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

ldHulOTuS WOuiu De lOfceu 10 Surreu-
der their leased possessions.
But, it is objected, this is confisca-
ton and unjust. Now, no one is
owed by stronger motives of justice
than the socialist-the very spirit of
socialism is to secure justice; and,
while the property of the capitalist
landlord may have been secured un-
justly by the exploitation of those
who labor, the socialist is willing in
order to avoid violence to give the
appropriated owner compensation.
This could be paid by compelling all
tenants of such property to pay the
former owner an annuity continuing
Tor period of years, each payment
reducing the amount of the owners
original equity until entirely paid for.
Thus the land would pass from cap
italistic system, where the simple fact
Of ownership enables the fortunate
owner to draw regular and continu-
GUS income without the performance
OF any labor, to a Socialistic system
where the state holds it in trust for
actual users.
With this first great and fundamen-
tai reform in land ownership, not only
rent would be abolished, but also most
Of the underlying causes that produce
interest. Interest is based upon the
assumption that when the owner turns
wealth as capital over to some one
else he loses it's reproductive and null
tiplying power, and that the user
should reimburse him for the gain he
thus fOregoes. But wealth in itself
without labor, is absolutely inert and
lmpOtent, and not only fails to in
crease, but unless used will decay and
waste away. The supporters of inter
est say labor could do nothing without
capital, and therefore should pay for
its use. Their statement is faliacious
and inverted. Capital could not do
anything without labor, and labor
saves it from perishing. Therefore,
|; stead of demanding compensation
from labor for the use of capital. the
owner of capital should pay labor for
preserving it. This he can do by al
lowing it to be used with the condi-
ton only that it will be returned, not
diminished in value. Yet under So
c'allsm no one would be compelled to
allow others to use his accumulated
wealth without interest, but con iitions
would be established that would cause
him gladly to do SO voluntarily. This
would be accomplished by the PEOPLE
collectively owning and operating a
sufficient number of the means of pro-
duction and distribution to employ all
who had no capital, which it would al
low them to use free of all charges
above cost of maintaining without de-
| probation in value. No one would
pay individuals interest for the use of
| capital when the social state was
ready to provide it free. Yet by it's
very nature the capital of individuals
would have to be used to be preserved
and, las an individual could use only
sc much, he would be glad to loan
| others all in excess of what he him.
self could use without interest and
simply upon the condition that it be
returned to him unimpaired or Of equal
value.
By these two methods of land own
ershlp and tenure and the collective
ownership and operation of sufficient
capital to employ all who have no
capital, the two great sources by
means of which those who do not la
Dor secure the wealth produced by
those who do labor are abolished. and
without taking away the freedom of
any who may prefer to labor as in
dividuals. They would even be free
to associate and form partnerships,
companies, and corporations, il they
could get any one to work for them
which, however, would be improbable
rot from constraint, but from condi-
tons; for who would work for an in
dividual or firm, where his employer
must of necessity retain a portion OF
the wealth he produces to make his
profits, when the collective state was
standing ready to employ him with
out retaining any portion of the
wealth he produced for under So
clalism all undertakings by the state
would be run without profit over and
above the cost of maintaining the orig
inal capital unimpaired All profits
of the capitalistic system would dis.
appear, going either to the employees
or the consumers. Yet it would be
well, and not necessarily destructive
Ct the socialistic state, to allow indi
v.dual methods of production and dis
tribution under the conditions i'm
! posed; for IL such individual efforts