The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-17
SOCIALISM VS..
COMPETITION
Spirited Debate at Garfield
Hall Last Evening.
L0WTHER AND SMITH
Good Talks on Both Subjects
Given to Attentive Audience.

last evening TO hear the proposition Of
Socialism VS.. Competition discussed by
two deep thinkers and able speakers on
matters social and political Rev c.
Lowther of Mcpherson, Kan. is pro-
nounced champion of socialism as against
capitalism and Rev. G. T. Smith of the
Christian church of Winfield, Kan, knows
something of the trend of affairs, under
the present system of competition and
finds much that is good in it; in fact. he
regards that system as responsible for
the high state of prosperity America has
reached, and expou.ded his views with an
aptness that made his talk exceedingly
interesting. Nor must it be accepted that
he had things all his own way in the de-
bate, for his antagonist had a way of
putting forth statements that were facts
that sent the audience away in q state
OF unrest concerning the right and wrong
in the political system.
The rules Of the debate gave Mr.. Low
Their the opening speech of thirty min
utes. which was followed by Mr.. Smith
IN talk Of the same length; then came
MT. Lowther for thirty minutes. followed
by Mr.. Smith in thirty minute argument
The debate was closed by fifteen-minute
speech from Mr. Lowther.
Mr.. Lowther began by defining social
ism and its constitution and said that
IL was built upon three fundamental prop
ositions Of Justice First, that every
man should enjoy the product of his own
labor; second, that all the people use
what all the people own, and. third, that
equal privileges should extend to all. and
special privileges to none.
He believed that each atom in mans
makeup has progressed until a perfect
whole has been formed, and that all par
ties had proceeded toward perfection un-
til the great parties had served their pur-
poses and are being fossilized; that
the new party (Socialistic) would bring
harmony, peace and justice. and its ten
cts, if put into practice, offered the only
solution TO the now intolerable state of
affairs, in that capital was doing away
with life itself He here paid his re-
spects to the trusts, to sweat shops and
to child labor and said that competition
and capitalism was unnecessary except
to the lowest condition of life He asked
the somewhat pertinent question: IF a
man did not have the benefit of his own
labor who should?" He told of the fat
ness of the trusts and how they control
led everything that a man used from the
cradle 20 the grave-from baby buggies
TO collins. He defined Christianity and
said that no one was so well equipped
to define it as Christ who had told that
the fundamental idea of Christianity is
love-love of neighbor; that socialism pre-
sents that system. and that competition
was in every way unfavorable to it. Men
must work in cooperate and not against
each other Socialism presents justice in
its fullest; said that under the present
system rich men robbed other people
while they piled up millions for them
selves A very limited number Of mil
lionaires say 10 a great number OF wage
earners, You are getting enough" So
cialism says that a man must work or
starve. 1t is opposed 20 usury in any
form. The speaker did not blame men
for taking interest, but is opposed 70 a
system that makes such a proposition
possible. No man can accumulate untold
wealth If ne lives after the teaching of
Christ. The poor, honest man and his
virtuous family are not recognized So
cially by the rich. The get there Eli"
root hog or die" ''the big fish eat lit
tie ones" system now obtains and is
against all the precepts Of socialism. Cap
italism is Judas Iscariot Socialism saws
Come unto nae. all We that are labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest" The spirit Of competition induced
England to subjugate the Boers-for their
gold. The rich are crushing the life out
of millions Of people and are themselves
getting immoral, careless and wicked and
were it not for the intelligent middle
classes we would be entirely under their
potency.
MIR Smiths arguments IN reputation OF
his opponents statements were given
with force and huency. He said that
the Populist Prohibitionist. siugie-taxer
and the Socialist had all come along with
some beautiful scheme to turn this coun-
try into n Paradise and that they had
passed into the dim whence so far as being
factors il anything that pointed to pros
perity. Fault finding was very cheap
To pull down in theory and offer nothing
=
ing and thst socialism was Just as far
from producing the millennium as r.
Populist party was from victory next
fan in Kansas. He said that his oppon- !
ent had drawn a caricature: that social |
ism could never obtain: that the Ameri-
can spirit could not stagnate. that il |
always progresses, and progresses through /
Every man who works adj !
vances; competition makes man a /
worker Socialism IS directly opposed to I
this and would produce drones. He spoke /
Of the export system II America and its 1
increase with competition and of the in /
crease Of circulating medium under the /
same system. Americas prosperity and /
thrift IS due TO the get there spirit % 1
Americans who have a habit CT compet- 4
Ing for what they want If some other 1
fellow thinks he needs It. he quoted /
statistics showing the purchasing power
II a Kansas prosuct-corn-now as com
pared with several years ago and AFFIRM
a mat wages are higher row than they
have ever been before. There must -
n every strata = society.
but You cannot expect 70 pay a section
ssnd who leaves his work behind him
when the day Is done as much as The
-allroad president whose responsibility
Tor the working y great system never
eases As to interest or usury. = YOU
nave no right % take interest you have
10 right 70 rent your property You
must give II away or let some other fel-
ow live in 81 who has not earned t. =
very man was sure y being taker care
= without any struggle on his part there
would b. no attention q business ard
ha r,schirist IN rhsrra u II arri-a ~