The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-27
A PREVALENT TYPE OF SOCIALISM.


Much as has been written and spoken
in favor OF socialism, the mass of prac-
tical people have not failed to discover
that its real aim is to take from the in
dustrious, the prudent and the prosper
Gus what they have and give it to the
indolent, the improvident and those who
are not prosperous. Socialism, as pro-
claimed. is a practical reversal OF
Christ's parable of the talents, since it
takes from those who have gained other
talents and gives them to those who
have buried their own. Such an illog-
ical and unjust theory will never be-
come more than the fad Of the few who
are ambitious to be known as the dis
ciples of dreamers whose brilliancy has
attracted attention and whose excess of
imagination has eclipsed that Judgment
which is so essential in practical affairs.
While this sort of socialism will new
err become popular. there is a growing
purpose to use the aggregate wealth of
a community or State under the forms
of law from the socialistic point of
view. AS individual, the property of
the person is more secure than ever.
but as part of the community or State
his property was never less his own
than at the present time. Collectively
the wealth of the State is fair plumber
for all who can get the sanction of leg
islatures to take part of it.
This evil has become so common
that whenever anything. which a few
desire is undertaken they resolve to go
to the State, the county or the city and
get an appropriation or a place in the
tax levy. None of those favoring such
schemes would think of going to any
considerable number of the individuals
who are taxed to support their enter
prise. project or fad to ask for a SUBJ
scription for it. because they would be
refused: SO they persuade themselves,
and attempt to persuade the public,
that their project is for the public good,
and ask the Legislature to tax all the
people, not one in a hundred of whom
would voluntarily contribute a cent A
brief examination of the bills pending
in the present Legislature would en-
phasize this tendency to treat the peo-
pie of the State at large as the basis of
the socialistic theory. A few want
school, an association, publication, or
any other thing which. they must know,
if they are fair-minded, can, be of no
possible advantage to nineteen-twenti-
eths of those who pay the taxes, yet
they go to the Legislature for an ap-
preparation and lobby to get it. Who
has not heard the expression, What of
it? the State pays" when objection is
made to expenditures for the benefit of
a few out Of the public treasury or to
unnecessary elaboration in the construc-
ton and furnishing of public institu-
tons which only few can enjoy And
yet. so far as the wrong is concerned.
is 1t less unjust to have the power of
the State employed to compel property
owners to pay for the creation and
maintenance of institutions and soci-
cites for the benefit of a few than is
that broad proposition of socialism
which proposes to confiscate all accu-
mutations of property that the lazy and
shiftless may fare as we'll as the indus
trious and the prudent?
Not long since a philanthropist de-
clared in this city that all the gradu-
ates of the high schools should make
the tour of Europe at the public ex-
pense-that is. at the expense of people
more than half of whom must save
whole year to be able to enjoy hum
dred-mile excursion. But. extravagant
as this declaration may seem. how
much greater an injustice does it in
volve to the mass Of people to whom
taxation is a burden than that institu-
tions which can benefit not one in a
thousand of the people shall be sus-
tanned by taxation?