The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-07

representatives in Parliament 10 fight
for certain needed rights or the prac-
teal measures Immediately sought by
the masses They were agitating fair
play for their cooperative ventures or
aid for locked-out thousands in an in
dustry or something for schools. for
women, for the children. Several times
| opened up the subject OF the work
ableness of the cooperative state"
the possible undeSirab1lity of the total
overthrow OF the present system. the
coming catastrophe to capitalism. the
course, every one knew the library
sermon and invocation for this social
lSt text. TO be repeated in public speech
making, but face to face Individually
in conversation the whole subject
faded away to the misty realms OF the
imagination. Positively. / never found
one man in my trip ready to go fur
Their into constructive socialism han to
repeat perfunctorily its time-worn
generalitieS. On the other hand. | met
men whom l knew years ago either
personally or through correspondence
or by their work is active p~ropogan-
dlsts OF the socialists theoretical
creed. who are now devoting their en-
ergieS to one or the other of the prac-
teal forms of social Observation-Disclosures
~unionisn. corporation. legal protec-
ton TO the vorkers-and who could
not be moved to utopianiSm.
Certain other phases of social agita-
ton, different from our movement.
arose as | have heretofore pointed out,
from emigration and it's causes. from
unemployment. from voluntary CO.
operation. from regarding the position
Of wage workers as lifelong. from
the political privileges Of the upper
classes from a rudimentary national
economic development. as in Austria.
Hungary and Southern Italy.
1t is only on looking broadly at the
land question in Europea countries
that the American an appreciate the
land policy of the United States, for
we have had consistent underlying
principle in our policy as applied not
only to government lands but to our
methods of eminent domain and tax
alton. namely. that the people are to
share in all the benfitS. In no Euro
pean country are the crown lands"
open to a homestead law. The abuses
of q mistaken land policy with enor-
nous holdings in tn. hands Of a few
are evident in Hungary Austria, Eng
land, and Italy. The people are
aroused on this question in Italy.
| where cultivation of land within q
certain area about Rome is now COM
pulsory, and in England where a small
proportion of the unearned increment
is proposed to be taken through (The
Budget taxation in part from lands
not hitherto taxed at all. The work
ingmen all over Europe point to Swift
zeriand and France where the inheri-
lance laws keep the land sub-divided
and say there is no emigration from
these countries. In fact, as compared
with Great Britain, France has little
unemployment. The land problems are
always mentioned by E;urOpe's leading
labor men when talking about coming
economic changes.
Circumstances constrained me to
take notice day by day of inc charac-
t~eristic Of Europeans in general. 1t
was their ignorance Of America: not
inc man in ten Of those whom met
States point Of view regarding America
on any SUBJECT Many were generous
in their sentiments OWard US, but OF
knowledge Of us they had little.
Geographically. politically. Industrial
ly, social1y-they saw us only as in
or cOncave mirror.
AS others might long for heaven
large numbers Of the working classes
if Europe sigh to get to America,
land of riches. land of liberty. land
! Of freedom in thought. Ian Of educa-
ton. land Of joy and peace and inter
nightmare Of the army has no exis-
tence." The pessimist school Of revo-
lutionists On the other hand depict our
trust 'magnates' as monsters suck
ing the life blood" Of their Slaves"
and declare that the working people
L COIilfilOAiy 6iodililS UHQcT the utT6
consequences Of the Iron law Of
wages" except the trade unionists
who they say form an '~aristocracy OF
labor" in unholy alliance with "canni-
balistic capital"
In Naples. a story bordering on the
srotesque was told OF a certain emf
grafton agent who. in the old days
when such q thing was possible, on
hearing just before 8 vessel steamed
off for America that the emigrants to
| whom he a sold passage were excit-
ed upon finding hat some of their
tickets were for one point in Amer
lea" and some to another went among
them and gave those bound for New
York ten cents each to pay their trav-
cling fare to New York from Buenos
Ayres whittier the vessel was bound.
Whether or not this could be possible
yerN few AarSnnS khan ] met gaemad