The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-07-30
SOCIALISM IN PRACTICE.
An 0bject-Lesson Given by n Colony Il
Washington.

Editor National Tribune: OF all the
evils that need remedy Socialism ap-
pears to me to be the most dangerous.
1t has proven itself to be failure
wherever 1t has been tried. Take the
case of Equality Colony. in Skagit Coun-
| ty, Wash, and in passing let me say
that so far as l have been able to gath
er data the history of each and every
colony of the kind seems to have shown
| practically the same ignominious fail
ure. Here Cat Equality was band of
men and women, all Socialists. trying
| to work out the Socialist theory, and
| yet seemed unable to agree on scarcely
single point. They quarreled and
fought and were often before the courts.
and some of them were sent to Jail.
They ultimately divided into two fac
tions, and later came to a pitched bat
tie in an assembly meeting, where clubs.
stovewood, slingshots, brickbats and
coaloil lamps were the weapons in play
From this they again went before the
court, and. in fact, stayed there till the
final close-out, thus dissipating thou
sands of dollars of the colony property.
| That was made up in part by fees of
the various members and in part by
contributions to the cause from sympa-
thizers in nearly or quite every State in
the Union. This was not all. By rea-
son of the rancor engendered the fine
and capacious colony barn was set on
fire and entirely consumed, together
with its valuable contents. consisting of
20 head of cows and their calves, sew
eral work horses and IS tons of hay,
beside other valuable property: also a
large root house filed to bursting with
the products.of colony labor on colony
soil. The colony, which had numbered
as many as 300 members. became re-
duced to no more than 40, went into
the hands of a receiver and the place
that once knew Equality Colony knows
1t no more forever. Yet Socialists tell
us that Socialism will do away with all
war and strife. They claim that doing
away with private ownership will put
an end to all theft. as mo one would
steal from himself" as he is a full part
ner in the public ownership plan, and
yet every bit of loose property in Equal
ity, whether personal or public. had to
be kept under lock and key. and even
this did not always insure its safety.
When Socialists are told of these COL
ony failures they usually say. "Oh, well,
that was not Socialism; that was only
an experiment" But when those colo-
nists were radical Socialists, and with
no outside interference and under most
favorable circumstances, failed in the
working out of their experiments, how
can they expect to make it work IN the
Nation and under more adverse cir
cumstances? They claim that Social
ism viii show perfect Government
the highest ideal. etc, and the deduc-
ton can Only be that progress will for
ever cease; that a majority vote for
Socialism will at once usher in the
millennium of peace, happiness and
prosperity.
We will say there are 5000, 900 vot-
ers in these United States. and of this
number 100000 should vote for Social
ism; the opposing 100000 will ex-
perience so sudden change of heart
as to place the day of Pentecost entirely
in the shade. There will be no more
parties or factions to oppose each other.
The property owners will gladly sur
render houses and lands. and, in fact
all kinds of private property to the So
claiistic Commonwealth, and be con-
tent to share all with the idle and
worthless.
Their speakers tell us that they ex-
pect thus ito eradicate all evil and to |
Danish selfishness from the human
heart" They voice this aphorism, "AIl |
wealth is produced by labor" and He /
who will not work neither Shall he eat"
Their term work" seems to apply to |
manual labor only, and the banker, the |
and all professional men who |
labor with their brains do not create
wealth" They tell us that every days
labor produces nearly $40 worth of
wealth, of which the laborer receives
but about one-fourth and the other
is absorbed by capitalism;
but under Socialism there will be no
dividing up" If you ask them what
they propose to do with the wealth of
the capitalist, some of them fatty adj
NIT that they intend to distribute the
wealth of the rich among the poor;
others will say, mo. that would not be
Just; we will take it over for the Com
but will pay them for it,"
This pay must be in labor checks, as
vile money has no place in Socialism.
But in that case Rockefeller and others
Of the hated rich could live at their
ease, also their children after them, and
De plentifully fed by the produce of the
We are told that the laborer
gets "all the wealth he produces under
Socialism," and does not have to divide