Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-12-18

lIIdil ldHlllt ana NOuIu destroy IL NeI'
their dangerous doctrines permitted t,
prevail. The socialists, on the con
trary, are seeking to save mankin'
from the degradation. the crime nnt
the folly into which such men as 20,
have driven It,"
She spoke impctuously, with the in
spircd cXaltatiOn of Il prophet deliver
in: message to the people. Ryder
listened, concea!ing his impatienct
with uneasy little coughs.
Yes" she went on, Il am social
!st. AMI am proud Of 1t. The whole
world Is slowly drifting toward social
Ism as the only remedy for the actua
intulcrable conditions. 1t may no,
come in our time but 1t will come as
surely rs the sun will rise and set to
moIrow. Has not the flag Of socialism
waved recently from the White House
Has not president OF the United
States declared that the state must
eventually curb the great fortunes
What Is that but socialism"
True" rctorted Ryder grimly. land
that little speech intended for the ben
eiit Of the gallery will cost him the
nomination at the next presidential
election. We don't want In the White
House q president who stirs up class
hatred. Our rich men have a right tt
what Is their own. That Is guaranteed
them by the constitution"
us It their ownW interrupted Shir
ley.
Ryder ignored the insinuation and
proceeded:
What Of our boosted free institu
lions II man Is to be restricted IL
what he may and may not do! II
am clever enough to accumulate mil
lions, who can stop mer'
1.-The people will stop you" said
Shirley calmly. at Is only question
OF time. Their patience Is about ex'
hausted. Put your ear to the ground
and listen to the distant rumbling OF
the tempest which, sooner or later, Will
be unclaimed III this land. provoked 10y
the Ubiquitous practices OF organized
capital The people have had enough
Of the extortions Of the trusts. One
day they will rise in their wrath and
seize by the throat this knavish plu
tOcracy which. confident In the power
Of Its wealth to procure legal immu-
nifty and reckless OF Its danger, per
sists In robbing the public daily. But
retribution Is at hand. The growing
discomfort Of the proletariat. the ever
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 whiting on the wall. The capitals
tic system Is doomed; socialism will
succeed it."
What Is socialism," he demanded
scornfully. What will 1t give the
public that 1t has not got already"
Shirley. who never neglected an Op'
pOrtunity to make convert, no mat
ter how hardened he might be. picked
up n little pamphlet printed for propa'
ganda purposes which she had that
morning received by mail.
Here" she said. rs one OF the best
and clearest definitions OF socialism
have ever read:
Socialism Is common ownership OF
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. "a
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 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. II
Is the government of the people. by thu
people and for the people. not In the
present restricted sense, but as regards
oil 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, moi
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
workmanship and adulterations; 1t will
secure the real utility Of things. Use
not exchange, will be the object Of Ia
Dor. Things will he made to serve
not to sell. Socialism will Danish war
for private ownership is back Of strife
between men. Socialism will purity
politics. for private capitalism is the
great source Of political corruption
Socialism will make for education. In
ventiOn and discovery: 1t will stimu
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
cluded. rs socialism,
Ryder shrugged his shoulders ant
rose to 60.
Delightful" he said ironically, "bu
in my judgment wholly utopian and
impracticable. It's nothing but q 81
gantic pipe dream. 1t won't come ir
this generation. nor in ten generations
=. indeed. II Is ever taken seriously BY
majority big enough to put its the
cries to the test. Socialism does mo-
take into account two great factors
that move the world-men's passions
and human ambition. II you eliminate
ambition you remove the strongest In
centive to individual effort. From you,
own accOuD: q socialistic world would
be a dreadfully tame place to live in
everybody depressingly good. without
any Of the feverish turmoil Of life al
we know It. Such a world would moi
appeal to me at all. love the fray
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