Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-29
HERE'S AN ANSWER
To General Survey Socialism By he Committee of Social
 lists of ihe Waterbury Branch.
Editor Evening Democrat:

the tremendous growth of social ism-but at the very outset shows that he has utterly failed to grasp the meaning of the socialist philos- ophy. Either through ignorance, or desire to mislead his first
 argument against "equaliZing men and conditions" falls very fiat; as all men who have studied the sci ence of socialism clearly compre- bend that the idea, or principle, of all men being equal has never
 been a part of socialism. On the
 contrary the principle, that each
 man should receive the full value of what he produces, is one of the fun damental propositions advanced by socialism. Some men produce much more wealth than others, but all working men are robbed of the prO> fits of their labor. Idle men who never produce anything are living in luxury, because others, men, wo- men and little children, are toiling for them in the mines, the mills, and the factories.
 The system under which We live to-day fosters such condition. We call it the system of private own- ership, of the means of production, that is to say. The tools of produc- tion are owned by men who do not use them, but the men who do use them in order to live must neces- sarily be completely at the mercy of the men who own them. Own them because other men have la bored for him or his ancestors.
 toll ho@ the average wage of the American working man is $437.00 per year. The average amount of wealth pro- duced by the average worker s2,- 450.00. The difference, s1,963, represents the tribute the workers pay to the capitalists, distributing products as We do. under this sys- tenn through so many unnecessary channels. because of their ownership of the tools of production and the means of distribution of wealth.
 Many parasites of the capitalist system try to keep the workers ig- norant: in order to perpetuate the system; by teaching that the own- ership of the means of production. transportation, etc, depends entire, ly upon the owners possession of brains. When the facts are taken into consideration, that everything of any use in the world has been constructed, managed and operated by the working class, class con- posed of all men and women who contribute to the wealth of the world either by brain or muscle, and the fact is also remembered that, very often, owners of vast es- tates and factories, railroads and mines, are degenerates like those to be found in the Thaw family. It is plain. then, that the ruling class gains it's power not by right of brains, but by might of private ownership.
 Through the evolution of indus try, mentioned by the writer of the general survey of socialism the old order of society. in which pro- duction was individual, when the men who produced things owned their own tools; when those tools were primitive and manufacture limited has entirely passed away. and new order of society has come into existence, where collective pro- duction is in force almost exclusive ly. Men work together in factories, 1 shoes, clothing and all other com- modities. At the same time in busi- l ness life there has been a decided l evolution from the old order of | partnership or small concerns, out of that has grown the syndicate. | the corporation. and finally the gi- l gantic trust. Cooperation instead of competition. The socialist is h. who sees the inevitable conclusion that out of this present order, must grow the new order of society. '. where the machines. now collective ly used, must be collectively owned by the users. He sees that the new order means that the people will col lectively own and control the neces- !. saries of life, the means of trans portation and all other things col lectively used. now owned and con trolled by private trusts. He be- lieves in a logical evolution of so> , ciety and knows that socialism is not a dream. or a scheme" not a fad but on the very face of 1t a scientific explanation of the evolu> tion of society that Is now going on about us. An evolution that no man. or set of men could ever turn aside, even though all the func- tions of government to-day are in force 10 bolster up the present sys- tenn. The law. the soldiers, the law ! makers and even the church does ! the bidding of capitalism with it's political power invested in the railroad trust. the beef trust ana i all other trusts. Does the judge l who sentences to prison the poor thief. who stsels for his starving 1 wife and child. remember that the 1 beef trust stands indicted before . the American people charged with 1 the crimes of robbery and murder. and vet goes on it's way unpunished !. and has the power 10 raise the price l of meat as the wage of the worker goes down. or his means of exist ence completely taken from him by the shutting down of factories?
 The fact that the writer of the General Survey fears that the coming in of a socialist system might drive out" Christ. does not prove that socialism Is against Christianity If a man calmly ex- smines socialism. he will find that it Is entirely an economic proposi> tiOn and has nothing whatever to do with a mans religious belief. but many Christian men and wo, men. Catholics and PrOtestants. preachers and laymen. have ire Qusntly asserted that when men-s bodies are well nOurished. when they are as God made them not