The independent., 1903-10-15
Socialism

dl] duui tSo ucl1tCICu tulo CtCHluS at /
the Vine Street Congregational church |
.bJ the the pastor pastor, X Herbert Riseicg -
Text: For among my people are /
found wicked men; they lay wait, as
he that setteth snares; they set a trap,
they catch men,
Gas a coop is full of BIRDS, so are
their houses full Of deceit; therefore
they are become great and waxen rich.
They are waxen fat. they shine;
yea, they overpass the deeds Of the
wicked; they judge not the cause, the
cause Of the fatherless, yet they pros
per; and the right of the needy do
they not judge. "-Jer. ", 26-28.
Mr.. Bigelow said in part:
II there are any men in the state OF
Chic to %lhea. these words Of Jeremiah
are applicable. they are the proprie-
tors of the Cincinnati Enquirer and
the Cincinnati Times. Star. One is a
so-called demOcr t and the other is a
so-called republican. But they are
both monopolists. They love their
privileges more than their party prin-
ciples. This is evidenced by the fact
that they have joined issue this year
| in their opposition to the candidacy OF
Mayor Tom L.. Johnson for governor.
Why do they oppose him? They say
| IL is because he is a socialist. They
are intelligent men and they know
better. They oppose, him because he
would take from them the privilege
| they now enjoy of heaping up for
] themselves unearned fortunes through
| the power of monopoly. But they
/. could not make votes if they said
that. Therefore they cry, Away with
l.sOcialism," and they hope, by that ap-
! peal to ignorance and prejudice, to
bring discredit upon just cause and
protect their privileges.
The Enquirer editor says: THE
whole tendency. of the movement
/ which Mr.. Johnson is engineering is
| in the direction of state socialism. =
/ To this the Times Star editor says,
/ Amen Both papers publish the
same editorial, and agree that the
views of Mr.. johnson are the widest
possible departure from the sound and
seasoned democracy Of the fathers.
/ AT his recent Music Hall meeting in
i Cincinnati, Mayor Johnson. was in
terrupted by socialist. Replying to
the questioner, he said:
s.All enterprises which are in their
nature private, should be left in pri-
vate hands, and are not the business OF
4 the government. But when you have
lar enterprise which is, in its very ma
! tnre, monopoly, If the community
si,does not own and operate it. It will
4 own and operate the community.
4, A telephone business is in it's very
nature monopoly business. Two
| telephone companies are a nuisance.
4 IIt is necessary to the convenience OF
i tine public that there be one central
4 exchange and that each subscriber
II shall be in communication with every
i other. The welfare of the community
4 requires that there shall be but one
4 company. But every community has
to. meet the question, who shall be
1.-THE company?" If the telephone bust
ness is left in private hands, the COM
munity, by some franchise grant, has
to declare. in effect, that some one in
diyidual, or corporation. and no other
shall have the privilege of engaging In
the business. That means a private
monopoly. Practically, the only es'
cape from it is in municipal owner
ship.
What is true Of the telephone bust
ress is equally true of the gas ane
electric light and street railway com
panies.
There is no more sense in having
the streets torn up by competing gas
companies than there is In having th'
city disfigured by the poles and wires
of competing telephone companies
Ore company can perform the worl
better than two or more. Competi
ton Is sometimes resorted to as |
. means of escaping an oppressive mo
nopoly, but such competition is short
lived, for consolidation is the natura
law.
Why has it become the almost uni
J yersal practice for American cities II
: own their own water works? 1t Is be
J cause it is a business which Is bes
left to some one company and expert
ence has proven that it. is not goo'
public policy to give to private cor
: poration a monopoly of the water sup
! ply of city.
: Why, then, should private com
i rany have the exclusive privilege o
| furnishing gas to a city, or electri
Il -, two Tot, ,,v,