The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-16

who stole the Elgin lighting plant are
opposed to socialism Those who
wanted the public to own and operate
1t are very nearly socialists. All you
lack of being a socialist is for you to
love cooperation instead of competi-
ton, peace instead of war, heaven in
stead of hell. d. W. KENNEDY.
Duquoin, Ill.
OF socialism stands for any one
thing more than another, it is the de-
struction OF the wage system. That
being the case no socialist can honest
ly advocate the government ownership
of railroads, telegraphs, telephones,
waterworks, street cars, electric light
ing plants, gas or any of the public
utilities that populists demand should
be owned by the public, for that con-
templates that wages" shall still be
paid to those who work for Uncle Sam,
just the same as are now paid by the
owners OF the monopolies With the
destruction of wages would go the de-
struction of money. With the common
ownership of all property, for that is
what the words, collective ownership
of all means of production and distri-
button" means, if it means anything,
would destroy every individual ambi-
ton and start the world on a down
ward road that would never stop while
the system existed.
The evils inflicted by the Standard
Oil and every other trust have come
about from the destruction of compe-
tition. Establish competition and the
evils will disappear. The question is
asked who can compete? There would
be ten thousand competitors if the laws
were enforced without Uncle Sam en-
tering the field. Let the government
own the railroads and treat every oil
producer alike, give all the same rates
and no rebates and competition would
be re-established. If Uncle Sam went
into oil refining himself, he could not
compete with Rockefeller, if Rockefel-
Ter got rebates and Uncle Sam did not.
In regard to socialist program.
To tell what beatitudes would exist
under socialism" is not to give us a
program. Will Mr.. Kennedy tell us
what law the socialist would first pass
if they had control of the government,
to bring about the collective owner
ship of all the means Of production and
distribution? A program would indi-
cate at least some one thing that So
cialists would do to install that condi-
tion where every man would work
eight hours day and get $4,000 a
year, as all the socialists claim, when
there would be no dollars for anyone
to get, because the present money sys-
TEN would be abolished. Does Mr..
Kennedy think that men of such mas
sive intellects as have created the
trusts would quietly resign their presi-
denotes and directorships and go to
work under the direction OF some
elected boss for eight hours each day
and accept labor check in full pay
ment? Isn't there prospect for lit
tie more hell than heaven under such
conditions as that? Wouldn't you have
war instead of peace and hell ten feet
deep and no heaven at all until you got
clear out of this world? No, Brother
Kennedy, there is nothing along that
line for the toiling masses. Let us go
ahead along the popuIist lines, let us
get government ownership of all nat
ural monopolies. Let us stop tariff
grating and make it possible fc
American workman to buy American
goods as cheap as foreigner can buy
them. Let us reduce the cost of water,
gas, electricity and street car trans
portation in the cities. All that will
be a direct gain to the wage Garner
Almost any populist can draft law
to bring about any Of these things. We
can get them and we can. keep an eye
on money legislation so that people can
not be swindled in that way again.
Ed. Ind