The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-07-23

Just as soon as they are old enough
to reach this high degree, and one
10.000th part OF a per cent starts as a
newsboy and ends as millionaire.
Think of it! Thousands of children
sacrificing every thing that makes life
worth living. in order to produce a
self-made man who is really not half
finished! And this is what is called
a perfect system, full utilization OF
waste. To me it is the greatest loss.
In my opinion, for each crushed hope,
for each suppressed genius, for each
denied right to partake OF the beau
ties of nature, for each drunka-d and
prostitute, for each homeless tramp.
for each widows tear, and each bare
footed orphan, the competitive system
is responsible, and no price of any
civilization can pay for a single one
of these crushed and wasted souls.
The greatest Of all grea. principles
upon which socialism is based, is that
the socialist can find nothing more
precious amongst all things in this
great universe than man himself. And
every human being is of the same
value and is consequently entitled to
the same opportunities. The most
beautiful thing known in nature is
human intellect. 1t is that which we
like to style as the goodness OF man.
1t is that which makes him the flower
of creation. 1t is that in which he
resembles God, and reminds us OF a
purpose in the universe. We hold
that society must adopt system OF
living by which not a single human
being be denied the equal right with
his neighbor, in developing and ex-
ercising the God-like qualities.
But how is the competitive system
for equal opportunities? This is the
question that faces the twentieth cen
fury. This is the question which
faith has put to our destiny Tor solu-
ton, and I feel it will be solved to the
greatest benefit of the greatest num-
Eers.
Opportunities are not equal under
our present system. They can never
he under competition. For competi-
ton by it's very nature is fight for
opportunities. Opportunities and for
tilted positions are fought for and won
in the battle through cunningness and
greed and their places once secured
are fortified with still greater care.
They are made safe from any attack
by the development of better UNDER
standing between the hostile camps,
that have succeeded in surviving
above the ruins of the weaker war
r.ors, crushed out of existence. They
learned that to fight means to waste,
but peace means community of in
terest. a surer position. Whatever
was true at the beginning of the fight
for industrial superiority, it is GER
tain that the struggle Is unequal at
the present stage of the game, and the
natural development of our system
must result in still greater inequality
of opportunities.
The greatest fertilization of those
oEce won positions is the so-called
rights of private property in produce
tive wealth C capital. There are oc-
casionally instances where one loses
his warm nest and is thrown into the
ranks of the propertyless masses, but
the surety of the great controllers of
our commerce and industries is grow
ing stronger from day to day. Compe-
tition between private small interests
is giving way to cooperation between
private interests with selfish ends, and
despotic power above the people
en-maSSe.
The late railroad consultations, ac-
cording to the statement of Nj. Hill
himself. has saved to the railroad in
terests the labor of 10000 men.
Among them, men with opportuni-
ties, men who looked up to the Hills,
Harrimans and Goulds as the highest
ideal obtainable, the only guiding star
and aim in life. The horizon of OPP
portunities is growing narrower at a
sure and steadily increasing pace. and
an inherited aristocracy of opportun-
tiles is the unavoidable next feature
to appear in our national life The
argument Of capitalism that the
strongest warrior of the tribe nat
urally had to become chief and the
most cunning financier had to subdue
tho less cunning ones, is being again
questioned by the people of the pres
ent generation; for the chances are
the descendants of these great chiefs
may be only of ordinary or less than
ordinary ability, and the masses like
to know by what right are they to
rcssess such a power, and by what