The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-06-20

commencing Will tIllS ISSUE VI iHE
HERALD there will continue for some
time a series of articles and extracts set
ting forth the principles of the new So
cial Democracy, the movement which,
since the last election, has so overspread
the political horizon and not only occu-
pied the attention of the political bosses
but is receiving the best thought of the
great economists of the day. The time
has passed when the arguments for So
cialism could be answered with sophis-
try and epithets. 1t is now recognized
fact that the socialist has creed-a
creed based on the soundest logic that
he has purpose, viz: the uplifting of
mankind and thirdly that he has
method-a means OF accomplishing this,
not by destruction nor by tearing down
OF existing institutions, but by interest
ing men in the welfare Of their brothers
teaching them as the lowly Nazarene
did, that there are better things intend.
ed and possible for the poor and hum
BILE, and that they can be brought about
by the intelligent use of that birthright
of liberty, the ballot box, which was
given us in 1915. We ask you to read
without prejudice, to reflect without
ridicule, to question or to discuss freely
and dispassionately, and we will answer
in the same way. For fair UNDER
standing of our principles is all that we
wish. With knowledge will come belief.
Ao~
That there will, ere long, be a revolu-
ton in public sentiment regarding
the entire industrial system of this
country and in the methods OF conduct
ing business in general, is evidenced by
the expressions OF publications popu-
larly supposed to be opposed to anything
but the present insane competitive sys-
tenn, and generally extremely antago-
nistic to anything socialistic in business.
1t is therefore gratifying to note articles
like the following clipped from papers of
the opposite side. Eventually these
papers will be power for good in chang
ing public opinion for the specialization
of all public industries
st. Louis Mirror (rep.): Let us not
get excited over the Morgan-Hil-Van
derbilt-Rockefeller scheme to control
the railroads OF the country. The
scheme is bound to succeed sooner or
later There is no getting away from the
fact that the railroad business must be
brought to more strictly business ba-
sis; that competition, which does not
benefit the people, and does cripple the
competitive roads, can only give way to
consolidation. Let the formation
OF the railroad trust go on. When it is
formed, full rounded and complete, we
know what will happen. The nation aciu
take 1t, either at reasonable compensa-
ton or simply by contiscation, through
the mandate OF the people, that will set
aside even the supreme court. The ul-
innate logic of the railroad trust, which
eventually will combine with other
trusts, which, in fact, springs from other
trusts, is government ownership. And
then-well, then we shall have the great
burden of an official class of operatives
of government properties; unless, in
deed, everything be nationalized and we
be all employees of the government, or,
let us say, OF the people. There is not
the least doubt that the development of
the consolidation idea renders all pro-
test against ultimate socialism futile and
foolish. Democracy tends in that direc-
ton. Republicanism tends in that di-
rection. The wealth OF the people will
60 to the people-when the people shall
be fit and ready for the change.
Ohio State Journal (rep.): During
the past year there was an average adj
vance in freight rates Of 35.5 per cent.
This advance was effected by changes In
the "official classification" The danger
increases, too, as the control of the rail-
way interests Of the country is narrowed
down to very few men. 1t is probably
not an exaggeration to say that twenty
men comprised in four or five groups OF
| financiers in New York city can now
make the railroad rates for practically
the entire country. None of the barons
of feudal times possessed such power as
these men.
N.Y.
L