The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-10

tioilaiy chanst' Whlch mas so loHs ~ -
predominant in the nations of the world,
should have passed beyond politics and
made its influence felt in the coenate
field OF practical economy The ele-
ments of a conflict are unmist akable,
the growth of industry and the surpris-
ing discoveries or science: the changed
relations OF master and workman, the
enormous fortunes of individuals and
the poverty of the masses; the increased
self reliance and the closer mutual COM
bination of the working population;
and, finally, a general moral deteriora-
ton. The momentous seriousness of the
present state of things, just now, fills
every mind with painful appre hension;
wise men discuss 1t; practical men pro-
pose schemes, popular ae=tiIgs. leg
islatureS and sovereign princes, all aie
occupied with it: and there Is nothin g
which has deeDar hold On pal lie at
tention.'
And we all agree with Leo XIII. that
some remedy must be found and quick
ly found, for the misery and wretched-
ness which press so heavily on the very
poor.
1t is my intention in placing before
you my views on this great question
10 so solidly ground myself on the writ
ings and doctrines of the fathers of the
value greater than a personal or in
church as to give to my conclusion
dividual conclusion could have.
The principles that / shall enuncate
are the principles that have been for
mulated by the teachers of the church
particularly by the most luminous
mind of the 18th century, Leo Kill,
who says ITO remedy these evils the
socialists, working on the poor mans
envy of the rich, endeavor to destroy
private property, and maintain that in
dividual possessions should become the
common property of all, to be admins
tered nv the nv nlInirinal
bodies They hold that by thus trans
ferring property from private persons
to the community. the present evil state
of things will be set to rights, because
each citizen will then have his equal
share of whatever there is to enjoy.
But their proposals are so clearly futile
for all practical purposes that If they
were carried out the workingnan would
be among the first to suffer. Moreover,
they are emphatically unjust, because
they would rob the lawful possessor,
bring the state in a sphere that is not
it's own. and cause complete confusion
in the country"
The Aims of Socialism.
Socialism, as word TO describe Il
school OF political philosophy, originated
in England in the year 1885. In that
year Robert Dale Owen organized So
ciety for the discussion of means to
melorate the sad conditions of the suf-
fering many of all nations.
During the discussion which arose,
the words Socialism" and Socialist"
were used and have been used ever
since. At first the words had no particu-
lar Specification. Anyone who believed
in social reform in any particular, was
a socialist, and all schemes of social
reform We're described as socialistic. 1t
was at this period that Webster, the
photographer. defined the term social
ism tn "a theory of society
which advocates a more precise, orderly
and harmonious arrangement OF the So
cial relations of mankind than that
which has hitherto prevailed" Since
then, however, the word has received
more definite Specification. In the realm
of social reform socialism" does not
now mean all schemes of social reform.
but is used to describe a particular
scheme. Socialism, In the realm of So
cial philosophy, means "a school Of
economic thought, which aims at the
reconstruction Of society by the eman-
cipation of land and Industrial capital
from individual and class ownership.
and the vesting of them in the COM
munity for the general benefit. In this
way only say the socialists, can the
natural and acquired advantages of civ
ilization be equitably shared by the
whole people"
The real aim of the socialistic move
in his "Quintessenee of Socialism" Ito
replace the system of private capital
by system of collective capital. that
is. by a method of production which
would introduce unified organization
of national labor, on the basis of col
leetive or common ownership of the
means of production, by all the MEM
beIs Of society"
Socialism, as thus understood. was
first promulgated, scientifically. and in
all its details, by Karl Marx, a German
economist, who spent 40 laborious years.
almost in exile, as the scientific cham
pion of the soeialistic movement.
AS an economist, he has seldom been
excelled for his wealth of literary
learning and his philosophical aeumen.
His knowledge of the modus operandi
of our present system of production was
indeed marvellous. His only serious
fault, as an expounder of socialism,
was his lack of clear and simple expo
sition. Karl Marx is the father of
scientific socialism. and his great politi-
co-economic work, "Das kapital." has
well been called the bible of the So
clalst.
Socialism, as expounded by Marx. is.
primarily, an economic step in the evo-
luton OF society. Ii teaches that the
economic life determines the artistic.
the religious and the moral life. All the
earlier stages of economic development
have been characterized by class rule
Socialism is characterized by the alb
sence of all class rule.
The economic teachings of socialism
are divided into three grand divisions.
First. the theory of surplus value: sec
ond. the iron law of wages: third, the
theory of business depressions or panics.
Labor. according to the socialistic
theory, is the creator and measure of
value. AS labor creates all value. there
fore, according TO the socialist labor
should receive all value. Surplus value
has its origin i'm the capitalist receiving
more value from the lahorer than he
returns in wages. Under the present
system. socialists affirm, labor is di-
NorCed from the instruments of produce
ton. Labor is IA commodity and Is sub
ject To the laws which govern commodi-
ties. This results in wages tending to
a minimum. or just sufficient to supply
the energy expended in production
pancs have their origin according to
this philosophy, in the impossibility of