The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-18

a
Cadc, Henry George and Bethany. have
proposed in various Ways To solve At.
one class OF economic refOrners Insist
tnat the only means OF resguing labor and
capital from impending coaflict with each
o'her is by systoin OF mutual corporation
| that viii admit labor 10 participation in
! 'ne Gains OF all productive plants They
claim that This coula be done under pixs.
1 eht industrial Institutions, and would
] meet the essential conditions OF inlusir.Ai
I reform. Tain remedy. u all classes were
! equally Intelligent, woald tend to create
better relations and must have occurred TO
,ae laboror as pan1cea for property
| through every era In which lac worked tor
/ capitalists who grew rich ON his labor. As
general remedy II is utopian Capital
has always scnemed for ths lowest wage
ana labor for the highest The avarl,c u
the one and the selfshness OF the other
| are not likely TO permit a reconstruction OF
our entire Industrial system on basis
which requires mutual confidence. Co
| operation In business interests is ditfsu
! even In limited partnerships. and In one
family where the interest OF all is iden-
teal, but would fan in its general applca-
| ton 10 all Industries until mans nature is
| changed: But the corporation OF men to
! resist tyranny is always proper, II mat
| tiers not whether the tyrant oppresses with
| armed men or tho more insidious despotism
| OF cash, cooperate resistance is a duty,
! But in free government, when the great
! majority are either wage earuers or the
middle class who will sympathige with
them when oppressed. resistance must lie
within the lines of the law. II laws be
| evil. repeal them II constitutions limit
! corrective legislation, change them, for
| when any form of government becomes dc,
! structive TO inalienable right Of life, lb-
/ crty and the pursuit of happiness, Il Is the
! right of the people TO change II. When
! ever lawless force is adyi red as q remedy
1 for Inequalities Of fortune, we should re-
member that what the American man has
gaingd by honest industry is his and he VIII
be able TO keep 1t against all corners. He
/ typifies In the domain of industry, whether
! rich or poor. the survival OF The fittest, and
while combinations may diminish his gains
| Il will never be able to despoil him OF his
property, II honestly acquired.
SOCIALISM.
Social retormcrs, amongst whom ara
many good men. now insist that land
should he nationalized. That its individual
ownership should cease. fer that like the
air and water, It was the gift of God 10
the human race. from tho use of which
none should be excluded. There IS moth
ing new in all this. such theories have
agitated socialists in all ages. Gond men
in all ages have considered how best to
,qualize the conditions of men, and there
have always been bad men who have dis
REGARDED the Divine commands, "rhou shaft
not steal" and Thou shalt not covet any
tiing that is thy neighbours.
Socialism finds its Congenial home in the
atmosphere OF cities and factories. amongst
the foreign born. who are there from
choice. No one can assert that such men
desire to work the soil During resi-
dence o. nearly half a century In TeNas
have never known one 'lborer or EAsish
or Teutonic oririn of good character ana
habits, Who devoted himself 10 tarm IA
Dor who aid not IN ten wears own hls Own
farm mol have | ever known snch man
seeking work on farm In VAN. ! ON
unable to discover, either in nature or
revelation, that any special benciiti wcl,
designed by Providence for tie .icious, TIC
lazy, the covetous and the intempera'e
who constitute Il large perceutnm OF SO
cialists. Nor can | understand y wha'
right As!atic and Latin races whc came
into being on the ether side of the tccan
peacefully invade another race Ct men, whc
are contented with their laws o. proper "
and then claim that God created thom &c
own Texas land without paying lor It,
That which man acquires 'uy iabo" oi
fair trade from another, whether 1t De iahd
or water. Is aggregated Sron the genera
fund bestowed BY Providence, aud is his
If 1t be land, his labor his lille deeds and
occupancy impress 1t with all ;he irslSnia
Of ownership. and whenever he Is de-
prived OF II without compe1sa ION, the act
Is robbery.
) If Il were possible 10 put In force the
theory that all land should be eonlscatod
aud held for the use OF all men reearuiesa
of individual ownership, The chief incentive
10 industry would cease. and civilization
relieved Of its main reliance, would dis
appear
Equally disastrous would be the scleme
OF Henry George, which would tax the
honest out of existence BY compelling
the owner to pay rent on II. for the bene-
Gt of the rood and the Dad. the industrious
and the INDECENT alike. such scheme would
reverse the order Of progressive civiliza-
ton and make a man tenant at viii In
his own home.
The right OF property once vested repre-
sonts human labor, and whether 1t becomes
more or Ices valuable, should not concern
those who did not work for It. Society WIN
not contribute 20 make good bad invest
n,nt in property. aa1 It has TO right TO
ask division OF profits in good enc.
when vested rights acquired either by labor
or fair trade are destroyed without com
rcneation The act II wicked and tyrannlcal
and tn, government that would tolerate 4,
ID a IlutN'lss
SOCIALISM IMPRAcTICABLE.
Men are unequal in their faculties, In
their capacity for enjoyment and fer Ia
Dor; Unequal in their ambitions, and
stIer 9Th of character; and these Unequal
titles render impossible the 'l:o1m OF the
socialst. lie would have society one vast
JuiLt stock establishment 10 obyiate COM
petition, and in which all would be ex-
pecLed to iabor. except OF course the few
who as Ealarled officials would supervise
the activities Of the rest. aid make distri-
buttons OF the gains Of the Industry. If
the division should be equal and per capita,
tie seliishnoss OF the competent ana in
dustrious would revolt at The manifest In
justice; II unequal AMI inspired by justice,
force and not reason must oVerawc discon-
tent This would require the constable.
But the talent that could keep account Of
the industries Of each man In II State, so
as to assign to each his proper gain, would
be something marvellous. one life would
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