The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-09-07
UNLOADING
SOCIALISM
RICH "RED SHIRT" SAYS RUSH
TO UNLOAD ON THE Gov
EMINENT HAS ALREADY
STARTED ECONOMIC REv0-
LUTON.

J. G. Phelps-Stokes, New York,
one of the prominent figures in the
socialistic propaganda in America.
addressed an audience here Sun
day afternoon, that filled the Spo-
kane theater. Mr.. Stokes as an
orator does not possess magnetic
fire, but held the attention of his
audience during his talk of two
hours. In the assemblage were
hundreds of republicans and demo
Gratis, attracted, as one socialist
remarked, by the report that the
speaker was millionaire. Mr..
Stokes confined himself largely to
presentation of facts pertaining to
present day conditions as he saw
them and was much less radical
than many socialist speakers.
The most important point
brought out by Stokes was the
manner in which he concluded So
cialism Will eventually come. He
said it would be gradual process
of unloading of industrial enter
prises on the government. He ad-
mitted that there was good in the
movement now abroad in the land
to control and regulate corpora
tons. He said the acquisition of
public utilities by municipalities
and the gradual regulation of the
rates of railway companies by the
states has already caused many
far-seeing financiers to read the
handwriting on the wall and make
an effort to unload while they had
. chance to get good figures for
their holdings. The government
will gradually expand its industrial
activities and take over one line of
industry after another. The start
may be slow at first, he said, but
It Is bound to increase as people
find they can run their own bust
ness better than some corporation
can run 1t for them. The speaker
said the general introduction of So
cialism may come through
bloody revolution. but he hoped
such would not be the case and
thought more peaceable means
would be employed.
Mr.. Stokes spoke at some length
on the business conditions of the
vi
GUS denial of the allegation of
general prosperity. He said the
average annual wage paid in the
$4,000 industries of the nation is
$47S. This includes everybody
from the president of the steel
trust down. When the calculation
Is reduced to the basis of the
actual worker the average wage
falls to about $500 per year. He
said $500 per year is expended in
interest, dividends and incidentals
nom the total amount of wealth
created by each worker, while
only $47S is paid in wages.
Mr.. Stoves did not bring his
wife with him, as had been an
nounced but left her in charge of
his campaign for election as a
legislator for one of the eastside
tenement districts in New York
city. Mrs. Stokes Is a power on
the platform in the tenement dis
tricts of New York. She is of Rus
sian birth, cigarmaker by trade
until she met her husband while |
both We're engaged in settlement
work in the great metropolis. Mr.,
Stokes is reputed to be million
aire, but pleads not guilty to this
charge. He said he makes his liv
ing by lecturing and literary work,
princely income. Stokes adj
mitted that he was the president
of one corporation and an officer
in two others, but added that the
revenues derived from these
sources was given to furthering
the cause of socialism and In aid
of the poor.
Stokes arrival in Spokane was
marked by socialistic simplicity.
No reception committee or brass
band was out to meet him, and he
presented himself at the theater a
few minutes before the speaking
began with the brief announcement
that 81 am Comrade Stokes" The
ministers of the city had been in
vited to come and hear the speak
er, but only three responded, Rev.
G. William Giboney, Rev. Mr..
Dunn of the United Presbyterian
church, and Rev. c. f. Stevens,
Fred II. Moore presided over the
meeting and Dadame DIETRICH