The daily sentinel., 1908-08-11

the presence of these vast aggrega-
tions of capital. Alone .4e is help
less. Organized he is power Soc
ialism, then, means carrying organ
ization to its logical conclusions. Its
program consists essentially of one
demand-that the land and all the
other instruments of production and
exchange shall be the common prop
erty of all the people. ana shall be
used and managed by all the people
for all the people. This program is
entirely wise, jus, and practical, and
pre-eminently ethical. Socialists do
not propose by a single act of con-
gress, nor sudden revolution to put
all men on an equality and compell
them to remain so. Socialism is not
a wild dream of happy land, where
the apples will drop off the trees into
our open mouths, the fish come out
OF the rivers and fry themselves for
dinner, and the looms turn out ready
made suits of velvet with golden but
tons, without the trouble of coaling
the engine. Neither is it dream of
a nation of stained glass angels, who
always love their neighbors better
than themselves and who never need
to work unless they wish. Nor does
national ownership of the machinery
of production imply national owner
ship of toothpicks ,neckties and
milady's thimble bag. What the peo-
pie socially need in common, that the
peop.e should own socially in com
mon, what the individual needs indi-
vidualiy, that he should own individ-
ually. The individual and collective
l4e should balance each other; SOC
ialism implyS this natural and neceS-
sary truth.
The method by which this social
change is to be effected is through
the ballot. Ballots, not bullets, ideas,
not guns, inspiration from within,
not compulsion from witnout-these
are the potent factors in peaceful
revolution, the only revolution de-
sirable. Things done in violence have
to be done over again. The pen is
mightier than the sword. Ideas are
the only realities. Give them time
and victory is sure.
The first burning anxiety of a SOC
ialist society would be to abolish pow
erty and ignorance. 1t would aim
to provide labor for all able and will
ing to labor. 1t would at once stop
factories and mills making degener-
ates of our boys and girls anu send
them and keep them at school. Sweat
shops, slums and bawdy houses,
would give way to model workshops
and homes. 1t would mean a decent
earth and a decent humanity. The
motto would be: Each for all and
all for each
If you say these things are com
mendable, but absolutely impossible,
the answer is such as woulu be made
to Stub or dive landlord, that plague
and death must be attacked and de-
feated, and that if slums and dives
a eli
must be destroyed. Directly the peo-
pie of this and other nations under
stand the remedy for poverty, for
sickness and wretchedness, they will
sweep away all arguments of ashes
and all defenses of clay. Greed, the
lure of thirty pieces of silver, inspir-
ed Judas, but it was not greed which
inspired Jesus to endure the agonies
of Gethsemane and Golgatha. Greed
must some day give way to the spirit
of Jesus, to the spirit of service.
The business, primarily, of all Soc
ialisIs is to make the people under
stand; to this end mnlions of papers
leaflets and books are issued annu-
ally from the soeialis. press. We
trust the good sense of the American
people. They have solved many prob
lens in the past, they are capable of
solving even more difficult problems
in the future. Meanwhile, my lords
and ladies', if you find a socialist who
says Damn the government" laugh
at him and if convenient, duck him
if you find one who is a rogue don't
trust him. if you find one trying to
work you" tell him to quit. But as
for socialism if it be good anu rea-
sonable, accept it; if it be Lad and
unreasonable, reject it.
Says socialist poet-orator: I'VE
are standing on tie shore OF an in
finite ocean whose countless waves,
freighted with blessings, are we.com-
ing our adventurous fleet. Progress
has written on every soul. The hui
man race is advancing"
GEO. N. pALCONER.