Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-03
PEOPLES PULPIT.

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Ed. Courier: Socialism and social.
lists have about the same experience
in the way of being misunderstood and
wrongly represented as do other new
movements that antagonize long es-
tablished ideas or institutions. This
the intelligent and well informed so.
cialiStS expects and is neither cha
grined nor ruffled at the appearance of
such a condition or fact. He rather
regards it as his duty to correct such
|misconception or wrong representa-
ton of himself and the ism he has
seen fit to espouse. 1t must be clear
to all, who care to know, that any
fault today in the social relations at
points where the laws of the country
1 touch such as the economic and indus
trial phases is the fault of the system
rather than of the individual operat.
ing under it. Therefore the system,
and not those serving it, is to be con-
demned. If the system is wrong and
an oppression to labor-creating ex-
IRENE wealth or abject poverty, suf-
lfering, disease, ignorance and vice
the powers that may regulate or
abolish such system are at fault at
least for its continuation, if not for
1 its inauguration.
None perhaps will deny that the
great wealth of the multi-millionaires
has been made chiefly by railroad spe-
culations and other public services
and rights secured to them by fran
chises, which were the gift of the peo-
pie by statute or direct vote. The
usual channels being through political
corporations acting Tor the people,
who elected them and who usually
eagerly voted for or approved of the
granting of those franchises. Such
franchises are "a sovereign right"
vested in the people," and delegated
to representatives by popular vote at
the polls. The whole mischief and
wrong must at once be seen to be in
political action by those representa-
tives in giving too much power and
privilege to the corporations receiv-
ing charters or grants, which do not
specifically curtail their powers and
rights within just and equitable linz
it's. This could be lawfully done ev-
en- under the present system of gov
eminent and already accruing laws,
whenever the powers representing the
people so order
The position of true political social
ism, however, is this, that Sovereign
ty rests in the people" and is "nondi-
visitable" as to the people and also
indivisable" and that therefore all
QUART public corporations are but
the delegated agencies of the people.
That they may exercise this sovereign
right for the people, and as such may
be properly and lawfully dismissed
wi lolo
J wills. So when the state may at once
resume her sovereign right to control
such franchises and services and may
as an inherent and present legal right,
!: run them for and in her own interest.
This is what socialists and socialism
propose as first step toward abolish
: ing the present private system. 1T
, would plan further to wipe out compe.
! tition by cooperation to unity rather
than divide interests. To do this govy
eminent ownership of the producing
, and distributing mediums of wealth is
proposed. The large profits of trusts,
where many interests are unified and
cooperate illustrate the benefit of co.
: operation as against competition, is
proof positive that the great business
J minds of the world recognize the
; curse of the hitherto wholly dominant
competitive system.
Socialists and socialism simply ash
that the benefits of cooperation be ex-
tended to all the people by nationaliz-
ing these trusts through the states.
That the nation retake the sovereign
rights lost to it by having unwisely
delegated them away to private cons
Germs which have prostituted the pow
er given them even to the bribing and
controlling (by means of the private
gain derived from such franchises,)
every political power and every poli-
tician that can be SO dealt with. The
acquiring by the government, of such
interests to be SO far as the private
property in them is concerned, by
condemnation proceedings" and "the
payment of just compensation" there
} fore.
The whole people, who have been
voters, are to blame for the present
conditions. No class alone may be
justly censured. The capitalist and
his methods are what this system has
made him and few, if any, of us would
be greatly different from him environ
ed as he is. The most potent factor
: for evil and the most clever devil is
opportunity and so long as there is
created or maintained a system of OPP
i portunity and inducement that leads
) men to avarice, greed, and question:
able business methods. The DEVILS
| dirty work is being done though inad-
verbally and unconsciously.
: Let the opportunity and the induce
ment or either of these be removed
and there shall be little or no evil. Re-
i move both and evil will forever cease.
iy hot CT mr. NV