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

chinery. The pulse OF production be-
gan to beat faster and. the fever of ac-
tivity grew higher. The fight Of COM
petition became more desperate and
the logical conclusion OF these factors
| was monopoly anu the unlimited rule
of the private owner; which in its
turn is the foundation of building up
an Industrial aristocracy. 1t is al
ready a universal power almost in full
control of all channels of life.
1t is natural that demands for the
peoples rule is again heard all over
the land. The people again demand
their right to rule over their own af-
fairs, their own industries. The size
OF the enterprises and the social divi-
| zion of labor have outgrOwn the pos
sible interest of one man or one body
| of men. They are now of nothing less
than of national importance, and nat
uraiiy enough the nation demands it's
own control over it's own affairs This
is unavoidable, there are no two ways
| out of it. We cannot put production
back on a primitive basis of the old
style craftsmanship or even the later
stage of the small factory owner for
it has proven W1steful and unrea-
sonable process. The worlds prog
ress does not retreat. The only way
to change a good thing is for better
one.
We will not tolerate special privil-
eyes to the monopolizers of industry.
which is unavoidable under private
ownership. The aim of socialism is
the inevitable public ownership of the
peoples industries on a cooperative
basis. We demand system of in
dustry under which the producer shall
get the full product Of his toll by
comparatively going down to the re-
sources of nature and comparatively
| sing his inherited right to the tools
of this age. Under such method of
production all industries would be-
come of the nature of public utility.
And profit would be eliminated.
The public does not need profit:
what the public needs is service.
Profit becoming a thing Of the past.
private business would become USE
less. The same as was the case with
the school. Profit once eliminated
would throw the masses of the people
now living off profit into the ranks of
the producers, the result would be
that everybody would stand on his own
legs and would depend upon his own
ability for living. His wealth would
make him nothing; no matter how
great, how cumbersome it would be,
the development of certain ability
of usefulness would be the only con-
dition upon which his future existence
could depend. Conditions would nat
urally tend to develop a useful citi-
zenship. A manhood that would be
able to look straight into each others
eyes without blushing, which as
rule is not the case now. Men would
become brothers, for the race after
the next mans product would cease.
This is the point where socialism
becomes the only hope Of all religions.
1t is the mathematical focus where
the rays Of all creeds, denominations
and dOmgas melt into one center.
That is peace between man and man.
Socialism makes impossible the pri-
yate ownership in that part Of wealth
which is of a productive quality, that
which is known as capital; but social
ism demands and insists on private
ownership of that which a man pro-
duces for consumption and use So
cialism is not communism. A man
is free to have his private property;
un'ler socialism the standard of pri-
vate Property ownership would be
raised, fer every man would hold him
s9,f responsible for being without it.
Socialism discourages any kind of
an unproductive existence, be he
tramp or millionaire. With a full
right to labor without begging any
one for job, there can be no excuse
fCr healthy man to beg. 1t would
be an immoral act to support idleness,
while it is immoral now to refuse the
begar, and the charity of today has
often proven the ruin of many. So
cialism would tend to interest each
worker in his respective industry. 1t
would simply apply the principle of
democracy to the smallest branches of
activity, and lets the workers of the
respective shop or branch elect their
own foremen and overseers 1t would
let the workers themselves fix their
holidays and hours of labor. 1t would
lie their own affair to beautify their
quarters and arrange them, for safety
and comfort. This would make men