The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-26
TnAMrs AND SOCIALISTS.


Tho dsnersnos between seaf-hslp and
socialism n brought into sharp contrast
By tao items Of news which are go.zs the
rounds Of shs nswspapers witaous any ap-
parent sfEorf 70 paint their very obvious
neral.
The richest maa IN the world n said TO
~ John =. Rob,nsos. Of the Orange Free
State. who was = pennfless tramp eighteen
ysa-s ago and who is nov Immensely
wealthy. even n the report that he y new
worth no less than 49,. ooe 90 should be ex-
agRsrzted. His career is hardly more re-
naarkahis than that Of Barney Barnato.
the nuiti-niIilonaire OF the Transvaai, ex-
some ability In q circus. while Robinson
was nothing more than q vagrant Both
these men started without q dollar. and
both worked their way to fortune by native
shreweness ard Individual effort. They
ia rot wait for any social revolution or
Cor the cooperation Of others. nor ala they
waste the few years svasiabls for activity.
bat - sboat the task alone.
A few years ago . band OF Austraiian
socialists. unable to bring other men 70
their visw that those VINO had should a.
vide With those who had not. left Australia
ana vsns t. Paraguay for the purpose Of
foundins . sseAsi ssoiaisstic community.
The conditions were very fnyorAbls for
sucA An experiment.. They had q eences-
sion Of $4,000 acres Of good land without
cost. and they were exempted from all tax
ation for tsn years No duty was to b
levied fer that period on either their I'm
ports " their exports. and they were NOT
to Be intsrfsrsd with by any laws except
such - thsy formulated for their own gov
ornament The programme iald down by
ne ie>dcss II this modern Utopia was shat
production. distribution. government and
sduoAtssa we're 10 Be- in the hands OF wise
ana beaevclsas state, and the profits were
70 b equally distributed. irrespective
Of ACe sen or capacity. Surely
nefhiag could have be<a wanting to
manifest 70 the world the advantages OF
perfect equality. freedom from the tax
gatAsssr. immunity from the money lend
Or and absolute release from any Of the
be No psvesty where all shared alike. no
inducsnsnt to greed. because none could
retain more than his share: no uonopo-
Hes, no franchises. no exclusive prtvii-
eses % class or interest The only draw
hack was that there were no profits 10
distribute: the record was one OF idlencss
and waste: the colony began with coo but
at the end OF two years the community
had been reduced to 200. Many OF tho
eoionists quitting the place in disgust at
the schemes and sohisus by which the
Idle sought to obtain advantage over the
industrious ard nj the efforts OF others
20 remedy the iils OF socialism By more
fantastic socialistic doctrines.
Those who were willing to work hard
snd accumulate by thrift became dis
hesr,ened by tho tendency OF most OF
their number 10 talk theories rather than
practice the Industrial virtues Those
who were most anxious 20 be free from
lawful rule were the FRS. 10 attempt &c
frame system Of Government which
would give them once and relieve them
from the necessity Of engaging in manu-
al laeo- which all were supposed to share.
Seine were wise enough TO leave while
they stili had the means: others are now
begging aid from friends In the colony
they left or Of the Australian govern
naens, ard oniy the few who hope TO 1--we
by prsying upon their nesghbors viii be
lef, TO try som. other plan by which the
economical law may be subverted.
Between the experience OF the Seu,A
African tramp ard the fsragusysr So
cialist lies q wide asia: probably not all
can acquire Rooinsen's wealth but there
Is mer. hope Of reaching independently
by his road than by such ehimericai fol-
lies as these witch seem 80 ailurinx un-
Ger Tire ssaise OF socialism.