The Labor enquirer., 1886-05-22
Some of the Advocates of So
ciaIiSm Who Denounce
Socialists.
An Ignorance Upon Vital Ques-
tiOns Which Cannot
be BlisSful.
Man, First Know Thyself, Then Learn
of Thy NeighbOr, and Pre-
pare for Justice.

We have been greatly amused the past
two weeks in listening to the silly twad-
die of nincompoops and would-be
trainers of the public mind, as they have
attempted to virtually sit down on doc
trine which thew themselves have been
ignorautly preaching without knowing it.
81 am in favor of the people getting
their rights and an honest form of gov
crnment;" SAYS one punk-head, "but you
bet am not 10 favor of Socialism !"
Poor idiot He does not understand
what he is talking about, and his head
should be soaked until the skull would
stretch sufficiently to allow the cram
ming Of one sound idea into his Uranium.
Socialism, forsooth
The man who favors giving the people
their rights, Is Socialist. And whv2
Because Socialism, as defined by Web
ster. believes in more Just and precise
form of ofgovernment!
If man says he believes in giving the
people their rights, then he believes in
returning to the people the millions of
acres of land that have been stolen and
kept from being settled upon by yeo-
men; and the man who believes in that
is nothing more nor less than Socialist.
The business man who believes in
keeping a circulating medium in a COIN
try 30 that business NAV go on uninter-
rupted aud he NAV prosper as he prac-
tices business industry aud economy, is
Socialist.
The fnrmer who believes that it is
wrong for him to produce enough to
feed 200 families and then be compelled
to mortgage his farm to himself live;
that man is a Socialist
The laborer who believes that the
tools belong to the tollers. and who fur
ther believes that he should get fair
wages for fair days work he too is
Socialist.
The individual who believes that an
Office holder should be an honest man
instead of thief; that man is Socialist.
And why is this?
It Is sufficiently easv to explain. 1t is
because they al favor better form Of
government for the governed.
The business man does not favor the
| II l.,
country, 81 that he is unable to pay bis
rent and live. Hence he is a Socialist.
But it does not follow that he is dvna-
miter and red handed murderer.
Socialism favors peace not war.
The farmer declares it to be outrageous
because he cannot get the benefit of his
own products. Hence he is Socialist.
But 1t does not follow that he is Grim
inal simply because be does not want to
mortgage his farm and does not want to
pay outrageous interest Oh money he is
compelled to borrow. No, not by any
manner of means.
The day laborer believes in getting
lust remuneration for his services. Con-
sequently he is a Socialist. But it does
not follow that he is beer guzzler, and
a vagrant, and dynamiter, and horse
thief, and penitentiary bird.
The starving widow, with fatherless
children, who crv aloud for bread, and
who walksthe streets and demands work
for willing hands, ls Socialist But it
does not follow that she is a lazy prosti
tute, and ought to be at the county poor
farm or in Jail.
Ah, no! A true Socialist believes in
bettering his or her condition, believes
in government of the people, for the
people and by the people
: A prominent Portland merchant said
the other dav 1--WE have got to do
something whereby we will have more
money In circulation, 80 that the
laboring class will have an opportunity
to build homes of their own, and 80 that
our business men will not be hanging
f onto heragged edge Of bankruptcy"
That man was a Socialist. He was
talking S Socialism. and probably did not
realize it, 1t is very probable that had
anyone approached and accused hin of
being Socialist, he would have rolled
, his ewes In holy horror and considered
himself insulted.
, And why?
Simply because they do not under
stand what Socialism really is. They
i are ignorant. They imagine that Social
+ ism means dynamitism, agrarianism and
t communism.
? Poor fools
They are all Socialists
Ignorant ones, to be sure, but thev are
r Socialists. Because they believe in 6
g better form of government. Because
l they believe in honesty and reform. Be-
g cause they believe in the producer get
= ting the benefit of his products. Be
r cause they believe in giving ample
9 employmentto to willing hands. Because
9 they believe that money should repre-
h sent the value of produce and not be
? the value in fact.
With this understanding, who is there
in all this broad land who are not So
cial1sts? Listen and we will tell you.
They are men who have corralled al
80