Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-15
SOCIALISTS TALK
J. C. Phelps Stokes and Wife at
 City Hall.

James Graham, Phelps Stokes and
 Mrs Stokes talked on socialism at
 City hall last night before a big an' dience, Mrs Ella Reeves Bloor pre- sided. After an explanation of what socialism is doing in other countries, MT Stokes talked of its influence at home and predicted great things for | it in the future. Socialism," he said, 'does not come to destroy either private prop erty or capital. The accumulation of ones savings and the enjoyment of the fruits of ones labors is regard- ed alike >by the American people and the socialists everywhere as one of the moving incentives in life. There is only one type of private ownership to which we are opposed and that we oppose vigorously; and that is the private ownership of wealth, or of values by individuals who have had no share in it's production. Socialism does not demand an immediate di- vision of wealth. It does not insane ly attack capital; it is opposed only to the improper use of capital ill the hands of men who act not for the good of the people. The socialists realize," continued MT Stokes, ''tlle immense value of capital too well to demand its abolishment; they realize fully how capital is, to-day, absolute ly essential for production. Nor does o;o1; 1;e,,, fe.I fn hn1 cl, y1- ership from the social system.
 All wealth is the product of hu- man labor. Wealth taken without giv- ing something in return is a private tax. Whenever such a tax is levied, it is an unjust tax. Our revolution of 1775 was one against such an un- just tax. In our modern life, in our industrial system is tax vastly more grevious The workers are taxed for about one-half of the wealth which they produce to support those who do nothing. The census tabulations of the United States show that three- fifths of our wealth of production is used for raw material, machinery, etc, and of the remaining, two-fifths rep resenting new wealth, one-half goes to those who do no work. These are conditions of slavery.
 By producers I mean every man who works, be it behind desk or at manual work in a shop. These pro- ducers in the United States get, on an average, only $500 per man. This is counting the desk workers, managers, etc, some of whom get as high as S50,O00 down to the lowest paid work man. The American worker produces $2,5OO in wealth per year. Of this, $5O0 is used for the wear and tear of machinery, etc, $500 for raw ma terial, S1.000 for non-workers' divi- dends and only $500 to the producer. Interests and dividends are unjust. They are a forced taking of money from producers. People who get these dividends do not render any ser vice in return"
 The speaker closed with a lucid explanation of the aims of socialism, after which Mrs Stokes was intrO- duced and gave her version of social ism. She had not gone far until she made it plain that she is quite famil- far with the theme and not only knows the evils that beset society, but has the remedy and wants 1t ap- piled. She would abolish poverty by removing the cause. The remedy Is socialism, which denies a certain number of men to hold and control all the good things in this world. She considered it strange that in all work ing centers you find slums. Ono would naturally think that those who toll regularly would enjoy some of the comforts of life. but this is not the case. the toiler being face to face most of the time with starvation. while the man who never turns a hand lives in luxury and ease. Mrs Stokes made an earnest appeal. to her hearers to he just so that if they deem socialism for the best interest of man. kind they should support it at the polls.