The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-16

| too dense TO be genuine" and then at the
| conclusion OF his letter says that | am
more of Socialist than / am willing TO
admit"
Does he mean that II is the denselv
Ignorant who are Socialists? III this is
MS meaning | would advise him 10 get
away before the storm bursts over his
devoted head for / know many very in
teillEent men with Sociallstic ideas who
will not feel fattered at what he con-
siders to be the essential part as So
cialist supporter.
And then he answers my question as TO
the remuneration, the present owners of
railroads. etc. will receive under So
cialism. by saying that IL the people
say that they shall be paid they will be-
but II II considers that the property shall
De taken without payment then II will
be taken"
Can we doubt what the people will do?
l think that In all cases the decision Will
De, take all and pay nothing Suppose
any OF your readers has been provldent
and saved enough to buy a few shares
In some business undertaking. should we
think 1t right 10 steal this mans money,
probably the savings or lifetime? /
think that there few OF us would consider
this to be just. And still these men say
this would happen under socialism Then
II IL would come to pass i'm the case of
drawn between what we've taken without
payment. and what would be allowed to
continue.
For all people who buy and sell any
thing do this for a profit and this profit
comes out Of the people, ard therefore
according to their theory the peddler's
team as we'll as the rich mans railroad
Will be taken: the poor woman's little
candy store as we'll as the large dry
goods emporium will share the same fate
But as no private property will be al
lowed the saving people will have to share
what they worked hard for with all the
lazy buns who mover did a days work,
or saved dollar in their lives
Is not this a comforting thought TO
you hard working men and women, who
by shaving and scraping have Just had A
little cottage built, and beautified II, and
had hoped TO spend the remainder or your
lives In Its enjoyment. TO think that IL
would be taken away from you without
payment.
And this would happen under this so
called Socialism, but more correctly
should be styled Anarchy"
They talk a great deal about the "high-
handed Injustice OF the rich" but In
tend to go great deal further than any
OF these rich men have ever dreamed OF
going. for whereas most OF the rich men
have spent years OF hard brain work in
building up what they now own. these
many OF whom have done little
else than hold forth as agitators. would
gladly conhscate the fruits OF forethought
ana industry. so that they might have
still softer snaps"
For II is nonsense 90 suppose that the
men who have done so much 10 bring
this thing TO pass would be content TO be
on an equality with the rank and file,
and II this should happen then there
would be an end TO Socialism. and these
would soon be rich and poor as there are
now.
But n. for instance. there should be
then ambition would he killed,
for who would strive to HIT himself up
If the end was TO be nothing more than
the ones who never cared TO rise
Mr.. Nickerson makes the giving OF free
dom to slaves analogous to stealing rail-
roads. etc. fail TO see where the
analogy is. In one case men and women
with souls like ourselves had been taken
away from unjust slavery. where they
had been treated as cattle, so that they
could become what God intended them TO
70 ourselves and able TO realize
that by industry and thrift they would
better themselves as individuals. and not
the master who had owned them
Compare this with the owners OF busi-
ness undertakings. great or small. These
In many cases have come through years
OF toll: have grown from small beginnings
to large plants: the owners pay fair
wages. They do not equally divide with
their employees. for certainly they deserve
something extra for the risk they run and
the extra worry they have.
And all this counts for nothing.
Men without pluck or perseverance
enough to do anything for themselves
have said. I'VE have as much right 10
this as they who built it,"
IL ls a sorry thing 10 think of--that our
boasted American manhood should con-
becoming robbers.
CHARLES I. HEWITT.