The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-05-17
SI.oo "a YEAR, IN ADVANCE.
Friday, May IL, 1889.
Prof. ELY on Socialism.

Prof. Richard L. Ely, OF johns
Hopkins University, delivered dis
course on Socialism before the guild
of the First NJ. E. Church of Balti-
more on Monday night of which the
following is synopsis:
Many persons thought Socialists
dangerous persons, just os when a
boy he thought Democrats.not good
people. He asked his father, and his
father assured him there could be
good people even among Democrats
There are many christian ministers
and persons of the highest culture
who are Socialists, who recognize
that the present industrial system OF
competition is not the best possible
that may be evolved. There were
both good and bad Socialists. His
study of Socialistic statistics proved
it was a mistake to ascribe poverty
to strikes and lock outs and intern
perance; about two per cent only
could be ascribed to such causes. He
condemned the optimists as creating
more harm in the world than the pes
simists, as they dulled tue minds OF
the people to facts. 1t was not true
that capital only received ten per
cent of profits. The state should
control railroads, telephones, electric
lights, etc. The post office delivers
letters and packages far moro expo
ditiously than the express corpora
tions, which proved the ability OF
government in that line. Govern
ment telegraphs in England carried
some kilograms for one tenth what
they cost here. Socialists do not
want division of property. but con,
centration under government. They
liked trusts, because they tended to
concentration. Public schools are
pot socialistic, but the opposite, as
they develop individuality. Euro
pean government monopolies of rail
roads, ETC., arc anti.socialistic on
general principles. 1t is not utopian.
Every good thing was at first called
utopian. Christians should study
the good and bad points of socialism.
He advised the reading of Edward
Bellamy's "Looking Backward" He
SAID the waste of competition is
enormous, as note the two million
dollars expended in the Nickel Plate
Railroad which is now absorbed by
another corporation, the Erie, which
paralleled it Socialists claim that
he who will not work should not eat,
be he rich or poor. He said God
gave riches to men that they might
serge him. Socialism got it's idea of
elderly, equality and fraternity
from Christianity. Socialism did
good in calling attention to the pub
lie welfare. 1t opposed lotteries,
which enriched the few and impov-
erished tina many. Statistics showed
that two.thousand power arc light,
which in Boston cost fify.6,e cents,
in five cities which had their own
plant, cost on an average fifteen
cents. Socialism aimed to put an
end to rewarding politicians and
ofiice.seekers by preventing them
from having power. He closed by
saying that up to the present time
there appeared no possibility of
Socialism ever succeeding, not even
in Germany. "What we want is
a democracy of the highest order,
which will choose the best to serve
the people, and an aristocracy of the
highest order, which shall say our
chief aim will be the servants of the
reople.'
Prof. Ely makes the following cor,
rection of the report of his address
as published in the Ameeican l am
reported as having said that only
about two per cent. of poverty could
be traced to strikes, lcck outs and
intemperance combined. What | did
say was this: There was a great deal
of involuntary idleness, and only
about one per cent. of this, according
to recent Investigations in Massa
chusetts, can be ascribed to strikes
and lock outs. I attempted to give
no accurate statistics in regard to the
percentage of poverty caused by in
temperance. The lowest percentage
which l have seen is that found in
the tenth annual report of the Buff
falo Charity Organization Society.
According to the secretary of that
society, l,4O7 cases of restitution
were treated by them. and nine per
cent of these cases were due to in
temperance.