St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-11
"A VISIONARY CONDITION.

"A VISIONARY CONDIIkON.
A writer in the Arena for March has
discovered specific for poverty. pam
acea for financial ills. cure all for So
ciai inequalities. 1t is warranted to
create a healthy condition Of the body
polite. and, like many other nostfums
we see advertised in the newspapers.
was never known to fail" Perhaps
the reason why it has never failed in
accomplishing its purpose is that it has
never been tested, and the confidence of
the writer that it never Will fail is well
grounded. for it will never have the OPP
portunlty. The plan of the writer is
simply and solely the abolition of all in
terest upon money loaned, and all rent
upon property temporarily consigned to
the keeping of others.
The theories of this writer are not en-
tirely novel. They have been exploited
III years past, but those who entertained
them have been called communists, and
1t has been necessary OH occasions to
behead few of them in order that the
remainder Of the people might be pro-
tected in their right to life, liberty and
property. The theories have been
tested in a few small communities.
They have proved failures in every in
stance. But one of the numerous
communities organized in this country
and Europe now exists. and this-the
Oneida community abandoned its
original purpose, and is now an incor-
porated commercial, agricultural and
manufacturing company, competing
with other like Industries as keenly, and
looking after the dollars and cents as
religiously as any of the monopolies
and trusts that so freely abound.
One of the results which would fol-
low the abolition of all interest and
rent charges, and which seems to be
thought desirable by the writer, is that
large fortunes would soon be dissipated.
The posseSSors of houses and lands
would find them valueless. They would
produce no income, and the owners
would be compelled to work in order to
procure means OF subsistence. COnSe-
quentiy-if the writer's ideas are car
ried to their legitimate conclusion
there would be no inducement for any
man to buy land or to build houses eX-
cept for his own accommodation, and
those unable to buy and build would be
left without homes Or shelter. For no
man could be induced to loan them
money without security or interest, or
to give them shelter without compensa-
ton. There would be no incentive to
industry, no motive for frugality. if a
man could procure all be might require
without payment of rent or interest, and
the lot of the shiftless tramp would be
as enyiable as that Of the prosperous
merchant or manufacturer.
The theory of the writer. apparently,
is that of the average vagabond-"the
world owes all men living" whether
they work for it or not. The origi-
mai sentence imposed upon man be
cause OF his tranSgres5ion-"B the
sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread''
has no part in their economy. The
established order of being; the growth
of civilization for thousands OF years
the law of nature which declares that
the man shall reap whatever he SowS
the law of cost and compensation-all
favor of rewarding honest toll and saga,
cious trading.
The only incentive mankind has fol
endeavoring to excel in any line OF
thought or any branch of industry is
success. Take away the reward, and
who would care to toll from day to day
eXhausting his mental and physical re-
fn
The domain of commerce-to build ships
and railroads. 10 level forests and de.
velnp plalns-lf they knew that in the
end their reward would be no greater
than that of the sluggard who drones
his days away in idleness and sloth?
An erroneous idea seems to prevail
among the superficial as to the rea
status of money. They forget that it is
| a commodity i'll the same sense that any
| other article of trade and commerce Is
such. 1t is merely the medium of ex
| change of commodities. 1t would be
unreasonable 10 ask merchant to part
with pair of shoes at the exact cost Of
their manufacture, and it would be as
unreasonable to expect a capitalist to
exchange his money for its exact equiv
alent. He must be paid for the cost OF
| handling it, and for the risk of keeping
| it from thieves and robbers. Such a
| form of communism would destroy am
biton and cripple enterprise. and re-
| ducc the human race to the level of ths
brute creation. laying by no store fol
| the future, and content to subsiSt upon
what nature has provided for their i'm
| mediate needs.
Our present economic system has its
/ imperfections, but they are far les:
glaring than would be such system Il:
| the Arena theorist would establish.