, 1906-05-08
JUDGE GRoEsBECKs NO. /

there appeared an article from Ii pen
of Judge Groesbeck, the first Of n series
upon socialism. 1t Is hoped that the
articles may be continued from week
to week.
IL is n matter of some regret that
Judge G~roesbeck did not state clearly
the platform of his organization at the
outset, in order that there might be
something tangible from which to draw
conclusions, but as he has not seer fit
to do so, 1t will be necessary to take
him upon the ground he has chosen, at
the same time briefly referring to the
demands" of the socialists as set forth
by such men as Marx, Debs, Gorky,
Sinclair and others.
In the Judges first articl the man
of straw which he sets up and pro
ceeds to knock down is the trusts,
which he alleges have monopolized all
the products of the country and must
in the working out of the destiny alleg-
ed to be inevitable, be superseded by
public monopoly or ownership by the
government. That is, the government
would own and control all the means
of production and distribution. This
would make It necessary for the gov
eminent to choose the men to do all
the different classes of work and to
say just what they should receive for
it. AS there would be no incentive to
earn more than one could use up from
day to day, the government making all
provision for the future, there would
be no struggle for perfection, no COM
petition to attain excellence in the per-
Torrance of work. Indeed. ~favorites
of the men in power who were inferior
workmen might be placed over those
of skill and greater ability. Men who
did not bend the pregnant hinges of
the knee" would be made to feel the
stern arm of the driver from above.
This matter of selection is n we have
never had the pleasure of hearing
Judge Groesbeck or any other socialist
explain in a satisfactory manner Who
is to do 1t and how is 1t to be done?
Will the leaders be elected and will
they bride the voters by pledges relat-
ing to preferred work or will some one
serve as by divine right, in the manner
that Noyes, Dowie, Brigham Young
and other notables have lorded 1t over
poor deluded mortals?
In the matter of dress, it has been
pointed out by many socialists that
there is an excessive waste under the
present order of society and that an
immense saving could be made by hay
ing all clothes made alike and of some
cheap but strong material, This plan
would of course be a money-saver. The
Shakers adopted this sort of an ar
rangement. but il was not satisfactory
to the people and the society proved a
failure. 1t was only held together by
religious fanaticism. Think of all the
women wearing the same kind of hats
and dresses and all the men wearing
exactly the same kind of clothes. And,
again, it would be- unfair to give one
person more than another, and how
would the boy who wears out two pairs
of trousers while his playmate is wear
ing out n get along? With the same
kind of clothes. the same pay and moth
ing in life 10 be aimed at so far as the
individual is concerned, would we lapse
into that state recently described by
an author: THE citnzens are dressed
alike; they have no names. but are
known only by numbers: no distinction
to speak of is made between men ana
women; marriages are arranged by the
state; work is assigned by lot, and the
most stringent laws are enacted to re-
strain personal enthusiasm Indeed
anyone asserting anvthing Ike the
rights n preferences of an individual
is guilty of the most horrible crime of
ALL"
Turning again to the mopopoly
charge by the Judge. is it not a fact
that there are IL 900 900 people in the
United States who own farms and arr
individualists to the highest degree
are they controlled in their labor ant
'neir riSn's oy lhe 100 straw men
VINO AVE oeen set up as bugaboos II
.he opening argument! And If sociaI
ism were adopted, how would the MAJ
vi genius De taken care of? Withou
the Individual incentive now held on
TO all young men n young women
would not the standard be greatly low,
cred? Would not there be a continual
grading down to the poorest workman
and the weakest citizen, rather than
a grading up TO the highest standards
In lie, as under the present social con-