The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-16
SOCIALISM AND THE RICH.

The rich man who gets an account oi
the objects and aims of Socialism onlS
from his papeI-the capitalist sheet-
if he believes the account he Teaos'
come naturally TO the conclusion that
Socialism means to do him an injustice;
means to knock hlm down an rob him
inst as the foot-pad does the unwary
traveller bv night. And we cannot blame
the rich man for believing such to ne
the case, as all the information he re.
ceives on the subject ia to the effect tn It
Socialism is a newly discovered tech
nical name for robbery.
But what woefully poor conception
the ricn inau has of Socialism. Dluned
into his ears eternallg. NOWADAYS, Is the
cry, beware of the Socalists!" until he
forgets all about locks aud bolts to guard
ae inst common, ordinary thieves, and
turns in terror to trv and erect oolts'
bars and barriers against the modern
Socialistlc highwaymau and al!-round
robber, who is not content wish his VIC
tins golden pir5e, but must take also
his houses his lalds and all his lares
and penates, aud cOnsign them to the
capaclous pouch carried as a receptacle
for all the rich m4u's possessions.
How sad it is to think that the rich
9 man believes that the Socialist is only
man who possesses a heart capable of
no good intention and filled with no
pure idea reg .rding the rights OF his
neighbor.
How unfortunate 1t is that ricn men
cannot realize that they would be hap
pier were thei- fellow men happy
How sad to see the poor rich man
gorge himself with gold until th> load
drags him into a grave over which few
tears are dropped, and mu n wrangle
made for his money.
Under So ialistic state there could
\ be no millionaire3; neither could there
be tramps, as all men would have oppOr-
tunity to do that which they ere able
and best suited to d. How much hap
pier our miliionaires would feel were
they surrounded by no poor, starving
Wretches 10 oking at tNeu with enylou5
eyes, and planning their destruction. II
Socialism was established men would
not be able 10 get possession Of wealth
they were not entitled to consequently
could not become miserable by the pos
session of that the care of which makes
men miserable.
Once get the idea started and entered
into the minds Of men, that the Dlllng
up Of a mass of wealth is the poorest way
to develop the best faculties and arouse
the nOblest aspirations in the minds OF
men, aud the battle is nearly won. Once
men begin to think and realize the fact
that the greatest men the world has
ever been blessed with have been men
whose lives have not been spent in
pillng up a mass Of wealth They were
men whose minds were raised above
base dollars and cents; men whose lives
have been spent In thelaboratory, wher e
the secrets of nature are wrung from its
blsom and placed as an open book to De
read for the benefit of mankind men
whose lives have been spent within the
walls of the college and university,
fitting and polishing the jewels and gems
of mans intellectual faculties; men
whose genius made them tne kings of
mechanism have spent their lives in
the shop between the anvil and the
lathe, and all that they might develop a
metallic helper who would lift the bur
den from the back of mankind. These
are the men who die rich rich in the
deeds they have ne, rich in the love
and veneration of their fellow beings.
These are the men whose nam"s stand
as the milestOnes on the road of human
progress. These are the rich men of the
Socialstic state Of the future