Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-10
Justice Amen on Social Democracy.

movement to organize the laboring elements
into that party commonly known as the Social
Democracy"
''Social Democracy? Neither of the words
CRATE harshly on my ear. Nor am | inclined,
in speaking on great public questions to hide
behind name The greatest obstacle i'll the
way of substantial progress is the disposition Of
people to divide into groups, assume name,
and then give no fur her heed to public affairs
than merely to vote and shout for whatever
passes under that name. By whatever name
we may call ourselves we still have the hard
and never ending task of tearing down what is
bad and replacing it with something good. 1t
the anarchists were to have their way and ut
tery destroy the whole social fabric the task
countless details. We would need as much as
now to be served with transportation, postal,
telegraphic, banking, monetary and other ia
ciities. This would only be done by combin-
ing under necessary regulations, vast numbers
of people. In this day of the world the indie
pendent individual who does not need the help
and cooperation of many others is a myth.
We are all materially dependent OH each other
and would perish if we did not coop rate.
"The system of cooperation is all intermin-
able network extending to the farthest cor
ners of the earth. Because we buy and sell we
are none the less dependent on those from whom
we sell. Just now, Europe looks to America,
and especially 10 the great West, for food for
its millions We look thther for a favorable
market for that surplus for which we have no
present use. In order that this commerce may
be carried on, either the existing organization
of transportation lines and systems of exchange
must be maintained or something else must be
substituted Order is Heavens first law, and
it canrot exist without rules of conduct are de-
cared aud observed. The main differences of
opinion among the people are as to the direc-
ton in which the functions of government
has long been that the railroads ale public high
ways, and thai the public must ultimately own
and operate them Corporations whose inter-
ests are antagonistic to those of both their EN-
ploycs and their patrons never be trusted tC
manage them. Private ownership of the routes
amoly in our system and must ultimately give
way to public needs 1t is difficult to general
ize and say absolutely just what functions may
safely be assumed by organized society. The
nearest | could come to definition would be
that where monopolies of those things essen
tial to the public welfare are established or are
found to be capable of furnishing the best ser
vice in the given line, the public should take
the monopoly from private or corporate hands
into its own for the public benefit. When the
service may be furnished by private. effort and
under conditions of fair and real competition,
all monopolistic combinations standing in the
way should be destroyed.
cit is impossible to dispose of the whole sub
ject with dash Of the pen. Improvements in
our governmental system involve endless de-
tails, which must be thought out and put IN
practice with endless care and patience. see
no objection to the adoption by each ctized of
whatever party name pleases him best but this
ought never to prevent him from combining
with all who seek the same ends All will not
be done with one stroke, but one by one need
ed reforms must come about.
"There ale two great ends to subserve which
all governments ought to be nodded to. First,
by combining the strength of many to accomp-
lsh those tasks and carry on those undertak-
ings which the people could not perform sngly,
including not only defense against outside en-
emies, the building of roads, canals, hal 5ors,
dykes, bridges, school houses and all those un-
dertakings now recognized as proper subjects of