The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-06
MAN INTERDEPENDENT.
Complete Individualism is No
Longer Possible
With Our Complex Civilization,
Says Justice Allen.
Social Democracy Necessary to Sc
cure the Greatest Liberty and
the Best Benefits of Human
Development

Justice Allen of the supreme court on
being queried on his opinion of Social
Democracy, said:
Social Democracy? Neither of the
words CRATE harshIy on my ear. Nor
am 1 inclined, in speaking on great
public questions, to hide behind name.
The greatest obstacle in the way of
substantial progress is the disposition
OF people to divide into groups, assume
a name, and then give no further heed
to public affairs than merely to vote
ana 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 some
thing good If the anarchists were to
have their way and utterly destroy the
whole social fabric, the task of rebuild
ing would be before us with all its
countless details. We would still need
as much as now TO be served with
transportation, postal, telegra phic,
banking, monetary and other facilities
This would only be done by ombining
under necessary regulations, vast num-
the independent individual who does
not need the help and cooperation of
many others, is a myth We are all
materially dependent on each other,
and would perish if We did not coop
crate.
The system of cooperation is an in
fartheSt corners of the earth. Be
cause we buy and sell we are none the
less dependent on those from whom we
buy and to whom we sell Just now
Europe looks to America, and especial
~ to the great west, for food for its
millions. We look. thither for a favor
able market for that surplus for which
we have no present use. In order that
this commerce may be carried on, eth
er the existing organization of trans
portation lines and systems of exchange
must be maintained or something else
must be substituted Order is heaven
first law, and il cannot exist without
rules of conduct are declared and OBJ
served.
THE main differences of opinion
among the people are as TO the direction
in which the functions of government
should be extended or curtailed- Ny
own view has long been that railroads
lie must ultimately own and operate
them.
Corporations whose interests are an
tagonistic to those of both their en-
plOyeS and their patrons can never be
trusted to manage them. Private own
ersnlp of the routes of travel and means
of transportation are an anomaly in our
system and must ultimately give way
to public needs 1t is difficult to gen.
eralize 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 es-
sential to the public welfare are estab-
Hshed or are found to be capable of
furnishing the best service in the given
line, the public should take the monop-
oily from private or corporate hands
into its own for public benefit When
the service may be furnished by pri-
vate effort and under conditions Of
fair and real competition. all mOnOpO-
Iistic combinations standing in the way
should be destroyed
1T is impossible to dispose of the
whole subject with a dash of the pen
improvements in our governmental
system involve endless details which
must be thought out and put in practice
with endless care and patience. see
no objection to the adoption by each
citizen of whatever party name pleaSeS
him best, but this ought never to pre-
vent him from combining with all who
seek the same ends. All will not be done
with one stroke, but one by one needed
reforms must come along.
There are two great ends to sub
serve which all governments ought to
be nodded to. First, by combining the
strength of many to accomplish those
tasks and carry on those undertakings
which the people could not perform
singIy. including not only defense
against outside enemies, the building of
roads, canals, harbors, dykes, bridges,
school houses and all those undertake
ings now recognized as proper subjects
of governmental cognizance, but all
others for which a public agency can be
made better than a private one
Second. to administer equal and ex-
act Justice among all the people, not
merely as individuals, but as classes,
so long as classes actually exist