The independent., 1903-12-17

as National Committeeman e. Gerry
Brown Of Massachusetts, aptly ex-
pressed it-they were locked out" Of
their own party and ION strike"
against the two old parties. Doubt
less some who were populists are now
genuine socialists, but the great ma
jority Of former populists who now
vote the socialist ticket do not, when
pressed for an answer, desire the
collective ownership of the means Of
production and distribution" What
they do desire to accomplish is to Sc
cure public ownership Of certain
things usually designated as natural
monopolies (which is nothing more
than populism. For example, the pub
lie ownership of railroads and gov
ernment operation Is sneered at by So
cialists as Estate capitalism and VIC
ious, because the employees would
work for wages; and the aim of social
ism is to abolish the wage system al
together. Socialist philosophy also
contemplates the wiping out of the
middle class before the cooperative
commonwealth can be ushered In and
the wage system abolished--the idea
of securing happiness through the uni
versal bankruptcy of the home own
ers, farmers, merchants and other
small business men.
Even IL we grant the truth of much
that is taught by socialism, 1t is not
reasonable to expect, for example, the
owner of blacksmith shop, small
store, or farm, operated by himself,
to wish to turn over that shop or
store or farm to the "collectivity' and
then operate it under orders from
some boss or overseer-even IL he has
voice in electing him. History does
not show that the disinherited OF
earth have ever accomplished for
themselves any betterment OF their
condition by their own independent
action. The slaves Of ancient Greece
did not free themselves; the serfs did
not free themselves; and the practical
unanimity with which the vast ma
jority Of the wage-slaves today vote
the plutocratic ticket, Is a strong In
dication that the socialist dream is an
idle one which contemplates captur-
ing the powers of government by
means of 'proletarian," propeItyless
party. Even so eminent writer as
Achille Loria believes that the disin-
herited can do nothing independently
in their own behalf; but believes that
the property owners, If educated to
understand the materialistic conccp-
ton of history" can do much to amel-
iorate the condition of the non-prop-
erty owners and thus assist in hasten
ing the coming of what he considers
the inevitable cooperative commons
wealth.
However this may be, there is un-
doubtedly an economic necessity for
peoples party. representing the "bone
and sinew" Of America, the so-called
middle Glass; as opposed to pIutoc-
racy. The republican party is firmly
intrenched as the representative OF
the plutocratic interests-''the money
power" as populists are wont TO ex-
press it and there are enough repre-
sentatives of these plutocratic inter-
ests within the democratic party to
prevent II from ever standing as a
true representative of the small prop
erty owners. Az least that has been
the history OF the democratic party
for forty years. And n expiains why
so manv democrats vote the republic
can ticket whenever the democratic
partv declares for anv measure which.
II enacted into law, would benefit the
middle class"
need not reclte the steps leading