The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-30

zen, the sum total accomplished for the
good of suffering humanity is equal to
mil.
l But Socialists do take some comfort in
the contemplation Of such productions
a that Of Mr.. Field. They regard them
as acknowledgements that the present
order Of affairs does not secure the hap
piness nor the prosperity Of the people.
They are acknowledgements from men
interested in maintaining the present
order that the case is open for argument.
Here is another "practicap rroposi-
ton: Cyrus W. Field advocates gov
ernment telegraphy q scheme which
resembles State Socialism as much as
one egg resembles another. Advocated
by the great millionaire. Cyrus W. Field,
of Andre monument notoriety Can
such things be? Have we here white
crow, or how comes it that man whose
interests and whose record proclaim HIM
the product of, and profting bv, the
monopoly-fostering system of competi-
tive society, should contribute his en-
ergy and his thoughts toward depriving
the devotees of Mammon Of one of their
most thoroughly equipped places of wor-
ship?
The telegraph system of the United
States is one of the most complete and
aggressive monopolies in existence IN
this country to-day, and has been for
years. The people have complained and
grumbled about it and the intelligent
and well.meaning citizen has said,
"something is wrong and ought to be
righted," many times. Competitive
systems we're established, but they have
been regularly absorbed by the great
wirey octupus and people have become
very shv about investing their money
in schemes to fight this great tribute
collector.
Meanwhile the pressure of the great
monopoly becomes more and more irk-
some until at last from the very nature
of the case;- men betEiLk themselves
that the government may assume con-
troll of such interests under the right of
eminent domain. The relief thus sug-
gested awakens a new hope with those
who have suffered from the telegraph
monopoly, and the idea is eau ght up
with enthusiasm; everybody is fav ora
Bile to it. True, it is Social ,tic, but the
majority do not know this, and the rest
do not care 80 long as it is only applied
to telegraDhv; there is no other relief
which seems to be within reach. So
cialsm is the inevitable end toward
which the development of all our inter-
ests urges u.s. The money sharks and
shylocks see this and so they seek to
furestall public thought. Some of their
abest men write articles on govern ment
telegraphy, and take strong grounds In
favor of sue. an innovation; then thew
suggest how Uncle Sam can accomplish
this without any trouble,
Mr. Cyrus W. Field suggests that the
government determine through the
medium of experts what would be fair
valuation of the stocks of the various
telegraph companies, 80, for instance,
Mr.. Field thinks that such stocks as are
paving a per cent dividend could be
rated at par and all others in proportion.
He does not say whether the experts
should exclude the water" in the
stocks, but as be proposes to value the
stock in accordance with their annual
dividends, be would probably not have
the experts paw any attention to water"
Mr.. Field then goes on to tell US that
the government could pay for these
stocks by an issue Of fifty year bonds
bearing or per cent Interest. In
this way, he says, Uncle Sam could at
the end of fifty years own the telegraph
and make the telegraph pay for itself
Mr.. Field may be a great tinanc ler,
but MANY people will think that the
government could employ experts to de-
termine what it would cost to build a
telegrephic system like there is in ex-
istence and then assume control of the
same, under the right Of eminent do
main, giving the appropriated companies
due-bill against the United States
treasury for the amonnt of labor value
inherent in the lines and instruments,
for such course would save the govern
ment an outlay of rs per cent besides
the fifty years interest.
That Is lust WHY Shylock desires to
forestall public thought, he wants to se-
cure for himself the tribute ofthe people
for fifty years to come.
Socialists are generally convinced that
tbs Cooperative Commonwealth ls IN
evitable, and the intelligent and we'll
meaning citizen often asks them why,
then, they do not calmly stand aloof and
wait the coming of the industrial mil
lennium which they 80 confidently as
sert is inevitable The reason why the
Socialist must be active is to prevent the
capitalist and shylock parasite from fore
staling public thought and thus securing
respite for them and time to plot new
mischief to the detriment of the workers
and thus prolong if not perpetuate the
essence of the slavery from which the
wage-slave proudly thinks he is about
to emancipate himself. A. c. GRAUL.