The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-08-23
Socialism and Free Competition.

which SOClallSU1 IeuuCeu 10 pIdCtlCe has
received. 1t resembles all the other at
tempts, and the putting out of the broth.
erhood of its founder and branding him a
designing rascal from the start, shows
that socialism in perspective and social
ism within touch appear very different.
The Matchmaking of natural monopolies
seems to be as near socialism as the race is
able to 60. When that is accomplished
the border line of the Utopia of socialism
will have been reached, and like the
border line where eternity begins and this
worlds journey ends, may never be
crossed by the animal man.
Thos E. Watson in his Peoples Party
Paper takes the rupture in the Tennessee
colony for a text and rears structure al.
most as airy which he calls true or pure
democracy, as the socialists dream land.
His democracy in perspective to the touch
we are satisfied would prove a veritable
hedge hog. Watson's definition of "pure
democracy" is:
'You are as good as any other man;
the worlds honors and its wealth are as
much yours as any other mans; the des-
tiny of the republic rests as much upon
your vote as anybody's; what you pro-
duce shall be yours:-such is the language
of pure democracy to the citizen
And this is precisely the language of
"pure" socialism to the citizen, but when
the attempt to adopt this pure or ideal
democracy, or ideal socialism is made it
fails. Watson answers the riddle of the
modern sphinx, no more than did Way
land. The great immortal of man has
stepped outside of its human habitation
and individualized itself in the machine,
which does the work of ten, twenty, fifty
men and does it more artistically and
better. This individualized immortality,
this materialized thought of man says to
the ten, twenty, fifty human workers, 81
have no further use for your services. 1
can perform this work more rapidly than
all of you together and at far less cost; go,
have no use for you " They move on
to the next station and machine is pro-
ducing the same or another class of goods,
and has dispensed with the same number
of human hands, who have moved on, and
that portion of society which the machine
has not yet discharged from labor, as
superhuous, has dubbed the wanderers
"tramps'
Mr.. Watson, turning his back to the
sphinx, gravely inquiries Gould any
system better adapt itself to the grandest
possibilities, the noblest aspirations of the
human race? Be as fraternal, as char,
table, as selfsacrifcing as you like-that
is your own affair; democracy does not
dictate how kind and loving you shall be
to your neighbor. 1t requires you to-tIeat
him justly. Human law can do no more. y
That is the language the machine i:
using every day and Mr.. Watson take:
the words from its lips and tells us it i.
the language of "pure democracy"
The wanderers who have been turned
adrift by the machine pause to listen t.
the orator of "pure democracy" ant
their spokesman replies: 'You say
Democracy as principle demands tina
all class distinction be leveled; [then VIII,
are we wanderers against our wish ant
will p that no special privileges shall
exist; [Then why is the privilege to worl
4 denied us?] that no industry be favored
at the expense of another; why is thu
machine favored by giving up our worl
f to it while we are cast adrift to tramp ant
beg or starve 2 that all shall have voic'
in the government, and that all shall rule
for the good of ALL What voice have WI
in the government? When we complain
or ask for share of that good which
you say is for all, the man with the clut
orders us to move on. When we refuse te
move on the government sends its armed
men against US and shoots us down. thai
no monopoly shall live; 1.-THE machine is {
monopoly and has taken our work from
us by which we and our families live
arrogates it to itself and we starve. that
the wealth of nature and industry shall
remain open to competition walled
i'll by class laws Is it open to us? Tell
us were we may go to find it open to us.
The machine is walled in its great palace
which we dare not enter. The machine
and its products are claimed by few
men who own them, and you tell us every
man wants that which is his own and is
not satisfied with less, and that is pure
democracy We used to depend upon
the fruits of our labor, the machine came
and by free competition took from us
the fruits of our labor, who will restore to
us that which was once ours? By this
creed-'pure democracy'-you say each
man, however poor, has chance at the
worlds wealth. tell us, you please,
where our chance comes in. We are in
search of it now."]
| Mr.. Watson nor any other orator of
''pure democracy has been able to give
an answer to this spokesman of the "dis-
inherited" The riddle of the modern
sphinx remains unsolved. The principles
of government laid down by the Peoples
party when adopted will bring us to the
border line. Then the dream of socialism
and the dream of free competition may
step from behind the veil and ask a pal
pitating world to choose between them.