Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-08-30
CURE FOR ALL ILLS
BEN HANFoRD DECLARES ACT
OF GOVERNMENT NOT
DIFFICULT.
"There Is Not an III in Our Social sys.
tenn Not Due to Private Ownership"
Says the Socialist Vice Presidential
Candidate.

"There Is not an Ill IN our social
system today that is not due to pri-
vate ownership and that could not be
cured by socialism" declared Ben
Hartford, candidate for yice-president
of the United States upon the social
ist ticket, in his address delivered in
the Wapello county court house last
evening. There was a good crowd
present, every seat in the large court
room being occupied and many stand
ing in aisles and doorways through
out the address.
Mr.. Hanford came into the city Fri
day night from Chillicothe where he
states that he held very enthusiastic
meeting Friday afternoon. Last night
Mr.. Hanford went to Muscatine where,
he Is to speak this evening.
A Pleasant Meeting.
One of the pleasant features of Mr..
Hanford's visit to Ottumwa. was the
unexpected meeting with his step.
mother, Mrs. F. ]. Pickering, of Lees.
burg, Fla, after separation of just
twenty years. Mr.. Hartford has very
high regard for Mrs. Pickering and
declares that to her kindness and her
assistance he owes practically all that
he has been able to accomplish. Mrs.
Pickering CHANGED to be in the city
visiting at the home of DR.. and Mrs.
u. G. Brockman, who reside on East
Second street, when by happy coin
evidence Mr.. Hanford in the couse of
his campaign tour came to Ottumwa
to deliver the address of last night
Mrs. Pickering was one of the most
attentive listeners in the large audi.
ence last evening.
Our movement Is having wonder
full growth" said Mr.. Hanford. Every.
where have been greeted with large
crowds that filled the halls to their
fullest capacities. l have just passed
through Tennessee, Arkansas, Okla
homa, Missouri and Kansas From
coast to coast the movement is grow
ing and developing.
General Propositions.
Socialism advocates the govern.
ment ownership not only of all public
utilities. but of all natures gifts to
man and Of all wealth producing en-
terprises and distributing agencies
that have to do with the necessities Of
man. Labor is entitled not only to a
share in the profits that result from its
eXertions but to all the profits No
man Is entitled to e. profit for which
he does not labor and which he has
not earned. Running government is
not difficult matter. 1t does not pre-
sent even SO great difficulties as does
the management and the governing of
our labor organizations" These are
a few of the general propositions
made by Mr., Hanford last evening.
Collective Ownership.
BY socialism we mean the collect
I've or government ownership of all
means of producing, transporting and
distributing wealth. BY government
we do not mean government that is
in the hands of millionaires, but in
the hands of those who labor and who
perform some useful purpose Some
look upon government as wonderfully
difficult, as something mysterious, oc-
cult and wonderful It is nothing of
the sort. You who know enough to
run a labor organization know enough
to run branch Of the government.
"A government run by the working
people would be a good government
for the working people If the govern
ment owned all the telegraph and rail-
way lines, the coal mines, the gas and
electric light plants, and all the facto-
ries then everybody would have
government job.
How do we propose to change the
existing system? Certainly not by
taking from one and giving to another.
We propose to take from the Rookie
fellers, the Morgans and the Baers
and give to the whole people, to the
people who labor and who produce for
their own for all time"