The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-04-19
Socialism Impossible.


individuals in a community should enjoy
perfect equality in political, social an.
financial conditions There should be
no rich people and no poor people, and
indeed there should be no difference in
the conditions of life attending them so
far as any political financial industrial
and social arrangements can bring them
to an equality. This is certainly con
ceived in spirit of regard for the well
fare of all, but it proposes something
that has never been realized in any age
of the world, and which all human
experience has demonstrated is wholly
impracticable and absolutely impossible.
Any schemeto divide out all the wealth
in the world 80 rs to give each individual
an equal share would necessitate a
strong government, backed by thorough
organization and all the power required
for so colossal an undertaking. 1t would
involve not only the getting possession
of all the accumulated wealth, but Of all
the industries and means of production.
Under such government the masses OF
the people would have no more freedom
than they enjoy today. They would have
to work at the various occupations in
which they are now engaged, and they
would, after all, get only wages, since
the business could not be carried on for
profit, but merely to pay expenses OF
the government system required to con
duct it.
The various articles of consumption so
produced would have to be sold to the
entire population at the lowest possible
prices, and the dream INDUCED in by not
a few that the money and other prop
erty of the rich men and corporations
would be divided out equally and each
individual would have nothing to do but
enjoy the newly acquired wealth would
soon be dissipated.
The necessity that all who are able to
work SHOULD be made to do so for the
support Of the children, the sick and dis
abled and the aged and infirm, would be-
rs it Is today, amost urgent proposition,
and there would have to be, as has al
ready been stated, an organized and
strong government to enforce all re.
quirements and control all the conditions
of the social state. There would be, as
at present, an immense number Of gov
eminent officials; all, the entire popula-
ton, wonld be government employees.
| But what assurance would there be
that the new government and its officials
would be any more honest and any more
free from corruption and graft than the
oldY The same difficulty to secure an
honest government anda faithful admin.
istration Of the laws would continue to
exist az long w human natur, is what
tits.
But as has been said before, such Il
situation ~ is contemplated by benevo-
lent Socialism addresses itself only to the
favor of II few persons The average in
dividual, filled with natural selfshness.
is DESTROYS, not of advancing and ele-
waiting the entire population on terms of
equality, but of raising himself and those
that .are dear to him to the highest po-
sitions of honorand prosperity. Every in
telligent person knows that if all the
money in any community or country
were divided out equally there would be
so little to each individual that nobody
would be advanced very far on the road
to fortune. Nobody thinks of dividing
broadcast the wealth of any very rich
man, but each individual would most de.
sire to be the possessor of it,
Equality il dreamed of only by those
who are at the bottom and desire to
rank with those above. Throughout the
entire system of human, social and po-
litical organization the desire il to raise
ones self to a higher station. 1t is true
that the unrest and dissatisfaction that
move so many people might impel some
at the moment to assist in revolution
to pull down the existing order, so that
in the general commotion they might
rise to better conditions, but the masses
of the people would soon realize the neces
sity of restoration of some law and
power that could give them protection
in their lives and rights
In every social and political revolution
the most desperate, depraved and Grim
inal classes manage, in the midst of the
commotion to rise TO the surface Of af
fairs and they make themselves felt in
the preparation of the most frightful
| bloodshed and shocking crimes, but they
are soon recognized and made TO feel
that they are enemies of society and are
worthy of the determination to which
they are usually condemned It IL entire
| ly possible that discomfort and dissatis-
faction with conditions in this country
may grow TO such pitch that revolu-
ton will be generated but if go, il viii.
result rs every such convulsion always
has, in the pulling down of one system