!e Pr0p0sitions--iab0r The
 Creator of Value.
 Slavery to Go.

Week before last we published the the report of some correspondence which had taken place between the Connecticut Valley Economic Asso- citation, of Springfield, Mass, and the Socialist Section of the same place, which took the form of q challenge, or rather, an invitation. by the Economic Association to de- bate the question of Socialism. We reported also, the final refusal of the Economic Association to ,ntor into debate after they heard that the probable debaters on the part of the Socialist Section would be "out- siaers," and "professional agitators. ;
 The Socialists of Springfield, how ever, were not to be entirely disap- pointed by the refusal. They had made certain arrangements, and pluckily announced that Dr. Edward Aveling would be on hand to defend Socialism. So, last Wednesday eve hing there was all intelligent audi ence of about two hundred ut the Turn Hall, attentive and deeply in- terestea in the proceedings.
 At the request of the Springfield Section, J. F. Busche, of the Amer ican Section of New Haven, served IS chairman, and opened the meet ing with the remark that 1t was a much better thing to discuss queS- tions upon which we differed and let reason decide than to do as our early progenitors did and use physical force to decide supremacy, which in many cases did not. after all, decide, He added that we, as q people, as il race, were drifting toward Socialism not the "sociaiism" we read about in the capitalist papers, but the So- cialism which the speaker of the evening would explain.
 Dr. Aveling, in his introductory remarks, told of the keeness and en- thusiasm he had observed in the Western people during his travels, and thought that those qualities were more valuable than the repu- tation for culture enjoyed by the people of the Eastern States. Re- ferring to the refusal of the Econom- ic Assoclation to debate with out siders and professional agItators, the speaker said he thought it looked very much like cOwardice; but per haps, after all, the real reason was that they were not sure of the cor rectness of their views on economies "Now, if l were not very snre that l was defending a righteous cause. 1T were not sure that our position IS tenable, l would not be here to speak nor say the things that l have said and will say to you this evening. The first question. then, that pre- sents itself. is this: Is unpaid labor the source of profits, interest, and large fortunes? The affirmative an swer to that question is Socialism, though, of course, Socialism com prehends much more than that. Wemaintain the affirmative. want to discuss that particular question the great principle involved in the specific declaration that unpaid la Dor IS the source of profits, interest and large fortunes. This is estab- lished by these propositions:
 "First-AIisery, poverty and in- equality, exist to-day.
 -'I am tempted to add second, not quite so essential, namely, that misery and inequality are as marked in America as in Europe"
 Here the speaker referred to his own observation, supported by the Labor Report of the United States Labor Bureau.
 "Thrd-The value of an article depends on the labor spent in pro- ducing and distributing it.
 "F6arth-Whilst all the labor spent on any commodity is all paid for, it is not paid to the laborersl