The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-29
have the rights which are assured
him upon the sacred promise Of the
nation.
NOT PREPARED FOR THAT.

NOT PREPARED FoR<THAT.
Although unalterably opposed to ev-
erything bearing the least semblance
to fusion, the socialist party Of Mon
tana is not above acquiring new mem
mers in a manner that savors very
strongly Of that which it condemns
in SO unstinted terms and denies the
benefit u to the men who have &C
cepted nominations from it. The at
tempt made at Livingston a few days
ago to tie the state trades and labor
council to the tail of socialism was a
bold one and would probably have
succeeded had it not been for the
courageous fight made by the minor
ity. AS it was the resolution was bur-
dened with a rider that robs it Of its
force and purpose and leaves the
members of organized labor free to
choose their political affiliations as
they have in the past.
1t is very evident that President
Ives was not one of these who oppos-
ed the resolution. In his address he
ideas and urges adoption of socialism
by the laboring men as the only cure
for some of the evils, in fact for all
of which they now complain. His
advocacy of communal ownership of
the sources Of wealth as well as COM
munal distribution of the same may
appeal strongly to some, but the large
majority of the working men Of the
state and nation are not as yet pre-
pared to accept his theory or at
tempt to put it into practice. So long
as the ambition tc succeed in the
struggle of life finds lodgment in the
breasts of men and SO long as the
desire to attain the topmost round
of the ladder of success is the domi-.
mating spirit that actuates the men
of America so long will every effort
reorganize economic and social at
fairs on the communal plan fail. To
subscribe to the doctrine of socialism
is only a confession of weakness and
an admission of lack Of strength to
battle in the arena, Of life. Ameri-
can workingmen are not constituted
of such material. Their pride and
ideals will not permit them to become
subscribers to a doctrine thatein eff
feet is tatamount to an acknowledge
ment of want of moral and physical
stamina sufficient to enable them to
succeed where. others are successful.
enforcement OF socialism to those
not well up in the cult always appears
as evidence of one of two things: It
either indicates envy and Jealousy of
the successful ones, or it signifies an
order of intelligence and mentality
that deprives it's possessor of all
pride and ambition. In other words
it places the socialist in the position
of an individual who is perfectly
willing to erase his individuality and
become a %nonentity, who, instead of
being spurred on by ambition and the
desire to succeed, is perfectly content
to become a sharer of the fruits gain
ed by the labcrs of others, or at the
most be one Of the least contributors
to the general good.
AS a dream to be INDUCED in by the
long haired gentlemen, who, seated
at a table with a glass of beer in
front of them and drawing inspira-
tion from a long-stemmed pipe dawdle
and vaporize about the deplorable
conditions into which humanity has
sunken, socialism may be very pleas
ant, but the plain, practical man, the
one through whose veins courses the
red, rich blood of vigorous manhood
and whose mind is fired with ambi-
ton and who wishes to succeed by
his own individual efforts has no time
for it. He has not yet reached the
stage of mental decay or physical
decrepitude where he is willing that
the world shall become a huge
eleemosynary institution with himself
as the chief beneficiary. So long as
the opportunity to do for himself is
vouchsaved him and SO long as ma
ture endows him with strength of
mind and body to carve out his own
fortune so long will he be content to
allow existing conditions to remain as
thew are and take his chances along
-, TN
with the rest Of mankind.
JUST LIKE DEMOCRATS.
AS a result of Tom Johnson's siren
uous ideas of municipal government,
as applied to Cleveland, the people of