The Owosso times., 1908-11-13

fact, we want each man TO get Jus.
what he earns through his own efforts
and no more. If man earns So a day,
then give IL to him. II he earns $40,
give him that. But we would assert
that one man who does inferior work
to another should not get the same
pay."-Morris Brown.
1t Is unfortunate that President
Roosevelt worded his remarks so that
tifcation Of socialism and communism.
He undoubtedly is well aware that,
while all communists are Socialists,
few American Socialists are commu-
nists. 1t is perfectly evident that what
he was protesting against was the doc
trine that all workers should receive
the same pay without regard to the
quality Of their work. This doctrine
is repudiated by Morris Brown and
also by Warren Atkinson, who, in a
lengthy rejoinder to President Roose-
welt, says:
"The answer Is simple and conclu-
sive to this question, how to determine
the pay in the Industrial republic-just
as we do 1t now. The Socialist party
has never proposed to determine the
relative pay for different kinds of work
in any different way from the way In
which 1t Is determined now by the or
dinary action Of supply and demand"
This answer is not ingenious. Mr..
Atkinson knows very well that the
Socialist party platform by no means
fully represents the ideals Of the party.
1t was toned down to catch votes
the votes of those who have something
to lose, either Of property or skill, and
are therefore more conservative than
those to whom any leveling process
would involve bettorment Of condi-
tions-the unskilled, the incompetent
and the thriftless.
The appeal that socialism makes to
this latter class will be found in its
papers and pamphlets rather than in
its platform. If we turn to these we
shall find that the "proletarians," as
the Socialists delight to call them, are
asked to vote for socialism because It
puts all men on plane Of earning
equality-one days pay for one days
work, and all work, with some excep-
tons, to count as Of equal value. Even
the exceptions favor the ..'proletarian,"
for the suggestion Is that workers
In unattractive employments, miners,
stOkers etc., shall work only one-third
or one-fourth as many hours per day
as doctors, teachers, etc.-in other
words, that premium shall be placed
on ignorance and that skill and ability
shall be penalized. In proof of these
statements the following quotations
are made from three typical Socialist
pamphlets, at least two of which are
specially recommended by the most
prominent Socialist organ In this com
try:
"Now, note that the reason for dis-
ferent degrees Uf remuneration Is due
to the fact that the grades above CON-
mon labor need to be compensated fo-
years of apprenticeship and study
given to qualification. But 1t Is certain
that after socialism has been In opera
ton few years, and artisans and pro-
fessional men were supported by So
ciety during their years Of qualifica-
ton, then another rule would be ap-
plicable. The ratio of differentiation
would gradually diminish until all
labor would receive equal remunera-
tion FOR equal labor performed. Eco
nomlc equality is the ideal. 1t will
ultimately be attained.
"For every days labor q certificate
would be issued against the wealth
created, which would enable the la
borer to exchange the note for the
product or for any other commodity
containing q like amount of labor
time" me"-"Principles of Scientific Social
ism," by Rev. Charles H. Vail.
Socialists demand that when one
does q days labor he shall be given
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