Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-14
THE DRIFT TOWARD SOCIALISM

The last quarter Of the nineteenth
century has witnessed universal
undercmrent toward socialism in every
quarter OF the globe. In Europe and
notably in Germany, Austria and
France. this movement has been di
rected into channels controlled by the
government with a view to preventing
political revolutions. Not only has the
socialistic principle received recognition
by the government through the owner
ship and operation of railways, tele.
graphs, telephones and savings banks,
but also through compulsory Insurance
laws making provision for the wage
worker and his family by guaranteeing
them an income in case of sickness, old
age or death.
In the United States the tendency
toward Capitalization has become one
of the most striking features not only
OF the body polite but also of the en-
tire commercial and industrial body
The organization of syndicates to con
troll and operate great systems of rail
ways capitalized at billions of dollars,
WV VI ltltSlbDllS anu
telephones in the hands of two or three
ponderous corporations and the forma.
ton of colossal combinations known as
trusts that have secured control of
nearly every important industry have
created a popular sentiment that must
eventually materialize in measures that
will revolutionize our present system of
government by establishing state So
cialsm as the safety-valve against cor
porate aggression and plutocratic domi-
nation.
This drift of resistless public opinion
is impressing itself more and more
forcibly from day to day upon every
thinking mind and the irrepressible con
flict between the masses and classes
can be avoided or deferred only by wise
legislation that will recognize the in
evitablc.
Twenty-Five years ago the number of
people in America who favored postal
telegraphs or postal savings banks was
insignificant. Today 90 per cent of the
American people are earnestly in favor
of both these propositions and We're the
question submitted to popular vote the
verdict would be overwhelming for
them.
Ten years ago and even five years
ago the number of people willing to ad-
vocate government ownership and
operation of railroads scarcely reached
respectable proportions. The dread
that such change would make the
party in power invincible and the fear
that the government could not perform
the work as efficiently and satisfactorily
are giving way to the apprehension that
it is safer for the people and free in
stitutions for the government to run the
railroads than for the railroads to run
the government.
Where a few years back there was
one nan in favor of public ownership
of the facilities for supplying municipal
necessity, there are now fifty calling
for the abolition of the corporate fran
chises and the absorption of these func-
tions by the people through their city
governments. In this, as in relation to
the railway question, public sentiment
prevailing impression that unless the
people acquire these plants sooner or
later, they will have no city govern
ment except as dictated by the owners
and managers of the franchised cor
porations
TO assume that the popular tendency
toward socialistic reforms is due solely
or chiefly to the pernicious agitation of
cranks, demagogues and Missionaries
would be wide of the mark. The truth
is, that the gigantic concerns which sub
sist on the peoples necessities and sell
tishly manipulate legislatures, con-
crosses and courts by the corrupt use
of money eXtorted from their patrons
and the abuse of the favors they are
able to extend to public officials and
men of influence in all callings, have
done more to stimulate the socialistic
propaganda and its popular endorse
ment than all other agencies combined.
The upbuilding of trusts as allied to
the powerful corporations that own and
control the highways of commerce has
only added fuel to the flame and the
disgusting exhibitions of the American
money aristocracy both at home and
abroad fan the fire that threatens
America with socialistic confagratio
unless the remedies are promptly and
effectively applied.