The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-09-04


increasing strikes and labor disputes
of all kinds, the clamor against the
railroads and the trusts, the evidence
Of collision between bOth-all this Is
the writing on the wall The capitals
tic system is doomed; socialism VIII
succeed IT,"
"What is socialism," he demanded
scornfully. what will 1t give the
public that It has not got alreadyT
Shirley. who never neglected an OPP
portunity to make convert. no mat
ter how hardened he might be, picked
I'D a little pamphlet printed for propa-
ganda purposes which she had that
morning received by mail.
Here" she said. sis one of the best
and clearest definitions OF socialism 1
have ever read:
Socialism is common ownership or
natural resources and public utilities
and the common operation of all In
dustries for the general good. Social
ism is opposed to monopoly, that is, to
private ownership of land and the in
struments of labor, which is indirect
ownership of men; to the wages sys-
tenn, by which labor is legally robbed
Of a large part of the product Of labor;
to competition with its enormous waste
Of effort and its opportunities for the
spoliation of the weak by the strong.
Socialism is Industrial democracy. 1t
is the government of the people, by the
people and for the people, not in the
present restricted sense, but as regards
all the common interests of men. So
cialism Is opposed to oligarchy and
monarchy, and therefore to the tyran-
MES Of business cliques and money
kings. Socialism is for freedom, not
only from the fear Of force, but from
the fear Of want. Socialism proposes
real liberty, not merely the right to
vote, but the liberty to live for some
thing more than meat and drink.
Socialism is righteousness in the
relations Of men. 1t is based on the
fundamentals of religion, the Father
hood Of God and the brotherhood of
men. 1t seeks through association and
equality to realize fraternity. Social
ism Will destroy the motives which
make for cheap manufacturers, poor
workmanship and adulterations; 1t will
secure the real utility of things. Use.
not exchange, will be the object of la
| Dor. Things will be made to serve,
not to sell. Socialism will Danish war,
| for private ownership is back Of strife
between men. Socialism will purify
politics, for private capitalism is the
great source of political corruption.
Socialism will make for education, in
vention and discovery; 1t will stlmu-
late the moral development of men.
Crime will have lost most of its mo-
tive, and pauperism will have no ex-
cuse. That" said Shirley as she con-
Guided, lis socialism,
Ryder shrugged his shoulders and
rose to go.
Delightful" he said ironically, "but
In my judgment wholly utopian and
| impractlcable. It's nothing but a gu
gantic pipe dream. 1t won't come In
this generation, nor in ten generations,
If, indeed, 1t is ever taken seriously by
majority big enough to put its the
cries to the test Socialism does not
take into account two great factors
that move the wOrld-men's passions
and human ambition. If you eliminate
ambition you remove the strongest In
centive to individual effort. From your
own account a sociallstic world would
be dreadfully tame place to live In
everybody depresslngly good. without
any Of the feverish turmoil of life as
we know 1t. Such a world would not
appeal to me at all l love the fray,
the daily battle OF gain and loss, the
excitement Of making or losing mil
lions. That Is my llfer'
"Yet what good is your money 10
your insisted Shirley. You are able
to spend only an infnltesimal part of
It. You cannot even give it away. for
J nobody will have any of It."
Money! he Kissed rather than
spoke. 81 hate money. 1t means moth
ing to me. have 80 much that 1 have
lost all idea Of its value. go on accu-
mulating IL for only one purpose. 1t
buys power. love pOwer-that is my
passion, my ambition, to rule the world
with my gold. Do you know" he went
on, leaning over the desk In a dra-
matte attitude, that II chose could
start a panic In Wall street tomorrow
that would shake to. their foundations
every nnancrn INSTITUTION III inc cvtnI-
try? Do you know that 1 practically
control the congress OF the United
States and that no legislative measure
becomes law unless it has my APP
provalT
"The public has long suspected as
much" replied Shirley. "That is why
you are looked upon as a menace to
the stability and honesty of our polit-
lcal and commercial life"
An angry answer rose to his lips,
when the door opened and Mrs. Ryder
entered.
"I've been looking for you, john"
she said peevishly. "Mr. Bagley told
me you were somewhere In the house.
Senator Roberts is downstairs"
"Hes come about Jefferson and his
daughter, 1 suppose" muttered Ryder.