The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-16
c. B. Hoffman Bests JeffersOnian
Democrat in Debate.
COnVinceS Auditors It Offers
Solution of Trust Problem.
MIR. BARNHILL'S PLEA.
Says There Must Be Competition
to Advance.
Wealthy Kansas Miller Defines
Modern Socialism.

After 'three-hour debate last night
on the relative merits of Jeffersonian
Democracy and Socialism as solutions
for the trust problem, a decision was
rendered for Socialism, the exponent of
which was c. B. Hoffman. miller and
banker of Enterprise. Hoffman had
all the best of the argument. It is
fair to say that the large majority of
the audience was with him before he
started, but ]. B. Barnhill the believer
in Jeffersonian Democracy, failed to
make any converts. The debate took
place in Gemmell hall of the Y. NJ.
c. A.
Competitive business. unhampered
by special privilege, is the ideal eco
nomic and industrial plan. in the eyes
of Mr.. Barnhill, who had the affirma-
tive of the proposition. Resolved,
That in Jeffersonian Democracy and
not in Socialism will be found the true
solution of the trust problem" Com
petition of a fair sort, he contended,
had persisted under the present gen
Grafton of Republican party rule, but
might be restored by legislation and
maintained by reasonable government
tai restraint. He urged a reversion to
the conditions he alleged existed a
hundred years ago, when every man
had an equal opportunity.
True competitive business never
died a natural DEATH" said Mr.. Barn
hill. 81 defy my opponent to point
out a single millionaire who has built
up his fortune through business in
which he did not enjoy some unfair
special privilege. Fair competition is
the only natural condition of human
endeavor and the history of the world
and the history of the grand achieve
ment of the present era is history of
competitive endeavor.
Every colony that has ever been
started on socialistic principles has
been a dismal failure. Dozens of them
have failed because they were based
upon misguided principle. Under
Socialism the lazy live off the efforts
of the industrious. Building on the
average man, 1 maintain that Emer-
son was right when he said that man
is just as lazy as he dares to be.
Competition demands mans best eff
forts; Socialism discourages them.
Start a hundred men equally, with no
special privilege to any one, and they
will go through the race of life on an
equal footing. Under the present rule
of monopoly such conditions have per-
ished; but they may be restored under
the plan of true Jeffersonian Democ-
racy. John Stewart Mill who knew
what he was talking about, declared
that government job meant decay
for the man who held it. Socialism
means the creation of nice soft govern
ment Jobs for all of us. and I assert
that that creed will never work.
Mr.. HOffman's Speech.
In his discussion of the negative
Mr.. Hoffman declared:
cit does not take competition to
stimulate the best efforts of the mod
ern man or woman. Little by little
down the history of the world the idea
of cooperation has replaced that OF
competition so that today every rela-
ton of our lives is based upon that
- principle. Competition means waste
Cooperation means mutual advantage
and, as Herbert Spencer pointed out
the history of civilization dates from
the time when primitive man learned