The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-08
INGALLS, ON SOCIALISM
Calls It Stagnation and Death, and
Finds Fault With Postal System.

dlVlduals OF which society Is composed
Government and the state are
described as Independent political be-
1ngs. entirely apart from the people.
Government ownership of railroads,
naturalization of the means Of produc-
ton and Industrial coIlectfvfsm are
phrases at once shallow, dishonest and
misleading A nation is a voluntary as
socialism Of individuality, and govern
ment IS the agency by which its af
fairs are conducted
The United States is a nation. and its
government consists of a president and
the congress chosen by a majority Of the
voters, and the judiciary, nominated by
the executive and confirmed by the sen
ate
Even the wayfaring man, though a
fool must know that It is impossible
for the government Of the United States
70 own railroads. or the means OF pro-
duction, or to carry on the industries of
the country It has no power except
that which is conferred by the people.
me money IN its treasury IS contrib
uteQ by the people. For its acts 1t is re-
SponsIble to the people as a servant TO
his master. The power OF a state is the
aggregate strength of its Inhabitants,
as its wealth is the sum total of their
possessions
All the work of the human race since
creation has been done by individuals.
and progress has been greatest where
man has been most free. The inventions
and Improvements which have dignifed
humanity; the intellectual triumphS
which have elevated and ennobled it;
the heroism. virtue and self-sacrifice
which have c0nsecrated it, are all the
result of individual effort.
Destiny condemns the vast majority
Of men IN every community TO medi-
ocrity. The few succeed: the many fail
The glittering rewards, emoluments and
prizes Of life do not appear TO be equit-
ably distributed.
The race is 70 the swift: the battle to
the strong Fame, wealth. power,
Tr h.
multitude hooking dream Ninety
seven out of every hundred American
citizens die penniless.
These are the advocates and propa-
gandists of socialism Their programme
is the forcible redistribution Of the as
sets of society. It proposes to SubStl-
tute the tyranny Of the mob for the
tyranny of the monarch, and to take
by force from those who have and give
to those who have not; to obHterate all
organic distinctions among men, and to
confound- the moral and intellectual lin
itatiOns Of the race It is an attempt
by human enactment to abrOgate and
repeal the laws of God
The public ownership of railroads
merely means that the majority Of the
people, who do not own them, shall take
them from the possession OF the MI
nority. who do, by purchase, or theft,
or confiscatiOn, and have them opera ted
by the government for the benefit of
the state The railroads of the United
million dollars. an amount more than
five times greater than the entire money
circulation Of the country. How the
government" being a pauper, is to pay
this sum. except by compelling its c1u-
zeus TO surrender their accommodations
also. or how the government Is to
maintain and operate them, except by
precisely the same agencies through
which they are now carried On. does
not appear. Government IS worse served
than any other employer Of labor on
earth It pays higher wages for less
service. and the waste and 1dleness are
incredible. The sense Of personal re-
sponsibiiity in the employe is entirely
lost and although the majority receive
more money than ever in their lives be
fore, they continually complain OF the
stinginess of congress, and intrigue for
higher compensation. longer vacations
and unearned promotion
It is not exaggeratiOn to say that any
one of half a dozen great railroad man
ayers in the country, were he allowed to
carry on the government as a private
business is conducted. could pay the
pensions, the interest on the public DEBT
support the army and navy, construct
the public buildings, pay all salaries
maintain the diplomatic service and
/ carry the mails for IS per cent OF what
/ il now costs the taxpayers, and make
! a great fortune for himself besides every
| year. If government can hardly conduct
/ the limited functions il now performs
/ what would be the result OF an attempt
| to control the complex interests OF all
social life under the management OF
those who had failed in the successful
administration Of their personal affairs
/ The advocates of socialism are II the
/ habit of pointing to the pOstofhee de-
/ partment as an illustration OF their the
/ orins and Of the tendency of states
/ toward cOIlectivism-
/ on the contrary, the mail service Of
1 the United States is a typical, burden
1 some and irresponsible monopoly OF the
I efr E2AE0nG z
/ pointing a host Of officials to collect.
/ pouch dispatch, receive and distribute
the letters papers and parcels the gov
| eminent has nothing whatever to DO
/ with their transmission They are con-
/ veyed by railroads, steamboats,. stage
/ coaches and private contractors at <
/ Tomato rates. some trains getting the
/ entire cost Of maintenance and opera
/ ton from their receipts from the post
/ office The government pays an average
( of eight cents the pound for an average
J haul Of four and one-haIf miles, while
| the EXPRESS com panieS carry merCnan-
/ disc from New York to Chicago. a thou
/ sand miles, for s. per hundred pounds
I and some transcOntinental lines viii
| take goods from New Orleans to San
/ Francisco for $40 of one cent the
mound. while government by law COM
( peIs the citizen to pay for carrying their
! letters at the rate OF 500 the ton As a
matter Of fact. it is much nearer 81 .o0t
( the ton. for very few letters weigh the
ounce which may be taken for two
cents postage
And not only so, but the government
renOunces all liability for the safe de-
livery Of the property which It compels
the citizen to intrust to its charge. ex-
ceut to the extent of $40. when It is reg
( fstered. And this is the basis upoI
which socialism would have all the bus
I mess of the country conducted
ANY merchant who treated his Gus
| toners as the United States treats its
/ citizens in the postal service would b.
[ prr9uartly adjudged bankrupt and sen
TO the penitentiary. It cannot be denied
{ that some aspects Of fndividualism ars
not altogether lovely. Unrestrafnee
competition has engendered a herd OIL
| moral monsters with the rapacity O
/ the shark the greed of the wolf tht
cunning of the fox, the ferocity Of III,
tiger and the ingenuity Of the devil
But these socialism could neither ban
fsh nor destroy No change il the 50