Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1909-04-15
THE SOCIALIST AIM.
Capitalism No Longer Serves, and So
cialisn Must Be the Next Step.


The short period which has elapsed
since the birth of our republic has
witnessed immense changes. New
economic conditions have sprung up
new social relations have been created
new popular needs have been devel
oped, and radical reimbursement oil
our industrial and political institutions
has become necessary.
The United States entered on it's ma.
tional career as a farming country.
Manufacture and commerce played but
an incidental part in the early life OF
the population. But within the last
century, and more particularly within
its last decade, agriculture was grad
ually subordinated to the great mod
ern factory industry. The centers Of
national activity were transferred from
the peaceful villages to the large cities,
and within the latter the methods of
manufacture and commerce were thor
oughly and rapidly revolutionized.
The modest workshop Of former gen
erations was superseded by the huge
factory. The simple tool Of the old
time mechanic developed into the gil
gantic machine propelled by the power
Of steam and electricity, while the
railroads, steamships, telegraphs and
telephones united the entire country
into one great market for the exchange
@T vol
ments in our methods Of production
and distribution, together with the ex-
traordinary abundance Of the natural
resources Of the country, have result
ed III immense benefits. The produc-
tfvity of labor and the wealth Of the
nation have increased hundredfold,
and the United States is today one OF
the richest countries on the face Of the
globe.
But, although this wonderful trans
formation is the result Of the collective
ingenuity and labor Of the multitudes
of workers of present and past gener-
ations, it's fruits have been seized and
appropriated by a small portion Of the
population-the capitalist class. The
capitalists own as their individual and
private property all the land on which
we live, together with the mines, oil
wells and other natural treasures hid
den in it, and most Of the structures
and homes erected on it. They own
our railways, telegraph and all other
means of transportation and commu-
nication. They own our factories, ma
chinery and all the tools indispensa BILE
to the production Of the necessaries Of
life. They own the food, clothing and
shelter Of their fellow men In short,
they own the country, with all its
wealth and resources, while the great
mass Of the population, whose labor
has created our SO called national
wealth and still maintains our national
life, are virtually destitute OF property
and depend for their right to work and
live upon the will Of the more or less
idle capitalist
The anomalous fact that a small
group of capitalists are permitted TO
use all the country's resources and So
cial tools for their individual profit
and to make the production OF the
necessaries Of our lives the object of
their competitive private enterprises
and speculations Is at the bottom OF
all the social evils of our time. In
spite Of the organization OF trusts,
pools and combinations, the capitalists
are poWerless TO regulate production
for social ends. Industries are conduct
ed in a painless manner through pc
RODS Of feyerish activity during which
the strength and health Of the workers
are mercilessly undermined and pc
RODS Of enforced fdleness during
which the workers are frequently re-
duced to starvation.
The climaXes Of this chaotic system
Of production are the regularly recur-
ring industrial depressions and crises
which paralyze the nation every If
teen or twenty years. In It's mad and
reckless race for profits the capitalist
class is bound to exploit the working
men to the very limit OF their endur-
ance and to sacrifice their physical.
AAo4 al dAd hCAlda VIOLATE ~ lGS OWN
Unsuitable greed. Capitalism keeps the
OF Workingmen In poverty, des-
Iitution, physical exhaustion and igno-
rance; it drags their wives from their
homes to the mill and factory: 1t
snatches their children from the play
grounds and schools and grinds their
slender bodies and uniformed minds
INTO cold dollars: it wantonly dlsfgures.
mains and kills hundred Of thousands
Of Workingmen annually In the mines,
railroads and factories; it drives mil
lions Of workers into the ranks of the
and forces large numbers
Of them into beggary, yagrancy and
all forms of crime and vice. To main
tain their Ubiquitous rule over their
fellow men the capitalists must keep
in their pay all organs of the public
powers, public mind and public con
science. They control the. dominat-
ing parties and through them the elect
"a public officials; they select our ex-
ecutives, bride our legislatures and cor
rupt our courts OF Justice: thew own