Workmen's advocate., 1889-11-23
The Socialist Platform.

The Socialist Platform.
 To the WIOrkmen's AdUOcdte:
 While think no one is more anxious than am to see the time when all people shall, according to their ability and needs, share alike the toll and rewards of life, and no one with spare time and money so very limited is more willing to do all he can to promote this glorious religion of universal brotherhood- Socialism-yet l can not take hold of any plan to accomplish this unless that plan seems plain and practical to me from beginning to end, from bottom to top. And if there is wisdom in, or ne- cessity for, the long platform recently adopted, or the one that has been in the WoRKMEN'S ADVOCATE for the last year, 1 can not see it.
 can understand that all public affairs, public highways, whether com mon or railroad, all public means of transportation, communication and ex- change, must be controlled in every particular by the government for the public good, for the general welfare and the safeguard of liberty" which thls government was established to promote; otherwise this government is not republic, but a sort of poodle, an- archial oligarchy, Tn which the biggest purse is the greatest ruler. l can see very plainly that there is not and never was particle of authority in the con stitution of this country for permitting private citizens to control public high ways, public finances or public affairs. of any kind for private gain, or for any thing else.
 can see that the Republicans and Democrats who have been guilty of turning over to few private citizens
 the whole internal commerce and
 financial affairs of this nation of 60 mil
 lion people, to be used solely for purposes
 of robbery and oppression; who have
 created an enormous debt for the
 capitalists to draw interest upon, are as
 much traitors to the constitution, to the
 old flag, as ever Jeff Davis, Robt. E, Lee
 or Bob Toombs were; and this Judas way
 of betraying the people is much more
 dishonorable and more likely to succeed
 in destroying this government than was
 the more honorable and manly, open
 attempt of the rebels of 1860.
 With the government controlling all
 the public affairs for the general welfare,
 regulating the rates and pay for every
 thing and everybody connected with them, and with graduated taxation of incomes and real property (measures
 that every intelligent, reasonable citizen will favor) freedom, equal rights and the general welfare would be so nearly restored that other righteous measures would encounter no difficulty. No , person could acquire sufficient wealth, and hence power over his fellow beings,
 to do any great amount of harm. l can not understand how the law or laws could be so applied as to require or F compel people to share alike the tolls
 and rewards of life, but l can under stand how all people of similar tastes and habits can associate together and ? thus secure the comforts of lite and the E means of happiness for each and every
 one to a greater extent than can possibly be found by any one under this present l system of "every one for himself and 3 the devil take the hindmost." s We have plenty of people in this country now who, aside from having to submit to the devilish robbery imposed
 by the railroad, telegraph, banking, and
 "trust" "hog barons," bastard kings, l share equally their toll and equally enjoy S the results of their toll,
 But if law was made requiring the ,, thousands of Shakers to share alike with l the thousands of Memnonites the tolls : and rewards of life there would be wal f forthwith.
 c. N. CLARK. N Lincoln, Neb.
 r. For reply to the above communl cation see our editorial article under t the caption, "Our Platform" FED.