, 1901-12-13
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13. 1901.
SOCIALISM DEFINED.

Social Democracy is making a siren
uous effort to ally the laboring classes
with the propaganda, the argument be-
ing that the present system of compe-
tition and i~ndividualism is inimical to
the interests of the w~orkingman.
Star chamber methods are being u.s.
ed, the leaders apparently being fear
full that their arguments will be pune
tured if brought into the open. On Mon
day night, Dec. 8. Mr.. John Charles
Thompson addressed a meeting of the
Cheyenne branch of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, the doors being clos
is not generally known what was the
burden of MI. Thompson's address. but
he pretended great friendship for the
doctrines of socialism. and the fact
that the public was not invited and the
further fact that his Cheyenne friends
have recently been very active in talk
ing socialism. lead to the conclusion
that this was his theme.
Wyoming socialists are chary of de
fining their position. When asked
what their belief is. they furnish Web.
ster's definition. or something else
equally unsatisfactory. Webster's m
ter%national dictionary says: "A theory
or system OF social reform which on
templates a complete reconstruction
of society, with a more just and equi-
table distribution Of property and Ia
Dor. III popular usage, the term is Of
ten employed to indicate any lawless.
revolutionary social scheme. See com
munism, F~ourierism. Saint Simonian-
ism, forms of socialism" -.
Turning to Fourierism. we find this
in Webster: THE cooperative social
istic system of Chas. Fourier, n
F%renchman. who recommended the re-
organization of society into small com-
munities, LIVING IN COMMON"
The real definition of socialism is
not found in Webster's dictionary. Its
definition was probably written man.
years ago. before the principles of So
cialism had been clearly %enunciated by
modern socialistic leaders.
The joint committee of socialist as
sociations in England declared the fol
lowing to be a united expression of the
principles and aims Of socialists:
There is a growing feeling at the
present time that. in view of the in
creasing number of socialists in Great
Britain. an effort should be made to
show that. whatever differences may
have arisen between them in the past,
all who can fairly be called socialists
are agreed in their main principles of
thought and action.
"On this point all socialists agree:
whole community complete ownership
and control Of the means of transpor-
tation, the means OF manufacture, the
mines and the land. This we look to
put al end forever to the wage system,
to sweep away all distinctions Of class,
and eventually to establish national
and International communism on a
sound basis"
The Social Democracy of America,
claiming to exceed in membership all
other socialist bodies in the United
States. has formulated the following
proposal:
ITO conquer capitalism by making
use Of our political liberty and by TAX
ing possession of the public power, so
that we may put an end to the present
barbarous struggle, by the abolition of
capitalism, the restoration of the land.
and of all the mean of production,
transportation and distribution to the
people as a collective body, and the
substitution of the cooperative COM
monwealth for the present state of
painless production, industrial wal and
social disorder"
In France the plan of the socialist is
declared to be: T place the produc-
err in possession of all the means of
production-land, manufacture. ships.
banks, credit, etc, and, as it is impos-
aOi " ulNiuS lhSoS luiu6o ahiOu6 III
dividuals, they must be held collective
ly."
1t will be seen there is no difference
In the definitions of socialism in Eng
land, France or the United States. Re-
duced to a sentence, socialism contem-
plates public ownership of all the
means Of production and ~transporta-
ton, the mines and the land, the aboli-
ton of the wage system and all COM
petition.
In othel words, the state would be in
absolute control and the executive and
q corps Of oficials would direct the af- |
fairs Of life. In the matter of Office
there would at least, we believe. be
keen competition, for the office-holder
would undoubtedly have the softest
snap extant. although his pay, under
the socialistic system, would be the
same as that of the section-hand or the
common laborer of the lowest de-
gree. II the state directs the calling
which a man shall pursue, he of course