The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-01-10
soc1ALIsTIC
Between Jim North and Bill South.
Number !.

Bill South" Yes, 1t Is a tine for the
crime for having been born into the
world and neglecting TO die young
Il believe you are right, Bill Now
tell me what a protective tariff is"
1T is a legal method of robbing the
poor to give to the rich"
by Jove, that's AS plain as day, but
while | am asking questions l will give
you one more. Tell me what a license
tax is"
Its a fine for not being a losfer."
"BIl, you've put me to thinking,
and 1 would like to ask you just two
more questions"
Out with them Jim"
"Why + people made TO pay taxes
on improvements and personal prop
erty?"
TO punish them for being industri-
Gus and frugal, and endeavoring to add
to the comforts and convenience of
the race"
How, then, do you propose to raise
funds to defray governmental OK
penses7'
BY taxing the rental value of land
only. You see. jim, society creates
the rental value of land, and as gov
eminent is nothing more nor less than
organized society it is but right to take
its own creation (rental value Of land)
for it's WI maintenance"
Bill, I've been thinking about your
idea Of taxing land values as a m.ans
| of raising q revenue and would like 1t
very we'll, but l beard Sen tOr. Slow
and Judge Legaleye talking about 1t
and they say that the single tax, as
| you call it, SO much like socialism and
would be a dangerous experiment., and
to tell you the truth about it [ am
afraid OF anything which emacks of
socialism"
Il suppose, Jim, you have given so
| cialism some thought, otherwise you
| could not pass Judgment upon it"
4 have not studied socialism at all,
| but I ! have noticed this: that both Sen
ator Slow and Judge Legaleye, as well
as our merchants and real estate deal
ers3 are against it, and Banker Shave
note says 1T is b Jrribi0 TO think about
it."
Socialism, Jim, like all scientific
! theories, does not fear an investigation
| Of its principles. Il encourages rather
! than dlscOurageS sucn investigate n.
"aave you turned socialist, Bale"
Il have about come TO the belief that
socialism is the only way out Of and
freedom from industrial slavery"
Bill, it il hard to di8credit the opin-
ions of such intelligent men as Senator
| Slow, Judge Legaleye and Banker
Shavenote. Senator Slow says social
ism is a vague Utopia. Judge Legal
| eye says it would destroy individuality
and Banker Shavenote says it is an
assault upon the rich. What say you
to these chargesY'
jun, you are well aware that an
advocate of a new thought subjects one
to the charge of being a crank i'm
practicable dreamer, OptimlBt and q
score of other sCarecrOWs TO detraCt
peoples minds from the real truth.
| Socialists believe most of the evils Of
to day are the result Of competition
ami that the best and only way to
OvercOmethese evils i8n0t by denunci-
alton and destruction, but by reform
and cOnstru ;tiOn, by progression, assO-
citation and co operation. They believe
| these things re right and III the line
of civilization, and believing that what
ever is right should be ~practlCed. AS
| far aS-indlvlduallty is concerned, moth
ing could be farther from it's destruc-
tIon than socialism. Herbert Spencer
and all individuality. The struggle fer
| existence would not cease, but men
would not, under socialism, struggle
as they Go now for the possession Of
| the products of other mems toll. The
struggle would not be with arrow,
spear or bullet, nor by poisoning gro
cerieS. short measure, business sharp
ness and tricks of trade. The struggle
would not under socialism, 1t
would on the contrary assume a higher
form, men would contend for attain
ments in the arts and sciences and
character. This it would do: it would
forever stop and set Off people from
living off the labor of others, and if
there is any person in The world whose
individuality would be destroyed by
that the world can di8penee with such
people"
But what about it being an assault
upon the rich?'
1T would not be an assault upon
any One, it would only throw Banker
Shavenote and all other rich people
upon their own resources; that is their
occupation as mOney-geCters would be
abolished, and they with other people,
would be engaged in some useful en-
ployment. Socialists see in the rich
the inevitable result of our present
competitive system. It is with COM
petition the socialist find fault and not
with rich people, therefore Banker
S~havenote's charge is groundless."
81 admit. Bill, your explanations
are quite different from anything /
have ever heard, but I am not yet a
convert to socialism, but | am willing
to learn more about it. "-San Antonio,
TeG., Advocate.
FARM ITEMS.