The Washington times., 1906-03-07
ECONOrUC EVILS DUE
TO MONOPOLY ONLAND
So Says Contributor in Discussing Basic
Truth of Socialism, Millionaire Pat
terSon's Brand Criticised.

aim at securing an equitable dfy5ssor -
wealth. by placing it in the hands Of the
Government, has one defect, and that
Is a fatal one-it begins at the wrong
END. 1t assumes that all public officials
under the sOciaiistfc regime viii be hon
est, just. intelligent, unselhsh, and pub
lie Spirited; but It is not governments
which determine the character or men,
It is men who determine the character
Of government, and until there IS a moro
equitable distribution Of wealth and a
better ment OF the social conditions OF
men 1t Is idle to expect public officials
10 be one whit more honest than they
are nov. II is not necessary TO say that
under the present reign Of graft and
official corruption such a policy OF gov
eminent would be utterly unthfnkabIs
But TO secure substantial justice. so that
there would be no lack Of employment,
no conflict between employer and en-
ployed. no enormous forums on the one
side and no army Of jobIes men on the
eminent should assume the ownership
of all the means of production and pro-
vide jobs for everyone; il is only neces-
sary that the equal rights of all to the
use of earth be secured. This can be
done without any extension Of Govern
ment machinery or any Increase OF its
functions.
Destroy Land Monopoly.
By remitting all taxation now levied
on the products of labor and cOncen-
trating il on the value Of land ire
spective of improvements. the security
Of private possession with the justice
of common ownership would be secured.
With land monoDOly thus destroyed
natures great workshop, the earth
would be free to all. and the iobless
man would vanish Socialists denounce
the cruel impositions and onerous ex-
actions Of capitalists and talk Of the
conflict between capital and labor. IN
fact there is no conflict between capital
and labor. There is conflict between
CAPITALISTS and laborers. and this Is
caused by land monopoly. That a
wealthy employer does reduce the wages
OF his WOrkmen is true But this reduc-
ton Is not due to his wealth but 10
their poverty. With natures WOrShOU
closed against them by land monopoly.
they are compelled 10 compete with each
other for emDloyment 1t is this COM
petition and not the employers wealth
that forces wages down. Abolish the
monopoly that prevents men from en-
pioylng thmselveS and employers could
not opDress the employed no matter how
great their wealth
Mr.. Patterson seeing how competition
among workmen reduces wages, jumps
10 the conclusion that competition is a
bad thing and should be abolished. is
Ike one who would abolish FIRE because
II destroyed a house.
The atmosphere IN which We move and
have our being eXerts a pressure of if
teen pounds 10 the square inch. Were
this pressure exerted only on one side Of
US II would press rs as fat as a pan
cake But being eXerted equally on all
sides. we move about in il with perfect
ease and freedom So il is with COM
petition. We're the natural rights OF
ali TO the use of the earth secured. then
competition acting on all equally would
become the most extensive the most
delicate and the most exact system OF
corporation that can be imagined.
Artificial Scarcity of Land.
But where labor is denied all right
to employ itself. by being shut off from
the land, competition becomes one-sided
and the artificial scarcity Of land thus
produced causes an artificial scarcity of
Jobs. and as population increases must
force the ompetitors into virtual sIav-
cry Competition is 10 social system
what that vital force which causes each
organ to perform its respective function.
without mental direction. is TO the phys
ical system. All that is necessary to
secure a sound. healthy social body, as
well as a sound. healthy. physical body,
IS 10 insure free play to those forces.
For instance between the individual
ana society there IS an analogy which
becomes more marked as population in
creases and industry develops
That bower of the people which IS
delegated TO governments is limited in
It's nelG OF conscious activity much as
the conscious activity of the individual
Is limited. There is beyond govern
mental direction and beneath govern
mental activity a performance of Iunc-
tons which is TO sthe. social BODY wha-
the vital processes are TO the individual
body. a nation that would place all
industrial activities under governments
al direction and control would be like
an individual in which all the functions
or the BODY were under mental dreC-
ton and control. and his lungs heart
kidneys. liver, spleen. etc. would not
perform their respective functions un-
less Impeiied to do SO. Il IS evident that
II all the functions of the body were
under mental direction. life would bs
impossible, and q nation that would
place all Industrial activities under gov
ernmental direction would break down
from oYeTWork.
The point where government should
assume control and management is
where natural monopolies make free
competition fmpOSSiDle-a point ana
ioEous TO that which in the individual
separate the conscious from the In-
conscious activities
The stability and purity OF govern
ment. the peTpetuity of free Institutions.
the progress of civilization and the pros
Derity and happiness OF all classes OF
people demand the abolition of land
monopoly and the assumption by the
State OF all enterprises that involve
monopoly.
II. F. AIONAHAN.