The weekly examiner., 1901-05-04


 sovereignty of love and devotion as the dominant ideal-those are the things the world is in deepest need of But we cannot get them by any magic of sudden transformation. We must climb the mountain a step at a time, and every step away from war and barbarism, conflict, mastery, greed and oppression toward peace and liberty and justice, mutual help and the ele- vation of labor is a step toward the grand brotherhood of man the twen- tieth century ought to evolve, and ev- cry step in the opposite direction is a step backward toward primeval say Rgery and the tiger epoch in mans ganized intelligence under the domin- ion of brutish instincts"
 Rev. Hiram Vrooman of Boston ac- cepts MT. Flowers views as a general proposition and goes on to a sugges- tion for their application by proposing as a method a cooperative common wealth in Nevada, established and sup ported by the government until it be came self supporting.
 "The establishment by the govern ment of a small cooperative common wealth in Nevada is a plain business proposition. The government could ac- complish it with no injustice to any ex- isting business interests and with no it took proper precautions against the thieving of corrupt politicians. This undertaking would necessitate the gov ernment's advancing certain capital sufficient to cover the necessary first investments. That portion of the land which the government does not already own would have to be purchased. The first equipment, of machinery, outfits and temporary wages for the support of the workers would cover most of the needed outlay of capital For this the government could ampIy secure itself by taking low interest bearing bonds upon the 6,OOO,OOO acres of land and it's future Improvements sufficient to GOV CT the entire outlay.
 "A picture as beautiful as Bellamy's Looking Backward might be drawn from reality rather than from a seers s vision of a future Utopia were this army of wealth producers now waging it's industrial warfare in Nevada under proper generalship for the establish ment of this proposed cooperative com monwealth."
 Thomas B. Will, formerly president of Kansas Agricultural college, now of Ruskin college at Trenton, Mo-, wrote:
 "As a measure of practical politics such step should prove to be wisdom itself. The first duty of government is to care for the people-to see that each is provided with the opportunity for useful labor, rational development and the living of a complete life. The par ty so long dominant in America has maintained its grip largely by it's nomi- nal observance of this principle. Its protective policy, which, had it's real workings been understood, should have proved millstone about it's neck, has been to it instead tower of strength, because the people have believed that it made work for them and secured to them the opportunity to earn liv- ing.
 ''And thus multitudes of men will continue to vote, for their job is their life. Suppose, now, a political party actually in sympathy with the people should boldly announce the policy of directly furnishing employment at good pay and reasonable hours to com petent workers, the money for this purpose to be raised by taxing not the poor, who now bear the burden of tax ation, but the rich, who now eyade it- the corporations, the trusts and the es- tates of dead millionaires. What pOli tics could be more practical? Upon what surer foundation could a party build it's claim for power? And what policy would be more benefcent in it's operations?'
 Rev. Robert E. Bisbee of East Pep perell, Mass, agrees that it would be better to spend money in irrigating arid lands in preference to employing our millions in foreign conquest and wars of exploitation, but "the trouble is somewhere else and deeper. 1t lies in the monopoly of the tools of labor. I mean all kinds of labor, including transportation as we'll as production. If the present private mOnopOlistic sys- tenn is allowed to exist, to irrigate arid lands would be at best but tenn porary measure of relief. In a few years the people would be as helpless as ever. We may as we'll fight the bat tie for human rights here and now as to postpone the evil day. The burning question of the hour is how to secure for the laborer a just return for his to render him an equitable share in the products of his hand and brain. If the, man who earns seven pairs of shoes a day receives only wages enough to buy one pair, the question is how to order things so that he may secure the other six pairs or their equivalent. This is the problem of justice which it is the duty of government to solve, and until it is solved all other questions sink into insignifcance. The solu- ton of this question will involve the solution of others. It includes the problem of the unemployed"