The Labor enquirer., 1886-06-19
THE STUDENTS.

There is food for thought in the fact
that two graduates of the Denver Uni
yersitv this year selected as the theme
for their papers the subject of Socialism.
The impatient ones among the advo-
Gates of the Cooperative Common
wealth rob themselves of great deal of
solid satisfaction by failing to see in the
mild opposition and ignorance of the
students the encouragement which the
thoughtful take from the fact that So
cialism is s'becoming of such Importance
as to crowd out all other subjects from
the graduates mind, at such critical
Ito theml time.
The selutatory of Miss Helen Fuller
Officer, Agitation tie Condition of Pro
qress," attempted to do no more than
prove the affirmation contained in its IT,
tie; and in her reference to Socialism
she admitted that its agitation is con-
dition of progress. Her essay bears the
stamp of haste in LOOKING into the ques-
tion of Socialism but it denotes an in
terest and prophecies future inquiry
which cannot fail to rebound to the
cause.
Mr.. Elmer E. Kitchen named his
paper, "The Falacles of Socialism and
Communism )" but as is usually the case
with novires he confounded the two
isms, and the whole argument brought
to show the "fallacY" was applicable MY
to Communism which intellig Mt peo-
pie know is almost the opposite Of So
clalism.
he Young mao in his argument
against the isms-presuming that they
are the same-yery innoCently apDro-
PIRATES the corner stone of Socialism,
He saws: without ambition or incen-
tive to labor very little can be accom-
plished. Caiital is stored-uu la1or, and
no man should be denied the right to ac-
cumulate by his labor"
Now l would like the reader to follow
me closely through brief analysis OF
these words from the Socialist stand
point. In the first place, Socialists OBJ
ject to the present competitive system,
and advocate cooperation in its stead.
We hold that under the present system
the business" methods of capitalism
which obtain to-day-productiye labor
does not accumulate but that those
who really do the work are denied the
right to lay up for their own benefit the
surplus over and above their current
necessities ana that the speculator, the
non producing, unsCIupulous shark is he
who does the aCCumulating. We know
that there is not one out Of ten honest
workers in the world to- day who has the
shadow of hope that he can ever SUBJ
stantially better his condition, under the
present system, by continuing at produc-
tive labor; and he sees, as every open
eyed person sees, that the products Of
labor are accumulated by those who do
not perform honest labor. So "ambi
ton to accumulate" destroys all respect
for honest work, obliterates true man
hood and makes of men simplyava
Cious animals. Socialism would give to
the worker his full product, removing
the opportunity for profit in speculation,
thus compelling ambition to run in an
honest channel, and rewarding each in
proportion as he contributed, by pro-
ducing useful things, to the good of 80
Ciety
The vast accumulations of wealth in
the hands of individuals is source of
danger and evil, but Socialism does not
offer proper remedy" says our gradu-
ate. TIE easiest way TO answer this
would be to say that, our young friend
does not seem to be familiar with what
Socialism does offer; but l will only call
his attention to the foregoing paragraph
of this article, and then invite him to a
study of Socialism in detail. might
also say that Mr.. Kitchen declares that
there are wrongs under our present sys.
tenn; decides that Socialism (Which he
does not understand) is not a remedy,
yet he has nothing to offer.
If the young man is interested in the
welfare of humanity he will study So
clallSm and The Other isms and TUE ES
ou1RER hopes he will do 50, for if he is
honest he Can come to but one conclu
sion-that the competitive system must
20.