The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-05-05
Abolish Poverty.

in the United States is mostly due to
vicious legislation. Every avenue OF
trade and industry has been seized by
trusts, corporations and syndicates.
for the purpose of amassing immense
fortunes at the expense of the toiling
millions In many instances these
have been chartered by law and as
sisted by subsidies from the public
treasury. 1t is no longer secret that
their agents throng the Hobbies OF our
state and national Legislatures for the
purpose IF securing favorable, or de-
feating adverse, legislation. They
practically control legislation, and. in
many instances. the decisions of courts.
The growth of their power for the past
so years has been wonderful. The
concentration of capital which they
represent is constant menace to our
free institutions, The millions they
possess have been wrung from the
great industrial army of labOrers. In
every possible way that human ingen-
uity could conceive of, q toll has been
placed upon the earnings of labor to
fill the Golfers Of spectators who pro-
duce nothing A little here and lit
tie there, toll on what we buy. Gail
the traffic will BEAR has been the
only, limit to the exactions of these
merciless masters of which the law
either licenses or permits. Could any
thing but poverty result from such
systemg And poverty we have. Not
because mother earth does not respond
to our efforts and yield up her rich re-
sources, but because our system taxes
it out of our possession, leaving us
mere pittance. Thus we have the
Favored few and the Impoverished
many" immense wealth on the one
side and immense poverty on the
other. 1t is impossible to have the one
without the other, because they are
the legitimate offspring of the same
system, and the existence of the one is
the result of the other. Abolish the
laws which create the one and the
other will quickly disappear. The
equitable distribution of wealth is the
greatest question of the age, because
on it depends the happiness of the
human race. By this we do not mean
an equal distribution of property, but
that labor shall have what it produces,
and the drohes be compelled to work.
.'If any will not work neither shall
they eat There is justice in that
No man or woman has Il right to
dodge the supreme decree, I'm the
sweat of thy face shalt thou cal
bread" No man has right to live
off the labor of others, only as an OBJ
iect of charity on account of disability
to work. .'But some men can accumu
late so much faster than others >
Granted; but when he gets enough t.
live on his natural life, stop him. He
needs no more and is only robbing
| others. Put an income tax on hin
that will redistribute his accnmula
tions as the compromising powers o
nature redistribute water that has ;
tendency to concentrate, or go toward
| the earth's center. Such tax woulC
act as an evener. 1t would wipe GU
selfshness and abolish poverty. With
poverty abolished, by abolishing it
cause, much crime would 60 with it
for poverty is prolific breeder o.
crime. If there is any object in gov
eminent at all, it is to promote tn
general welfare" of.th7 many and no
tOf the few. An immense fortune is
crime against humanity, because
causes many to suffer for the benefit o
the few. 1t represents the earnings o
others wrongfully obtained. 1t is al
the same whether obtained by superio
physical or intellectual force. 1t
stolen property, of no value to the pc:
SCISSOR, only such as he can use in thi
life, and wrOngfully withheld froI
those who produced it aud need it.
represents power, the means of col
ruption, and is constant menace
good government. The object of go1
ernment is good government. 1t is th
duty of government to protect tn
weak against the strong; to remoV
every obstacle in the way of secnrin
the greatest good to the create
number. 1t is proper to do this eve
though it may have to abridge or il
terfers with .'private rights for pr
vate rights ares not as sacred as th
..public good" Where concentrate
of capital is necessary to cheaper ma
tiers of public utility. let governmer
own and operate such enterprises fl
the public good, and not permit thei
to be run for private gain. In fact.
all matters of public utility, wipe OF
the element of profit. In all mattel
restrain the Entertainments of th
strong against the weak; encourae
{ the poor; dIscOuntenance selfishnes