Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-02-14
NO. 81
SOCIALISM IS COMING.
Soon Those Who Work Will. Have All
Things While Those Who Work Not
VIII Have Nothing.


the wild, staring, unkempt sort; but
of the mild, beslippered, hearth-fire
kind. Something was expected of
him in the line of his stringent anti
expansion views. 1t has come, not
as a roaring lion, but mild as a COO
ing dove. He got in something
| against the right of this nation to
extend it's rule over the Philippines
into the resolution as a matter of
course. but its other appendages are
far, far more important. Thus it re-
cites that it is the obligation of the
republic ito secure for every work
man and for every working-woman
wages enough to support a. life of
comfort, and an old age of leisure
and quiet, as BELTS those who have
an equal share in a self-governing
state" In other words, the nation
has no right to rule anyone against
his will, but it is obliged to compel
employers to pay such wages as it
| thinks will suffice to provide their
| employees with means to live COM
| fortably and die in old age of leisure
and quiet. We are not altogether
surprised. The growth of socialism
in New England is as pronounced a
| phenomenon as the decline of puri-
| tanism. There are several socialistic
mayors holding Office at the present
time in the state of Massachusetts,
American Banker.
| The Banker may not only not be sur
prised, but it also need not be afraid.
At about the same time that the
L pnr, 80.
contemporaneous journals were re-
cording the fact that some of Sem
ator Hoar's ''new but startling" So
cialism was already an accomplished
fact in other and more progressive
countries than the United States.
Thus, Citizen and Country says:
| "New Zealanders have achieved what
workingmen in other lands are clam
oring for. Among the functions of
the government is the providing of
work for all who may apply. This
has been done for some time, and ev-
cry New Zealander is sure of job
at So per day of eight hours" This
is better than arresting a man for
being unemployed and making him
wear out his clothes while he works,
Pays upoh IOCh pllc
And the Verdict, of New York, the
Bankers own city, says:
while municipal ownership is be.
ing adopted rapidly by all the cities
and towns in England, there is also
TO be noted a drift toward measures
of legislation that are in their essence
pure socialism; measures that would
make the average American of sdb-
stance rise up and emit loud cries
of anarchy Yet conservative old
England accepts them without arous-
ing the voice of demagogue to futile
oratory. The leader in promoting
this class of radical legislation is,
curlously enough, Joseph Chamber
lain, the conservative secretary for
the colonies in a cabinet that is ultra
tory to the backbone.
"It was Chamberlain who in the
hustings of '95 advocated law under
which employees injured in the per-
formance of their work could hold
their employers for damages. All
the corporations and employers of
labor in the kingdom fought the
measure bitterly.
chamberlain was denounced rs a
socialist and anarchist and a menace
to that venerable old bulwark of
greed, vested rights Nevertheless,
the measure was enacted into law and
has been found very beneficial to all
concerned--particularly the work.
! man.
mot content with this measure.
| and braving the taunts of 'socialist!'
and 'anarchist!' Chamberlain Joe,
as he is fondly called by the British
Iroletariat everywhere, ventured even
further into the domain of sheer
| socialism. He engineered through
the ministry and through parliament
an act the object of which is to en-
able workingman to obtain public
funds to aid him to purchase his mod
est little dwelling house. The law is
known as the Small Dwelling Ac-
QUESTION Act 1t is not mandatory
upon city and county governments.
but may be adopted by them if they
see fit; and surprisingly large num-
Der of them are seeing fit.
| This law enables any municipal or
county government to advance to any
citizen within it's jurisdiction apply
| 1Bg therefor a sum of money sufficient
to enable him to purchase outright
ard own the house in which he
dwells. Of course the law provides
sufficient checks and safeguards
against fraud. 1t provides for the adj
vance of four-fifths of the appraised
market value of a dwelling and re-
stricts the advance to maximum of
81 500. Upon houses worth more than
$1,000 no advance can be made. The
money thus advanced to the ambi-
tious workingman or clerk is to be
repaid within 30 years, the city.
of course. taking up a mortgage to
protect itself. The rate of interest
on the loan is carefully prescribed
and is never to be more than one.
half per cent. above the rate at which
the city itself borrows the money.
The law also prohibits man borrow
ing funds if he is already the owner
of house; it also prescribes that he
shall occupy the house himself and
not rent it. In essence the act really
| establishes government building as
sociation.
"As an example of the progress of