The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-11-05

of all they create for the privilege OF
using these tools. Under private capt.
talism and the principle Of competi-
ton there is no remedy. The system
itself must be abolished. There can
not be any halfway ground or gov
eminent ownership under capitalist
system without continual clash OF
private and public interests and, as a
result, the greatest incentive for off,
cial corruption. The populst party
has served it's mission. 1t has pre-
pared the people for the next step, and,
III my estimation, it will make a
great mistake if 1t attempts by indie
pendent action to thwart the onward
movement by revival of the fight
along old populist lines. The whole
scheme of capitalist exploitation
should be exposed and abolished. This
means the introduction of the cooper
alive commonwealth, under which all
labor will have free access to the tools
of production. This means that no
man can live off the toll of another
That the whole system of production
will be for use and not for profit and
under this system all, comparatively
will be the beneficiaries of each new
invention and discovery in science
that lessons the hours of labor with
out, as now, lessening labOr's product.
AS a populist and an enthusiastic sup
porter of it's principles in the past,
ask brother populists to seriously con-
slider socialism as the coming move
ment--a movement that goes to the
bottom Of the whole social and indus
trial fabric. 1t is fundamental and
has its foundation upon justice.
G. E OBENCHAIN.
Greenville, Tex.
(Mr. Obenchain certainly makes
good argument-but is 1t in harmony
with scientific socialism? Does he ac
cept as final the MARKHAM doctrine of
surplus value" which, as The INDIE
pendent views it, is a labored attempt
to say that the wage-worker isn't paid
all he is entitled to. Does Mr.. Oben-
chain believe in the "class struggle"
and in economic determinism" II
he does, then, he ought to see the folly
of expecting the property-Owning
middle class" to join, In any great
numbers, proletarian movement.
Having no property interests to con-
serve, the proletariat might join with
any party-and the fact is, the wage
workers do constitute the strength OF
the republican and democratic par
ties-especially the former.
But is it reasonable to expect the
average manufacturer, railroad mag
nate banker-any of the grand bour-
geoisie' to ally himself with the prop
ertyless, wage-workers' party? Hard
ly. There might be one in an hum
dred thousand-and even he would
rest under the suspicion that he had
IAN axe to grind" Is it any more rea-
sonable to expect the farmer, small
business man, home-owner-any Of the
little fellows, the petit bourgeoisie"
to join the proletarian movement? No;
assuredly, no. The teachings of So
cialism ought, If studied with care, to
show socialists themselves the absurd
ity of this latest fad"
Holding to the rigid doctrine of
surplus value" exploitation of the
wage-worker, and denying that exploit
tation in any other way can account
for the present negotiable distribution
OF wealth, socialists must admit that,
according to their own formula, the |
farmer or other producer who works |
for himself cannot be exploited" |
What IL he is robbed through unjust |
taxation, through extortionate freight |
rates, through a protective tariff? |
These do not count-the scientific So
cialists say. Only through the Sur
plus value route can one become q |
billionaire!
But what about the class strug-
GLE" by means of which, through all |
the ages, the enslaved classes-if we
may believe the socialists--have Sc
cured more and more of the things to |
which they are justly entitled? |
Haven't these things come aobut |
through the contests between differ
emit bands OF exploiters? And are we
now TO forsake the materialism OF |
Marx and believe that II we shall go /
forth with message OF glad tidings |
to the petit bourgeoisie." that they
will stihe their "egoistic impulses"
and with wild hurrah forsake the adj
vantages they now hold over the man
with no property and join him In his
movement to accomplish the "collec-
tive ownership of all the means OF
production and distribution" That /