Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-17
PEOPLES PULPIT.
yDooCoo 90 cCcoooooooot
from a Socialist.

4 y 'ot' SpSidI5lt
1 Editor Courier: Many of your sub.
scribers are asking me to explain what
| is meant by the word Socialism" and
I to state the position taken by the So
cialist party Of this county. II il is
mot presuming too much upon your ed.
litorial courtesy, ! ask to he permitted
| TO answer them through your col
umns A great deal of misunderstand-
F, Jag is current regarding our ideas; a
f! few well-intentioned but very il-in.
| formed persons even going to the
length of asserting that socialism is
| akin to anarchy. a glance at the edi-
tortal columns Of the leading papers
OF the country should be enough, how,
ever, to demonstrate that the two the.
cries are antithetical, and resemble
each other no more than do white and
black daylight and darkness, or heav-
zen and hell.
Socialism would apply the princi,
pies of law and order to the economic
and social relations of mankind; an.
archy would exempt the individual
| from obedience to any law. Social.
ism teaches that man serves himself
best by promoting the common good:
Ianarchy places the desires of the indi.
vidual supreme over the rights of so.
ciety. Socialism is inevitably the
coming condition, because it is found.
ed upon the complete and harmonious
operation OF universal law; anarchy
is essentially Impossible OF rcaliza-
| ton. because il. is based upon the re-
pudiation of all law resulting necessa-
rily in chaos. Socialism is construc,
tive perfecting civilization by multi.
| plying it's good and eliminating its
evil tendencies: anarchy is destruc-
tive. overthrowing civilization by re-
moving its foundation-the laws of
society.
The socialist party of Wapello coun.
ty declares that the competitive indus
trial system now operative is essen.
| TALLY anarchial, in tendency. being
based chiefly upon the individuals de-
! sire for gain, and Offering no induce
ment for the production of wealth
save the natural desire of each man to
provide for himself and his family.
The entire framework of industry
| thus rests upon the caprice of the in
dividnal: just as in the ideal anarchial
state the entire framework of society
would be subservient to the individual
mill. OF late years, however, the
more successful business men have
ceased competing and have begun to
cooperate, to introduce law into the
domain of industry. and the result is
the trust. The coming of the trust is
the most hopeful sign in the storm.
lswept social heavens 1t is the van.
guard of socialism; the first indica-
ton OF tho coming prevalence of law
and order i'll the economic field. In
Its perfected forni--when 1t embraces
Jail Industry. and is owned and operat.
ed by the whole people in their col.
| lective eapacity--it win lift our in.
ldustrial system from its present state
of aaarchial confusion to harmoni,
| ons conformances with the PRINCIPLES
iof order. And this is Just the condition
socialists are striving to attain. We
wish to place all industry upon ba.
! sis OF effective law. SO that the vol
June of wealth production shall meet
tall the needs of all the people, fos.
lterinS and administering to the inol-
| dinate greed OF none: thus completing
| the evolution manifested in
| the trusts--from the anarchial com
uetitive system which withholds the
Icomtorts and some OF the necessaries
OF iife from most of the people in or.
! der to lavish excess of Injuries 1lpon
4 the cunning and INSCRIPTIONS few.
/ From the very nature of things il
is clear an Industrial system resting
upon an anaTcllial basis cannot en-,
| dure. But the average citizen wants
plain. solid. y-discernible facts
advanced Ill proof OF the insufficiency
1 OF the present system
/ Socialists have plenty OF these tc
present, but there is one that over
/ shadows all others in Importance. and
makes the socialist position absolute
lily unassailable. We have seen that
| individual desire for gain---private
| orotit--is the present basis of indus
TRY. The desire for profit has grad
tnally divided The people into two dis
ltiuct classes; The capitalists--those
who. by hook or crook. have gained
possession OF more wealth than they
could employ ms capital with the as
distance OF only their own labor; and
the neutrality-suspicious. who, again by
4 hook or crook. have been deprived OF
all or q portion of the wealth they
| could employ as capital without the
thelp OF others.
Necessarily, the capitalists mus,
semploy the wcrkingmen, and. necessa
Irily. the profits OF the capitalists must
lbe made at the expense of the profits
tof the workingmen; thus increasing
| the wealth of the capitalists in a con
stantly augmented ratio to the in
crease of the. workingmen's wealth
and vastly widening the breach be
tween the two classes, 1t is getting
to be the. rule that the profits of the
capitalist absorb practically all the
profits OF the iaborer, except the bare
cost OF living; thus we have the expe
tremes of great poverty and great
h'iches. BAD as Is this result OF the
nrofit system. ii is not the worst. We
face the fact that there is nearly al
WAYS a portion of the working class
that cannot get employment. while il
IOe,iods OF industrial depression
IDanics-the percentage of unemployed
lis dangerously large, and numbers o.
the poorest people actually starve tt
death. We socialists assert that this
condition is directly the result OF ths
present economic system The caui
talists. in order to make their profits
must pay to the workers in wage:
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