The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-06-24
A JUDGE on Socialism.

] mayor j. M. COUSIOCh, WHO OHlCldJ6u
as chairman of the meeting, invited
the audience to PROFOUND to the
speaker any question upon which fur
Their light was desired AS a result,
nearly an hour was taken up by the
speaker in answering various ques-
lions dealing with the subject dis
cussed.
The judges address occupied a lit
tie over an hour in it's delivery. He
said in part:
"The popular conception of social
ism is that it is an artificial, idealis-
tic, visionary scheme of government,
evolved from the human brain, and
sought to be imposed upon the ex-
listing order of things by the mere
| ipse dixit of majority vote; that it is
beautiful dream of an ideal social
state that leaves out of consideration
the selfshness of human nature and
the ordinary laws that govern human
society.
THE truth is that the distinctive
characteristics of modern socialism is
that it is founded upon the facts. 1t
springs directly from the recognition
and scientific analysis of those funda-
mental economic laws which are dis
covered only by the accurate observ-
alton of material and tangible phe
nomena.
THE basic principles of scientific
socialism are, first, the materialistic
conception of history, sometimes
called the economic Interpretation of
history, including the class struggle
and, second, the doctrine of surplus
vHlue.
THE exploitation of labor assumes
that labor is bought by the capitalist
at it's minimum cost to him, which is
the price of the bare living for the
laborer. This would be true in all
cases where competition among la
borers forces the selling price of Ia
Dor powers down to a bare living ac-
cording to the old maxim that COM
petition is the life of trade. The la
borer has in a measure become aware
OF the fact that he is being exploited,
and he, therefore, forms educational
and business combinations against
the capitalist, known as labor unions.
The purpose of the labor union is, by
organized resistance to the capital
list to demand from him share Of
the surplus value created by him, and
the struggle of the laborer to obtain
the greatest possible amount of this
surplus value created by his labor,
and the struggle of the capitalist to
prevent his getting any of it, is what
we call the class struggle.
IF we are correct in our concep-
ton of the true origin of surplus
value, it will at once be seen that
the class struggle is inherent in the
capitalist system, and can only be
terminated by the entire elimination
of private ownership of the means of
production and exchange. We do not
propose to reform that system, but to
abolish it entirely, and for that rea-
son modern socialism is rightly
called revolutionary socialism. We
do not propose or advocate a revolu
ton in the existing form of govern
trial system.
I'VE propose to substitute for a
system of social production and So
cial appropriation and distribution of
wealth. Socialism, then, is nothing
more and nothing less than the col
lective ownership of the means of
production and exchange, and the col
lective operation of the means of
production by all for the benefit of
each, according as his work shan
be-"
Relative to the trusts, he said:
"The difference between the indi-
vidual capitalist, the small corporation
and the so-called trust is not one of
principle, but of size and perfection
of industrial organization. The cor
poration, with it's greater concentra-
ton of capital is able to organize in
dustry on a larger scale than the in
dividual capitalist, and for exactly
the same reason the so-called trust
is able to more completely organize
the forces of industry than the small
corporation. Each step in the indus
trial evolution has been taken be-
cause conditions demanded it, That
the concentration of capital is nee
essary to the full utilization of hui
man labor is not a matter of specula-
ton; it is simple fact of history,
and the frantic protest of the small
capitalist is of no avail; economic
revolutions do not progress back
ward. The middle class is doomed
Competition has destroyed itself.
LET the nation own the trusts
And while we are about it, let the
nation own all the means of produc-
tion-machinery and instruments of
whatever kind, which are to be used
in the production of wealth for all
the people, reserving to the state.
the county and municipal govern
ments only such means as are neces-
sary for the management of local