The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-12-20
THE SOCIALIZING SPIRIT.

conditions that are continually ac
eentuating.
THE SOCIALIZING SPIRIT.
Let us not however. he guilty o
misapprehension or exaggerated
alarm Socialism as I have said. il
an impossibiity lndiYidualism Il
the only workable scheeme of societ,
and. when tempered with a prope
social spirit il IS the busiest scheme
The danger however, which lies neal
it is of becoming antisoeial and o
breeding revolution. Its safety lie.
in renewed baptism Of the socia
spirit And that social spirit while
admitting inequalities and even in.
CAPABILITIES. yet exercises the purifier
and preservatiye of existing insti
tutions. The men who fight il. the
men who contend for unlimited in
/ equality as the natural eorrelate OF
i the free individual. are the
doughtiest champions of revolution
However sincere they may be. they
are wofully short sighted.
If the majority of voters are III be
satisfied with existing institutions,
certain changes of character which
| might broadly describe as socializ-
ing though not socialistie, seem to
me inevitable. Socialistie schemes,
like government ownership and con-
troll of railways. have little attrac-
ton for the American people. They
recognize that TO buy the railroads
the state or the nation would need to
borrow large sums of money. precise
~ as the present owners issue stocks
and bonds 10 secure capital and if
the railroads are TO earn money to
pay the interest on these loans. to
pay reasonable wages 10 their en-
ployers. and TO carry passengers and
freight at reasonable rates they must
be managed on business principles
The only question, therefore. is
whether the management of railways
by the state or by individuals as
now would be the more successful.
And all experience is such that the
assumption of the railway by the
government would not be safe bust
ness venture. And am absolutely
sure it would add nothing to con-
yenience comfort. and prosperity of
the citizens. And it would have the
enormous disadvantage of strengthen
the federal government and of under
mining good American theory that
the less government people have the
better
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE REFORMS.
| see therefore, no hope or ad-
vantage to the community in govern
ment ownership of railroads. This
branch of socialism. like socialism as
whole. seems 10 me utterly un-
fruitful and even injurious; but
repeat that since We are inevitably
welded To an individual system of
government. and since history shows
that governments purge themselves
by revolutions when the contrast be-
tween what Mr. Bryce GALES the
Halves and the "Havenots' has be-
come so vast that it is no longer
tolerable, it is the part of foreseeing
and prudent craftsmanship 10 an
tieipate the tendency of events and
adopt such salutary measures as may
correct the evil before the revolution
lists knife is needed 10 eradicate
them.
Nor is it wholly. or perhaps even
mainly, a matter of craftsmanship
/ The first requisite is the enlighten-
ment TO public opinion. And when
action is called for it will perhaps
be found that in a community which
/ has informed itself and reflected
E upon these problems, more can be
+ done for their solution by the wisC
action of private individuals than by
all the efforts of government. though
/ | am faD from saying or believing
there is nothing which government
can do in the premises.
PROGRESS OF WORkING MEN.
When we speak of the contrast be
tween the rich and the poor We hav'
in mind at the latter extreme tn
wage earners who own no propert
and must subsist soley from
their daily earnings. which, though
generally assured. are sometime
precarious | am not saying that thi
class of our citizens is not better OF
today than il has ever been in tn
past. On the contrary | believe it is
Certainly Karl Marx : predictions Il
regard to the effect which capital an
machinery were TO produce on tn