Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-03-05

ments. as is already plainly evident.
would break down in the aateript.
Instead OF an intelligent award OF du-
ties and earnipes. we should have y
Roman distribution Of sicillan corn,
and the demagogue would soon 5ecome
the imperator."
Believing that this would be the out
come OF socialism, there are many who
have set themselves uncompromisingly
against any movement that presages
the destruction Of the competitive
principle. They propose the repeal
OF all laws that favor trusts and so
would force competition upon equal
terms everywhere.
These people contend earnestly for
free trade" and many of them believe
In the single tax" Those OF them
who believe In the single tax contend
that "all that is necessary to social
Regeneration is included in the motto
OF the Russian. patriots, "Land and
Liberty" They believe that IL the
socialists were successful they would
mullify the differentiateing principle
which has. been SO important factor
In. the progress Of the world, and so
turn the forces of evolution backward,
The result, as the believers In free and
fair competition see It, would be the
hinderance 7ef individual progress,
hence sinking back into that uni
form homogeneous state that char
acterizes barbarous and savage life.
They Insist upon 1t that differentiation
is an important factor in the pro-.
gressive life of the world SO are
logical In contending for the competa-
tive as against the socialistic regime.
Some are proposing compromise
between these two tendencies; but
do not believe any permanent solution
Of the social problem can be found in
that way. Either the socialistic or
the competitive principle is right and
should be recognized, and once one of
| shVAh 10 oINCRtNhp aLu uh1OAO " oCC
where there Is any logical abiding place
.or the other. II the sociahstic principle
Is right then protection" and COM
binations that destroy competition are
right, and should be encouraged and
extended. until every industry is PRO
tected' and competition completely de-
stroyed. That end cannot be attained
short Of socialism. II, however, the So
CT .hstic principle Is wrong, then the
theory Of protection" and all combin-
ations that interfere with free and fair
competition are also wrong and should
be discouraged In every possible way
The two systems are SO radically diff
ferent that any attempt to reconcile and
combine the two in such a way as to
effect a permanent and satisfactory So
cial system seems to the close observer
very like an attempt to reconcile and
combine fire and water. One Is bound
sooner or later to triumph over and
destroy the other.
As preacher.,L am intensely inter.
ested in these matters on moral
grounds. think It was Alexander
Hamilton who said: "Give a mar
control Of another's means OF subsis
tence, and you give him control of hi!
whole moral being"
There are those who will die before
they will sacrifice principle; but thu
rule is that economic bondmen, feeling
pound to do their masters bidding II
order to secure the means OF subsis
tence, do not maintain high mora
Standard. Preaching righteousness t
people who are In a financial distress
and who feel that they are the victims
OF some grave injustice never has beeI
attended with very great results unles
the preacher manifested a real interes
in his over-burdened fellow men b!
lelping them discover and remove tn,
cause OF their distress. This is m!
apology for going outside of wha
many people are in the habit OF de
nominating the ministers sphere"
ALFRED.