Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1909-07-15

False Ideas That Socialists Have had
TO Dssavow.

False Ideas That Socialists Have Rad
to Dlsavow.
Those who do not wish you to be So
cialfsts have given you very false no
tons about Socialism In the hope OF
setting you against it. They have
brought many false charges against
Socialists in the hope OF setting Eou
| against them. SO you have come TO
think Of Socialism as thing foolish
or vile. and when 1t is spoken OF you
turn up your noses Gnstead OF trying
| to see beyond them, and turn your
| backs on 1t.
They say that Socialists want 10 get
| up a revolution, to turn the country
upside down by force, Co seize all prop
erty and to divide 1t equally among
the whole people.
We will take their charges one at a
time.
As to revolution, think shall be
right Il say that not one Socialist In
fifty at this day expects or wishes TO
get Socialism by force Of arms.
In the early days OF Socialism,
When oElE@ SNAy ASW @s9@&s&A4SG6
and some OF those rash or angry or
unthinklng men, 1t may have been
true that Socialism implied violence.
But today there are very few Social
lists who believe In brute force or who
think revolution desirable
The bulk of our Social Democrats
are for peaceful and lawful means.
Some of them hope to bring Socialism
to pass by means OF q reformed gov
eminent; others hope to bring 1t to
pass by means Of a newer, wiser and
juster public opinion.
Revolution by force OF arms is not
desirable or feasible, but there Is an
other kind of revolution from which
we hope great things This is revo-
luton OF thought Let us once get the
people, or big majority OF the people.
to understand Socialism, to believe In
Socialism and to work for Socialism,
and the real revolution il accomplish
ed.
Our real task Is 20 win the trust and
help OF the people, and the first thing
to be done is to educate them.
Next, as to selling the wealth Of the
country and sharing It out among the
people. we do not propose such thing.
Yet how often have you been told
that Socialists want to have the wealth
equally divided among all! And how
often have you been told that IL you
divided the wealth In that way It
would soon cease TO be equally Owed
ed, because some would waste and
some would save!
Another charge against Socialists Is
that they are atheists, whose aim is
to destroy all religion and all morality.
This is not true. Many prominent
Socialists are Christians; not q few are
clergymen. Many capitalist party lead
ers are agnostics or atheists.
The charge OF immortality is absurd
Socialists demand q higher morality
than any now 10 be found They de-
mand perfect honesty. Indeed. it is
just the stern morality Of Socialism
which causes ambitious and greedy
men to hate Socialism and resist It.
/ believe there Is not one Socialist III
hundred who would vote for doing,
away with marriage or for handing
over the children to the state.
Again, you are not to fall into the
error Of supposing that the relations Of
the sexes are al they should be at
present. Free love, 1t d true, Is not
countenanced, but free lust L. very
common.
It may be q very wicked thing TO:
enable a free woman to give her love
freely. but Il Ii d much worse thing TO
allow and even at times compel for it
amounts to that by force Of hunger)
a free woman to sell her love-no not
her love, poor creature; the vilest new
er sold that-but TO sell her honor, her
body and her soul.
i tell you men would do great
deal for Socialism IL 1t Were only to
do that one good act OF Wiping out for
ever the shameful sin OF prostitution.
This thing indeed is so horrible that
/ never think Of 1t without feeling
tempted to apologize for calling my
self man In country where 1t Is so
common.
There are several other common
charges against sociaists-as that they
are poor and envious: that they are
ignorant and incapable men, who know
nothing and cannot think; that, In
short, they are failures and Wasters,
fools and knaves.