, 1906-05-04
SOCIALISM.
Publie VS.. priyate monopoIy:

/. Public VS.. private monopoly.
Socialism is o a theory; it is a des-
tiny. 1t is argued with impregnable
force by scientific socialists that social
ism is inevitable. First in h order OF
working force was slavery. in which
there was master and slave; then serf-
dom, in which there was lord and vas
sal; and finally capitalism, in which
there is employer nj embloye, prob
ably the worst of the three. We VIII
ness the growth and dominance of the
trusts, the great concentration of cap
ital, the destruction of competition by
these means, and the creation OF mo
nopolies in every department of hu-
man activity. AS vas prophesied by
Karl Marx forty years ago, and by Ed
ward Bellamy twenty years ago, the
trusts have come and have practically
absorbed the business of the country
and of the world. This is the last pro
cess of the growth of capitalism, and
it is the precursor of its fall. 1t is In
as now existent shall continue. By the
imperative logic of events, socialism
will be forced upon the people. The
industries of the country are socialized
now, and We have socialism as to pro-
duction. Competition is utterly des-
troyed and monopoly reigns and will
continue until this private monopoly
gives way, as it must give way, to pub
lie monopoly. The issue then before
us is not SO much socialism against cap
italism, not socialism against indiyid-
ualism, but in reality, public monopoly
against private monopoly. In this great
conflict o upon us, with no escape
from it, it is easy to predict the result
that public monopoly will win as 1t
ought to win.
The old republican principle, "the
greatest good to the greatest number
surely never meant that the last analy-
sis should reveal that number to be
number one" 1t is estimated beyond
cavil and denial that an hundred men
control the financial destinies of the re-
public, and this means that all power
and all authority are in their hands,
lOI hc ldhto my llle VIM tdhCo biS
means whereby l live.' Disguise it as
we will, push away the hideous thing
that ever intrudes upon the public
gaze as much as We will, the plain
truth remains that all power, all gov
eminent, all laws, all decisions of the
courts, all movements of the army and
the navy, nearly all matters of the ed
ucation of the young in school, col
leges and universities, much of the
preachments of the pulpit, in short, al,
most all the movements o. society, are
controlled and swayed by the Standard
Oil and kindred trusts. We are bound
to attack, not men, but the system a
system hat has usurped the govern,
ment and raised its impudent front in
the path of All progress that does not
advance it's interests. 1t has well been
said that If Mr.. Rockefeller were out of
the way, there would bob up serenely
from below another teller quite as
rocky" So, it is futile to attempt to
fight individuals and We must attack
the system of Doodle and plumber that
has ground labor under its iron heel
and has laid tribute upon all of the
people. Either We must trust to those
gentlemen who have fattened under
class legislation to ecure for us a be-
nevolent f%eudalism, wherein We shall
be gently and wisely governed per
haps," or the people must have their
own. The door of opportunity is shut
against the young and ambitious, who
seek to win fortune and honor, and
none realize it as well as the young
sters. It remains to be seen if a few
shall have the steady income which
flows from safe investments absorbed
by the wealthy, with superior knowl
edge and organization who have the
cream and leave to the mass of man.
kind the skim-mllk.
We socialists do not believe that the
dollar should efface the man. We dc
not believe that a chosen few were ere
ated on purpose, and that all mankind
with these exceptions we're spawned by
accident. Ito be continued
H. V. S .GROESBECK.
cn0Nh IIO~IN $3.50 -