The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-14

Mrs. Margaret Moore Avery, of Bos-
ton, "the eloquent New England Ad-
vOCatc of American Socialism" as she
was announced on previously distri-
butcd cards, addressed an audience OF
about $50 persons, and which occupied
all the chairs in Fuller's hall, 402 Lack
awanna avenue, last night. Her topic,
Socialism, the Hope of Humanity
was flat-footed enough, and she treat
ed it in a fashion that would have sur
prsed persons who have but hazy
notion Of Socialism as advocated by
Mrs. Avery and others of her type
Mrs. Avery is a woman of no little
culture and education She is gifted
with rare powers Of presence and ora
tory and an uncommon knowledge OF
affairs and the philosophy of the econ
omic problem. Her ideas. as present
ed to a deeply interested audience of
laboring men last night, strange as
those ideas might be to persons unac-
quainted with later-day soCialistic
tenets, smacked of nothing irrational.
Mrs. Avery was introduced by John
Gray. The speaker assumed mans re-
pugnance to the unnatural massing in
cities and towns and mans unwilling
ness that the richer of mankind should
enjoy privileges denied to his more
unfortunate fellows and his children.
She used the word man" in it's generic
sense.
Socialistc Laborism is not as much
against existing conditions as 1t is for
something better. Socialism is positive
not negative; it's desire is en- masse
not individual. Socialism is Socialistic
Labor's hope Of humanity, hence So
Lilo,
said Jesus Christ was a primary So
cialist; he would give his coat to an
other Ideal socialism is to provide
enough coats to Obviate any such de-
nial." In America it is the wing of the
great international or so-called Euro
pean movement. The object is identi-
cal, that the capital of the world should
be owned and operated by those who
produce such capital
| SHOULD CONTROL GOVERNMENT
To produce this end it is necessary
| that the advocates of the movement
| should control the power, the govern
| ment, II Mrs. Avery resided in Rus
! Sia, she said she would probably be a
| Nihlist as in that country NihliSm
! seemed TO be the only means OF acquir-
! ing such power. In America, however,
II is only necessary to take" the pow
| er; there is no need of gaining" it,
as in Russia. Nihilsm's cousin, the
| AnarchStic movement, is here as mon
strous as ii is ridiculous.
| Socialism in America has only to con-
| trol the law-making, law-deciding and
| laW-eXecuting powers in order to gain
| ITS end. The control can be gained le-
| ga'ly and in moral honesty. 1t is not
| true that labor or socialism does rule
| in America. If that were true, labor
| would not live as il does, in slavery,
| poverty, sGualor, misery.
Man has to only have knowledge of
| himself in order to understand social
| ism. lf he tries in any other way he
| has TO know all the other sciences in
| order to know the greatest science, or
! economic philosophy. Man is the ex-
| ample and the solution. Once he owned
| his tools and set a price on his own
| labor. lie was as free as the air when
he declared for independence over a
hundred years ago. Man labor, owns
no tools now. He works machinery,
the tools Of others. Throughout the
civilized world he now contributes a
| share, the results Of which are unequal
| ly divided. The principle is right only
in 50 far as the argument may be pre-
sentcd-aud with deplorable truthful
| ness tnat man submits 20 II.
Mrs, Avery Illustrated the principle
Of the one production by the many in
describing the highly perfected iron
| making machinery. Development 10
that end began l25 years ago until now
| every operator of a labor saving de
| vice, she said, was an object slave.
| Wages were paid, she said, because
| slavery had been abolished, politically
speaking, but there was no proper wage
| paid and no division of profits among
those whose contributed brain and
hrawn gave them a right to claim a
share in every device and production,
IF IT IS A REMEDY.
If Socialism is the remedy it Will
| naturally first be hailed with delight
| by the workers, those who have moth
ing to lose and everything 10 gain. 1t
| would not do to abandon the benefits
obtained by the use of steam, electricity
and similar sciences, which are in the
| natural order Of DEVELOPMENT, but fl
is true that the perfection of those
forces are the property If those NvhQ
| control them. They belong to society
Society has the right 10 their us. 1t is
not fair that society should work eight
hours a day for benefits which it Justly
earns in two hours labor The other
six hours work per day Is time given
to capital.
All the avenues Of enrichment and
sUstcnance should be owned cooper
atively. Cooperation is all that Is nee
ess&ry TO gain that cnd--and without
violence. The ballot box gives con,
troll TO the government and power. II
use We're made of the medium, work.
ingmcn would not be shooting each 9th.
or down nor would they be deciding
the law one way for themselves anC
another for the rich,
Socialism makes no distinction in tho
comparative value OF hogs, iron rails
or cabbage heads. 1t believes I'm val.
ues for the masses aud not for the
few. Nothing will be ACCOMPLISHED
however, while labor sells itself cheap.
ly. so cheap that the rich do not feal
war because they can kill of thell
cheapest commodity, the slaves of la,
Dor.
There is no occasion Cor suggested
quarrels over natiOnalities or theologies
as true socialism recognizes neither
excepting the fact that it believes mer
were created equal and can worship
one God, no god or a dozen gods ac-
cording to the honest dictations Of theil
own consciences.
G1INUD &C TaOunE nm