Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-08-13
FarsAs AarrAroR. eARNErr. KANSAS.
SOCIALISM.
+ coNr1NuED FROM FIRST PAGE. I

dice. This prejudice exists in the minds of
many regardless of the true theories of socialism.
AS matter of fact, the world is full of social
istic communities. 1t is indeed hard to find
place where intellectually and morality prevail
that is not socialistic.
Every man who believes in the public own
ership of any kind of railroads, street railways,
light, heat power and water plants for public
use in Cities is type of the socialist. When
you come right down to the proposition and
strip it of all false notions, it is pretty difficult
to resist general socialistc tendencies and it is
still more difficult for man who believes in
orthodox Christianity to resist socalistic con-
illusions.
If it be true that God made man and that man
is responsible to God for his conduct i'll this
world, and if it be further true that all men are
created free and equal so far as the enjoyment
of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is
concerned, and that the world-this earth-was
created for the special benefit and use of man
kind, it is well-nigh impossible to logically dis
pute and overthrow much of what is termed So
caistc doctrines.
In the creation of men God hasn't distributed
them into classes and assigned to them certain
privileges and advantages in the enjoyment OF
the world. Nor has He excluded others from
the same benefits. Every man, woman and
child has a natural and inalenable right to the
enjoyment of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness without interfering with the rights of
Others If he be clothed with this right and
privilege by virtue of his creation, it logically
follows that he is entitled to such part and por-
ton of the earth as may be necessary to enable
him to enjoy his natural rights
In the Divine economy l don't think it is
lawful or morally right to exclude any man or
class of inen from the light and heat or the
means necessary and proper for the support OF
himself and those dependent upon him.
God never intended that any man, or class of
men, should monopolize the surface of the earth
to the exclusion of others. So it is with the
highways of the world, the seas, rivers and
lakes These are the property of mankind, and
upon the same principle the gold and silver, the
coal and the iron and all other minerals stored
in the bowels of the earth were intended for
used, and God never intended that any man or
set of men should have monopoly of these
great agencies of life necessary to human ex-
istence, to the exclusion of all others.
If il be true that God created man and that
He created the earth for the habitation and use
of man, then it logically follows that it is the
common property of mankind, and, morally
speaking, the only right he has to the earth or
to any of the agencies or instrumentaities
necessary to the protection of life and liberty or
the protection of happiness is usufructuary
right That few men may combine and create
a monopoly in the use of the surface of the
earth or the instrumentalities that are necessary
to the conservation Of human life and action is
not in harmony with the idea that men are the
children of God, and therefore equals, and that
the earth is the common heritage designed es-
pecially for their use and benefit.
If monopoly of the soil of the earth be
morally wrong, monopoly of the material ele-
ments of the earth, or any part of them, such
as coal, iron, air, light and heat, is equally
more inconsistent with the Divine economy, and
is manifesty wrong.
Any man who contemplates the subject in a
broad and fair-minded manner must reach these
conclusions. The ideal conditions will never
be reached because of the avarice and greed of
man. We will never ascend to the plane upon
which the broad principle of humanitarianism
will be established. But because we do not
hope to reach the ideal condition is not good
reason why every man, woman and child in
this country should not do their level best to
bring it about.