Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-03-15
SOCIAL SCIENCE,


Labor Hateful under Capitalism
Practical Illustrations.
Rev. W. d. p. Bliss, editor Of the Da,cn,
delivered an address onSocialism lastSun.
day eve. before the Social Science club,
and most of the audience agreed with
HIM. The meeting was held in Barnard |
Memorial Chapel on Warrenton street,
and attracted large number of men
and women.
81 will stake my reputation as a
prophet" said the chairman, "that we
shall fill fremont Temple with this club
some day"
The exercises were, as usual, intro
duced with music by the boys band and
the young lady violinist and cornetist of
the chapel Mr.. Bliss was late. When
he came he began his address by ex-
planning his delay in these words: eff
we were living under socialstic gov
eminent, l should not have had to wait
10 minutes tonight for horse car in
South Boston. In a socialistic system
they would be run in the interest of the
people of the city"
"Let us see," said he, "what Social.
ism is. We may define it as the holding
and control of capital, including land,
by the community, for the good of the
community. Applause. Christianity
must lead to it, when applied to econ
omics; it leads right out to German
Socialism. Applause. Christ taught
that we must make our sacrifice here
on earth and not content ourselves with
| purchasing reserved seats for heaven.
| 1t will not do for our opponents to ridi-
cule this deduction. General Walker,
in ridiculing Looking Backward" has
thrown dirt upon noble idea. / don't
like to see people stoop so low. don't
like to see them put neckties around the
throat of Venus, or place cigarettes
between the fingers of an Apollo. APP
plause. We know that our system is
right, whether we are Nationalist or
Christian Socialists, although l don't be-
lieve the details of the system are to be
worked out by any individual or limited
set of men. We don't want, for one
thing, paternal Socialism. The work
ingman is after justice, not charity.
Applause. We desire neither tixity of
system nor paternal Socialism. Nor do
we want individualism, in the same
sense as anarchy, but we will be salts
fed to have individuality. In all pro-
LESSONS and trades nowadays men are
prevented from exercising their own
individuality through consciousness of
the grip that others have upon their
purses. A workingman once said: 81
hate my work. Day after day, and year
after year, | have to sit here, boring
exactly similar holes in pieces of steel.
And | cannot escape from this hell of
labor" Well, that man was right to
hate his work. God never made man
to be machine for boring holes, and
to sink his individuality for the bare
means of subsistence. Applause.
y believe in the naturalization Of
, railroads. They are the streets of this
great country. Are we to allow private
persons to retain control of our high
| ways? Applause. Even more would
| have the telegraph nationali7ed. The
Western Union now owns the channels
} of information, of thought itself, in this
country. Shall we submit to this
wrong? Moreover, municipal control
would pay, would help us to meet the
expenses of our government. Berlin
manufactures gas for it's people, sells il
at less than 81 thousand, and makes
l enough profit to pay Is per cent. of the
! municipal expenses. So you see, private
t ownership of railroads, ETC., is foolish
as we'll as wrong. Nationalsm is not q
| vagary. 1t is entirely practical. 1t il
t urging legislation right here in Massa
5 chusetts for the relief Of oppression by
4 excessive taxation.
9 81 believe also in the naturalization
:. of land. [Applausel. | lam not Henry
: George man, however. Justice will
: bring about the naturalization of land
. Again, we should have the unemployed
: employed by the State or municipality
Q am inclined to believe that this should
S come first. Applause. 1t would b,
g better for those who are now employed
for it is the competition between thos.
who have work and those who have
p not that keeps wages so low. The prev
:, alent lack of work seems to me to be tn,
, most notable, the most pitiable. tn,
y most damnable effect of our p1esen
: system. [Applause.l My friends, WI
must all do away with the plan of every
, man for himself and his hand against
his brother; and Socialists, Nationalists
. and Christian Socialists, we must &C
, complish all VIC can in our own path
to bring in the grand result of a univer
sal, democratic Socialism. Applause.
!. u-anE 400 the suitchman of thu