Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-04-21
COMPULSORY VS.. VOLUNTARY So
OIALISM.

OOhI " OAOVh1 S6s tO4ON 4Ah4 ~.
OIALISM.
The Republican and Peoples Party Repre-
sent the Former, the Democratic
Party the Latter.
Some two or three weeks ago the
Democrat gave to its readers state
ment of truths from the pen of John
G. Mclaughlin, written for the Star
Courier of Columbus, Kansas. There
were many thoughts and ideas con-
tanned in it to recommend it to the
thoughtful, earnest voter. Below is
given another communication to the
same paper by the same writer,
which is not less valuable, and which
should be carefully studied by every
one with whom rests the responsible
ity of franchise:
"Mr. C. w. Wiley asks, what
menace is there in socialism as such?''
Had he qualified the word socialism"
by the adjective ''state" or ''cumpul-
sory," l would have answered him
unhesitatingly that it is as great a
menace to the liberty of the common
people as the despotism of Russia.
Mr.. Wiley does not seems to be aware
that there are two great schools of
socialism in the world to-day; one
advocating the socializing of indus
try by force, that is, by legal enact
ment; the other advocating the repeal
of privilege, and the gradual social
zation of society through voluntary
cooperation. The former desires to
cure the evils Of monopoly by choking
off all competition and forming all the
present monopolies into one gigantic
trust company grun by the general
government. The latter would cure
the evils OF monopoly by removing all
restrictions upon credit and banking,
so as to enable workmen to organize
their own credit, issue their own notes
based upon their own property, employ
themselves, and with a free and open
market where no favors were granted
to any one, the combined workmen
would soon drive the combined cap
italists out of the market.
''In the nature of things,' Mr.. Wiley,
governments are decidedly not socialis-
tic. 1 do not KIN wv of single govern
ment in the world today that is not
busily engaged in robbing industrious
labor of its proc ucts, and aiding and
abetting thousands of parasites through
tariff and banking laws to rob labor of
all but enough to enable it to produce
more. My fight against state socialism
is that instead of curtailing this power
to rob labor, it desires to increase it
indefinitely by centralizing in the
hands of irresponsible politicians all the
principal business interests of the
country. Hence the degree of social
ism advocated in the st. Louis plat
form does bode evil to all but
Office seekers and politicians.
No, place holders and convicts can
not be compared, but the working men
who, under state socialism, would be
compelled to pay enormous taxes to
support the millions of lucky office
holders, would be worse off than the
conyicts in the penitentiary. Yes, the
office holders and the governmental
bosses will have voice in saying what
their compensation will be, and GER
tainly, like our congressional servants,
they will fix it high enough, and as they
will most likely fix the compensation
of those who are not lucky or smart
enough to hold Office, you may be sure
it will be fixed low enough. The OLD
bureaucrat has his dignity to support
and needs SIS 900 year to do it, while
the producer who has no dignity and
has no business to have any, ought to
get along on $500 year, Let US see
who gains most by the communistie
post Office run by the government.
You are always pointing to that in
stitution as a model and as the best OF
all reasons for government ownership
of everything else under the sun.
have before me the reports of the
third assistant postmaster genera
since 1887 to 1891. find this: Ex.
cess of cost of postal service over
amount of revenue for year ending,
June 80, 1887 .--..-...-.. -..-......-s 454 Oh g
" = 1SSS. S....--...-..-..-.. 1a2 66S q