The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-17
TIE POSTS SYMPOSIUM

An interesting symposium on what
is practical Socialism was present
ed recently in the Saturday Evening
Post Debs, Berger, Sinclair, VIII
shire, Berlyn, Chase, Nailly, Simons
and Hunter wrote out their opinions
about the matter but all of them
seemed only able to produce a hazy
atmosphere Nobody could tell how
the cooperative commonwealth"
would be inaugurated. Debs thinks
it viii be just a common political
matter for one party or the other to
adopt the socialists notions. When
the Socialists are able to poll a big
vote then one of the great parties
viii adopt its principles in order to
get control of the government. The
objection to this notion is that no
party could hold its forces before
such a farreaching change as Social
ism contemplates. II would precipi-
tate chaos quicker than claim light
ming The only way to get Social
ism is TO have a majority oil people
in favor OF II and that will be a long
time coming. AS we have said, be-
fore, the farmers will oppose it with
practical unanimity. Successful and
highly paid working men will OPP
pose it as will artists, artisans, pro-
fessionals, merchants, manufacturers,
transportationists, capitalists and
nearly everybody who has anything
Those who will favor it will be
tramps, Missionaries and Some wage
workers. But they will long be in
a big minority in America for here
II is different. Socialism means large
ly democracy and the rule OF the peo.
pie in Germany and France and the
continental autocracies, But here the
war for Socialism must be against
democracy and connot be allied with
II.
Berger thinks Socialism VIII
come through the slow-working bu
reslstless forces OF evolution. II,
also thinks it possible that wheI
they elect so members OF Congress
the old parties will begin to adop
their program. He gives out the in
timation that he would not seiz
private property in great coup d
etat as that would precipitate wa
but rather would he find some NOR
diplomatic way TO abolish all indly
idual holdings and have all propert
TO become common. This write
thinks that such catastrophes as tina
OF the French revolution and ou
great civil war are too costly an
could have been avoided Upton Sir
clair thinks Socialism will come /
1913 and that it will be preceded b
panic and hard times. He appear
to think the army will go over to tn
Socialists and that the people will Il
vor it so generally that 1t will wi
quickly He says then tax the rent
values of lands and buildings" 81
this is so moonshiny that it is abo
tive. The assumption seems to
that things will. themselves, wol
this problem which seems to be alt
gether unlikely
The most business-Iike OF any
them is John C. Chase, the Social
ex-mayor OF Hayerhill, Massachusett
He would have the government tai
over the property of the trusts al
apply force il persuasion fails. /
doesn't care much whether his pr
gram produces chaos or not
This note OF acquiring the proper
OF the rich runs through the who
gamut OF this discussion Howev
nothing is said about the capital
the common people of the millions
farmers, merchants, professional
transportationists, artists and othe
Moreover. who can tell who is ri
enough to be despoiled OF his props
tES Who can draw the line for t