Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-02-22
Socialism.

Ed. Regl5ter :-Cardlndl GlDDOnS'
argument against Socialism would
certainly be unanswerable if the
Cardinal had stated the case prop
erly; but like almost all such
arguments, Socialism is never ap-
preached. On the contrary, a
straw man is set up and then the
creator of the straw man proceeds
to demolish his own handiwork,
leaving the real thing untouched.
The Cardinal supposes some
thing that is not, and never has
been, contemplated by Socialists,
viz: the diuision Of capital. Let us
suppose a case: John Doe, Rich
ard Roe, yourself and number of
others are employed on a large
farm owned by John D. Wander
gould; and suppose you looked
through the books and found that
while Mr.. Vandergould received
five dollars revenue from the farm
for every employe daily, he re-
turned to said employe only one
dollar in wages. Then suppose
you found, on further investiga-
ton, that Vandergould spent all
his time in Europe and that you
and your fellows really did all that
was done to create the five dollars
each, and that if you owned the
farm the full earnings thereof
would be yours. Then suppose
that further investigation revealed
the most important fact of all, that
by uniting your efforts you could
purchase the farm and after few
years have it paid for and free
from debt, and receive, instead of
one dollar per day, the full earn
ings of the farm, which amounted
to five dollars each. Don't you
think John Doe and Richard Roe
would be chumps if they didn't do
it? That is Socialism, Bro. AXE;
and it is spelled corporation.
Formerly the world thought it
couldn't get on without kings and
emperors, but Jefferson thought
that by corporation in politics we
could eliminate the crowns; and
Jefferson was right. Now many of
us think the kings and captains of
industry can be successfully elimi-
mated, land we are going to make
the experiment. We are opposed
by many honest people; so was
Jefferson. Corporation in in
dustry, or in other words, the in
dustries democratically managed
for the benefit of all. All who?
All those engaged in the industries.
Socialism does not contemplate
an equal distribution of property !;
it does not contemplate an equal
distribution of proceeds of labor.
What it does contemplate is equal
remuneration for an equal numbe
of hours labor, and an equal
opportunity to obtain employment.
Certain men have gone into
partnership with the politicians,
giving the offices to the politicians
on condition that they, the poll
ticians, enact laws enabling them,
the partners, to rob the people.
They have been caught red-hand-
ed with the loot. Does the gov
ernment try to recover the stolen
goods? If not, why not? If |
steal your horse and sell him, and
he be resold a thousand times, and
you find him and prove your prop
erty you may recover your horse.
Then why should the people not
recover from the Rockefellers, the
Armours, the Swifts, and others
who have been robbing the peo-
pie for years? Don't the people
know it? Don't the courts know
it? Don't the government know
it? The answer is obvious. It is
known of all men. And when the
government is hard pressed it ap-
points commission to investigate
and the people are further mulcted
to pay the cost.
You know these statements are
true. The REGISTER has repeated
ly placed these facts before its
readers, and all these abuses have
grown up under the very noses ot
a free people. And you have nc
remedy, no programme, except
that old one SO badly frayed al
the elbows: cote oar qUay; uote 70,
good men. Why, Bro. AXE, did
you ever know any number oi
sensible, honest men, voting fol
scoundrels knowingly?
The Democratic party has re-
peatedly stood for direct legisla-
ton, but up to date not one Demo
cratic State has enacted such a
- L.