The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-29
THE NEW PORTENT OF EVIL.
appeal to ReaSon.)

THE NEW PORTENT OF EVIL.
appeal to Reason.)
One of the greatest dangers that threat
en- the American people, that will destroy
every vestige of the principle of self-gov-
eminent, that will determine who may
and who may not hold official position, is
the principle of requiring bonds of surety
Ompanies-corporatio of capitalists
organized to furnish bonds for private
and public employees Here is case in
point. The new liquor law of New York
effects tens Of thousands Of business
places. Within 48 hours after the pass
age of the act each of these had received
circular letter from one of these COM
panies in which Boss Platt's son is the
managing director, and this was made
prominent by having index fingers point
ing to the fact. This is all legitimate, on
the face, but revolution of conditions 10
made when the excise commissioner is
sued the following order:
have decided to require bonds of some
reliable surety company in all instances
from special deputies, special agents and
all other persons from whom l take
bonds My reason for this is that have
neither time nor means for aScertaining
the value of personal bonds.
The New York World estimates the
profit this wind company will realize out
Of this at over 81 900 900 year. See how
honest toll is thus rewarded.
The government at Washington has re-
Gently by law recognized this method of
furnishing bonds, and this precedent is
fast being made a custom that will be
recognized by law. Then, whom these
trust or bond associations do not desire to
have office they will decline to sign their
bond and they will thus control VINO may
and who may not hold office. AS the
bond associations are composed of bank
ing, stock gambling and other disreputa-
BILE vocations, they will not be long in
debating whom the people may elect to
office. These companies are now skin
ming the wage-Slave of millions annually.
Every conductor, motorman, cashier or
trusted employe all over the country is
now required to give bonds in these COM
panies. The officers of these employing
companies are either interested as stock-l
holders in the bond association or get
rake-off on the side.
It is by such means, thousands in num-
Der, that the laboring people are skinned
out of their wages by the fellows who live
in elegant homes, dress in the finest and
slaves. And all this is logical to the
methods of present day ideas, and will go
on getting worse and worse for the labor
ing people so long as individuals operata
business for private profit When only
the people collectively own and operate
all property for themselves, when all peo-
pie will be in the public service, there will
be no bond or other methods by which a
few live in splendor by skinning the
workers. Then no useless vocations will
be followed, for it will not pay All must
help to create the commonwealth or they
will get none of it.-Appeal to Reason.
THE MESSAGE OF THE NEW So
CIALISM TO MODERN SOCIETY,""
Prof. John Graham Brooks, of Har-
ward University, delivered, on the 18th
inst, at Berkeley Lyceum, the second
of series of four lectures on socialism,
for the League of Political Education.
He gave a practical illustration that
explained in the simplest fashion eX-
actly what the economic side of social
ism desires to accomplish. Choosing
England as his scene of action he
begged his hearers to consider all the
wealth of the country (by wealth mean
ing every remarkable article that repre-
sents certain money value to be piled
up into a great heap. That heap would
be worth about fl ,250 100000. The con-
trollers of private interest remove their
share, about ESQ, 100000; those who de-
rive their incomes from rents of mines,
houses, patent, etc., take theirs, which
amounts to f20O,000,00O; and lastly,
those who derive large profits on ma
chinery, mill owners, and the like take
their portion, about f350,O00.000 The
workingman's fund left on the heap is
only f450,000 600.
1t is this unequal distribution the So
cialist hopes to correct, not hastily, but
by slow, well-considered steps. He be-
lieves rents, interest, profits to be un-
fair, and thinks such moneys can finally
become an affair of the community and
be equally distributed among all. So
icalism is evidenced in Switzerland in
the control of liquor by the state, in
England and Germany by the control of
| telegraphs, and in the United States by
| the control of the electric light in var-
| GUS cities. In each case community
| ownership gives community profit.-N.
Y Commonwealth.