The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-02-28
si.oo YEAR, ADVANCE.
Friday. Feb. 2S, 1890.
Socialism and Monopoly.

and writers OF the time, and are likely to b
better understood than they ever have here
tofore been. 1t is the belief of large num-
Der of intelligent writers and speakers thai
there is an irreconci!able antagonism be-
tween them. And if the definition giyer
the terms by impract,c,ls, which are al
present the NEST noisy on both sides, were
allowed, there would be waged war TO the
death, but when this tumult Of passion has
been relegated to the background and law
directed by commonsense assigns TO each Ill
proper prerogative, harmony will take the
place of discord. Those who attempt to JUS.
tlty or excuse the violence and greed Of
monopoly, while they rail against socialism,
hurl their anathamas against ignorant ana
Vicious organizations, which are cropping in
the dark, and are only such on account OF
their ignorance of true remedy for the in.
justice complained of; and this passion is
tanned by class who ATTEMPT TO justify the
usurpations and violence which are practic-
ed by monopolies. Among those defender.
of the wrongs Of monopoly and the unjusr
practices of the money power, the New
York Financier occupies front rank. II is
matter of surprise that the usual clear sight
and broad views of The Financier, fail to
see the line of justice on which these SEEM
ing enemies should be compelled to NEE,
and harmonic. Civilized society is social
ism in its best and only true sense. AL.
v:oleLt efforts outside of this 10 equalize the
conditions of the human family must be fail
ures, with the painful disappointments and
results which are the fruits of all failures.
The natural and personal rights of the in
dividual must be given up in large measure
10 accommodate the demands of society, and
the compromising benefits in return from
society should be fair equivalent for all
the Individual has parted with, but he feels
they are not in many instances, and there is
partially shown by the manner that the
laws of the State and customs in vogue are
taken advantage of to favor few at the ex-
pense of the many. This favo,itism has be-
come so glazing in the case of railroads,
trusts and financial methods that the COM
plant is growing universal and opposing
elements more aggressive and determined,
that remedy must be applied or war of
determination will result. This fact ought
to be plain to every careful observer of pub
lie events. The intelligence of the masses
precludes the possibility of violence which
would destroy rather than remedy, and the
careful study which the problem is receiving
is an earnest of its safe solution, and at no
very remote period. 1t is the worst state of
society or socialism which divides lis people
into possessors of great wealth and suffering
poverty. This has been the ruin of every
civilization and will be the ruin Of ours if
not checked. The laws and customs of So
ciety which permit this state or condition of
the population to exist are either unjust Or
improperly administered. The following
quotation from The Financier will serve to
illustrate TIE point. In speaking of the
rights Of railroads that paper says:
''Suppose a road does make rebates to n
trust shipper; suppose such rebate is way be-
low what the trusts rival can compete
against, what of it? The road as a business
enterprise, and as a controller of its own
business, can do just as it pleases in such
matter. The state has no more right 10 in.
terfere with this liberty than it has to inter.
fere with dry goods stores business on
Broadway"
All of which assumption and claim the
U. S. Supreme Court has emphatically de-
MED, and it is matter for surprise that
such paper should set up such a claim at
this day. All the rights aud privileges of
corporation are prescribed and defined by
the State when the charter is granted, and
the basis on which that grant rests is that
the corporation shall benefit the public, and
when railroad discliminates against any
portion Of the public and in favor of another
part of the public it is violating the letter
and spirit of its charter. The defenders of
the high-handed acts of corporations rersis,
ID investing them with personal-human-
Fights, which are inalienQbie. The corpora
tlon has no such right. 1t is creature of
the State, a machine that has no soul. Ii
represents the selfshness and enterprise of
tn. individual, or of many individuals,
eliminated from the human beings who are
answerable for overt acts of these passions
so long as they are unseparated from their
persons, but when they have been transfer
red to the corporation, then the person es-
c'pes bodily punishment for the violence of
the corporation. The claim set up by the
corporation is that competition will regulate
its operations and reduce its charges TO the
minimum, as in the case of individuals.
But the combining of monopolies has pretty
nearly destroyed all competition, and they
begin TO exercise in business something akin
to Imperial dover in government Parsons
in his "Rights of a Citizen of the United
States" when applying the principles of
law to this subject says:
1.-The mere course of trade if left in free
dom being sure TO adjust these profits on one
side or the other. But il is not SO with
railroads. They are monopolies; for the |
immense expenditure ofmoney they require, |
and the political power they can exert il
disposed to, make them monopolies in fact. |
II LETT in freedom to work their pleasure,
there is no actual competition sufficient to
connteract their power Of directing matters
solely with view TO their own profit. The |
power Of government must interfere for the |