Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-29
SOCIALISM VS.. PoPUllsM.


system fads. - =.
SOCIALISM VS.. PoPuLlSM.<
[Continued from page IL
them he cody pops up from another
hole and tells me that under socialism
there would be no taxation at all.
That certainly sounds attractive.
Taxation is one of the grievances that
most people object to. We went to
war once on that question. If we can
get out OF paying taxes we will all fee |
happy. But let US see. We will have
to have local, state and national
governments under socialism as we'll
as now. We will have to pay for
school houses and teachers, and as
the socialists demand that all children
shall attend school until eighteen
years of age the expenses in that line
will be heavier than now. We will
have to pay for supervision in all
branches of industry. We will have
to pay pensions to aged people, Grip
pies and invalids. We will have to
support physicians and numerous
other classes who are not strictly pro.
ducers. Under the wage check system
each one of these classes will have to
receive wage checks also. Each such
wage check SO issued will reduce the
value of the checks issued to the
actual producers. That will be taxa
ton, and the burden of taxation will
fall upon the producer in every in
stance. Thompson's idea seems to be
to use the single land tax until the
farmer has been taxed out of his pos.
sessions and then use the indirect tax
upon production. The man who pro-
duces the most will then pay the
largest tax.
Thompson danies that the church is
opposed to socialism, and tries to
prove it by showing that there are
some socialist preachers and divinity
students. The exceptions never prove
that rule is wrong. By an odd CO.
incidence, just as had finished read
ing Mr.. Thompson's article I picked
up q daily paper, and tho first item
that met my glance was the following:
Dubuque, Iowa, Aug. 23.-The Ger
man priests of the archdiocese of
Dubuque have banded together to
fight socialism, and one of the most
interesting campaigns in the history
of Iowa in which the Roman Catholic
church is involved will be waged from
the pulpit for the next few months.
All German Catholics will be warned
of the evils Of socialism and urged to
do their mightiest to defeat all candi-
dates for Office on the socialist ticket.
will let this part of the discussion
20 at that. Now as to the causes OF
crises. Nobody denies for q moment
that the present system of production
and distribution sometimes leads to
failures in the business world. But II
it were not for our lack of system in
finances such failures could not cause
general panics. 1t is because people
know from experience that the banks
are united by series of deposits of
reserves and that the failure of one
may bring down others that they will
at the first alarm rush to withdraw
their deposits and thus cause the panic
to spread farther and farther. Most
of the business of the nation is done
with the money deposited by the
middle class and the laborers. When
that is withdrawn business comes to a
standstill until the money is gradually
returned. Then there is no adequate
arrangement for increasing the cir
culating medium as population and
business increase. ). 1t is haphazard
arrangement depending mainly on
chance. The great crisis Of 1887 came
on account of the violent change in
our money system, caused by the
abolition of the United States bank.
Money became scarce because the new
system of state banks was not YET
ready to supply the demand, and the
first intimation of trouble caused
depositors to withdraw their money
The crisis of 1857 was caused by the
wild cat'' paper of the state banks
becoming insecure, and the failure
of some of them caused the same
alarm and withdrawal of funds. Tit
crisis of 1873 was caused by thu
violent contraction of currency anG
the stoppage of silver coinage
Business had been going on with ,
redundancy of currency. It could no
at once readjust Itself to the new con
ditions, and the failure Of the colo
clique in Wall street precipitated tn,
crisis. Its effects continued until tn,
Bland law Of 1873 made provision.
for the gradual increase IL the Cir
culatinp medium. The crisis If 100!