The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-03-06
Editorials by tie People.
Join Hands for Cooperative Com
monwealth.


Join Hands for a Cooperative Com
monwealth.
To the Editor of The Times. In your
issue OF Feb. 25, A. w. Hinebaugh. OF
Homer, says that Marx and Norris la
order 70 carry out their stupendous
task. must eliminate from human ma
ture the avarice, selhshness and rapa-
city which now denominates IT, Also
that he understands socialism TO mean
an equal division OF property and a
substitution OF association for competi-
ton. He then states that he will be
glad recipient OF any Information
that would make plain TO him how
such a condition could exist while
some men have propensity for ac-
cumulating wealth and others arc
spendthrifts.
i VIII answer his last proposition.
first, by saying that no person living
can give him the required information.
An equal division of property, to be
individually owned, has never been
advocated by any true Socialist.
Should an equal distribution of all
property be made this coming season
IL would be but short time before
great many paupers and few mil
lionarles would exist again as they do
today. The Socialist contends for
collective ownership of all property by
all the people, somewhat as the prop
erty or the postoffice department af
our government Is now In collective
ownership. A dozen postmasters In
county cannot sell their postofiices
to an individual and let him get a
monopoly of the postoffice business
In said county. Neither can the sew
eral school boards OF a county sell the
school houses and other educational
property TO an individual and thus
give him monopoly OF the education
al industry. So II the people q do not
like to say government, because wo
have not a government by the peo-
ple) own the railroads, telegraph and
telephone lines, steel mills, mines and
in fact, all industries where men arc
employed for wages, this ownership
would always exist. unless lost by tho
downfall OF the nation, and the COM
| parative wealth OF individuals would
thus remain at an equilibrium. Add
to this the initiative, referendum, and
recall OF public servants lsome call
them ofiicers), there can be no doubt
that an equitable distribution of the
fruits OF productive labor would soon
| be established.
The census of 1900 gives us infor-
nation that the average result OF
productive industry per capitt was
somewhat more than $2,400 estimated
at manufacturers prices. BY the
time these goods reach the consumer
under existing competitive processes
of distribution they will be said TO be
worth at retail about $4,000. Now,
were this wealth collectively produced
and equitably distributed, the profit
system OF distribution having been
abolished, all people would be in COM
| Portable circumstances and avarice,
selfishness and rapacity would soon
vanish.
These elements OF avarice, selfish
ness and rapacity IL Astounding In an
/ individual TO any great extent Will
soon brand him so that he may ne
easily distinguished from his fellow
man. One class will carry the brand
OF millionaire, the other the brand or
criminal, both more or less deeply
branded owing to the condition Of the
rind OF the subject.
| Yet those possessed OF these traits
are more to be commiserated than
blamed, for they are but the out
groupings of perverted nature-per-
verted through the necessity OF hay
ing to fight ones way clear of the
poor house. Neat cattle kept on q
Michigan farm, where they are usual
| ly cramped In their rations, are ra-
| pacious. the stronger ones fighting
for more than their share, and the
weaker ones showing the result o.
such treatment; but on a western
ranch, where they have broad pas
tares ia summer and plenty of feed
in winter the farmer seldom sees ope
animal fight another. So let us quit
| fighting each other and join hands
for cooperative commonwealth.
NEAL ID. BENSON.
Beulah, Mich, March 4, 1908.