Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-08-09
PUBLIC ownership


to be impressed by the growing sentiments
in favor of the doctrine of public owner
ship of public utilities.
A few years ago it was considered a
sufficient argument against this doctrine to
denounce it as rank socialism and conorary
to the spirit Of democratic institutions.
But conditions change, and within the
last few years great many things have
come to pass that were not contemplated by
the founders of our governments.
Unless government can successfully
meet the new conditions that continually
arise in the progress of the race, it must
fall and give place to something that is
equal to she occs on.
In youthful stage of society, there 's
nothing better than individualism.
1t is an ideal state of freedom, and where
farming, manufacturing and all the various
industries that go to make up state OF
civilization are carried on Independently
and on a small scale, there is chance for
every man
But by industry and self denial it is pos
sible for society TO produce faster than it
consumes.
This surplus product is wealth, and as it
accumulates, society becomes more COM
plex, individual freedom of action grad
ually disappears, and each one becomes a
part of the vast social and industrial ma
chine that results from the accumulation of
wealth.
By combining this accumulated surplus
industrial undertakings become possible
shat canuot be carried on under the indi-
vidual system, and labor thereby becomes
more effective and produces a greater sur
plus.
But the great majority of peop e do not
possess the faculty of eeculatiug wealth.
The average individual will eisher ex-
change the surplus products of his labor
for something to increase his comfort and
CRAFTY his taste for luxury, or will indulge
in idleness until his surplus is consumed.
Hence the minority, in whom avarice IS
more prominent, will not only hold on 70
their own share OF the surplus, but event.
ually become possessed of the share of the
majority
AS natural result the short-sighted and
improvident majority are eventually
brought down to state of industrial serf-
dom, and the surplus products Of their
labor are appropriated BY the wealthy
minority.
As this process goes on the concentration
Of wealth becomes more marked, the gap
between the two classes grows wider and
wider until there is small class on one
hand who practically own everything in the
country, while on the other hand the great
majority are in chronic state of want and
misery.
This has been the course Of all the great
nations Of antiquity, and has eventually
been the cause of their downfall.
Persia perished when one per cent. of the
people owned all the land. Egyt went
down when two per cent. owned ninety
seven hundredths Of all the wealth. Baby
lon died when two per cent. Of her popula-
tion owned all the wealth, and Rome ex-
pired when 1900 men possessed the known
world.
The United States is rapidly running the
same course that these nations run, and
unless we profit from the lessons of the past,
our fate will not be different from theirs.
One Of the chief functions Of government is
to protsct the industrious and self denying
in the possession Of their savings.
But if the government is to stand, it must
exercise another function, and that is to
prevent the accumulation of all the prop
erty in the hands of few, and keep the
avenues of production open to all
This is not a question Of ethics, but one
of natlonal self-preservation, and the ex-
isbence of our government depends upon
its solution,
Organized labor is becoming very we'll
able to take care Of itself.
Through macy failures the workingmen
havs learned that it is only through united
action that they can demand a reasonable
share Of the product Of their labor.
But organized industrial capital is able
to recoup all losses by adding any increase
in the cost Of production to the selling
price.
Hence any increase that organized labor
is able to wrest from capital, eventually
falls upon the unorganized consumers who
are thus ground between the upper mill
stone Of capital and she lower milestone Of
labor.
We're it possible for the consumers to
organize the result would be dead lock,
and neither class would be able to appro-
pirate greater share at the expense Of the
others.
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