Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-10-20
TOW ARD SOCIALISM
THE NATION MUST ASSUME
DIRECTION.
Extract From a Notable Article In the
Boston "Hcrald"-The Trend Of
the Times-The Right to
Labor and the Duty
of Serving.

When the public learns thati it can
do anything better and cheaper by
concerted action, it will naturally
make practical application of the
lesson.
In no corporation administered on
ordinary business principles would
it be permitted to assess one set of
shareholders for the benefit of
another, or to divide the profits un-
equally among the members. Even
in the case where preferred stock ex-
lists this inequality does not prevail,
for the preferred shareholders enter
on different terms. In the great
national corporation, however, all
shareholders have the same inherent
rights; but unequal privileges are,
nevertheless, allowed to prevail.
1t is toward the righting of this
wrong that the popular sense of in
justice is striving. Under the sys-
TEN of so-called "protectlon,' con-
trary to all true American princi-
ples-that are understood to be iden-
tical with those of liberty and equal
rights for all-class legislatiop is
recognized as a correct principle, and
for the profit of a few shareholders
the many are unequally assessed.
1t seems inevitable that, as the inter
ests of industry after industry are
consolidated under one management
and the process is now under way
with astonishing rapidity-the pub
lie will eventually inquire why it
should not have the full benefit of
the profits, and instead of permitting
them to be apportioned among a
privileged few, place each and every
industry under the management of
the great corporation, and distribute
the profits equally among its mem
bers in the shape of the cheapest and
most efficient service and supplies.
The tendency toward this is mani
fest in the disposition to regulate
trade, and in legislation, both State
and national, notably in the case Of
the railways, looking toward limi-
tation of profits. But we cannot
stop at this. A divided responsible
ity never can work in the long run.
With the power to regulate must 90
the power to control, and to control
implies to possess. Capital will take
no interest in a business whose prof
it's are made uncertain by restrictive
measures, and often rendered impos-
sible. Where nothing is to be gained
from competition, competition will
cease. Capital must either be al
lowed to manage its own affairs, or
the nation must take them fully in
hand. The former alternative seems
no longer permissible.
1t is urged that the extension of
the industrial activities of the ma
ton will be inadvisable, and even
impracticable, without thorough
adoption of civil service reform prin-
ciples. This is perfectly true, but
the very act of extension will neces-
state and hasten the reform as
nothing else may. In all things ex-
perience shows that the greater the
responsibility the better yhe service.
When things are conducted on a
small scale, systematical and disci-
plined methods are not 50 essential
as on large scale. To-day the
public is insisting more and more
on the most efficient methods in the
public service, and with the tele-
graph, for instance, included in the
postal department, it would not tol-
crate the entrustlng Of It's messages,
so frequently OF the most private
and confidential nature, to persons
of the character Of those who are
most frequently the subjects Of re-
ward for partisan services. Much
less would this be permitted to be
the case with the railways, where
lives and property are at stake.
Public opinion would never tolerate