Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-01-25


mendicants; parasites loaded with prop
erty, producers submerged In poverty
shirkers in supremacy, and worker
without the means of life, without {
home, without world, that they cal
call their own.
Realizing this, one of the most en-
lightened, eloquent and uncompromisint
defenders of human rights that ever liv
ed, Wendell Phillips, deliberately pen
ned, and read at reform convention II
Massachusetts in 1871 the following
words:
1--WE affirm as q fundamental principle, tina
labor, the creator Of wealth, is entitled to all
creates"
"A1arming this, we avow ourselves willing Il
accept the final results Of the operation Of
principle 80 radical-such as the overthrow o
the whole proft-making system, the extinction
Of all monopolies, the abolition OF the privileged
classes, universal education and fraternity
perfect freedom of exchange, and, best an,
granfest Of all, the final oblteration Of that fou
stigma upon our socalled Christian civilization
the poverty Of the masses."'
Now do you wonder that the thoughts o.
continued abuses and of failing politica
promises are ranking in the minds Of
the beaten and benighted hosts of the
1
situation by brighter brains than mine
how does 1t appear to youP Do you look
for anything but the spirit of revolt
and can you conscientiously condemn
1t? If 80, what do you expectP
1t is the result of repeated injury, and
it will rise, intelligent or otherwise, and
grow more tense. 1t is natural. 1t IL
the result of economic pressure, of In
dustrial evolution, and to that extent is
evolutionary. And still there is more to
follow, mark you, and understand, that
to the extent the power Of private wealth
in industry or state, endeav0rs to sup.
press or stop this consequence, this spirit
of revolt will assume stronger name
and pursue its natural course.
But what must we expect in this re-
spect from the class that rides and rules
and robs, and pays the politicians,
preachers, and the press, to tell us we
are prosperous and glad? 1t is insult
added to injury, and the people know 1t
but suppress the thought. This they
can not, should not, and will not always
do. But what must we expect9 Let
! Ridpath in his History of the world
speak out: "The iron jaws of Privilege
do not release their hold upon the mar
row bones of society uutil they have
been broken"
/ The Socialist sees and senses this, and
has resolved to tell the truth based upon
economic justice and equal opportunity
to all mankind. The concern of the
Socialists begins with the original and
constant demands of human nature, and
ends in the Socialist Cooperative Com
monwealth, which means, according to
Webster's Dictionary, "a more precise
and orderly state of society than has yet
existed" Their program Is
l. To educate the workers Of the
world to an understanding Of their rights
as we'll as wrongs, how the former are
denied, but may be had, and how the
latter are imposed, but may be stopped,
by the exercise of the political power
which they already possess, without at
tempting to reverse the wheels of indus
try. or to destroy any truly useful &C
complishment of society.
2. To organize and drill them sufi-
GENTLY to complete the coming revolu-
ton from private to collective owner
ship of the collective instruments OF
production and exchange of the worlds
necessities.
These things are all the products of
the labor of present and past society, at
cost of sacrifice and agony and death
beyond the power of genius to express.
They are too sacred, great, and useful
to remain the private instruments of OPP
preston of especially the ones whose
labor made their existence possible.
They are nearly ready for social owner
ship which will render society secure
from the condition which makes for dis
cord, conflict and despair. Socialism
will restore the natural relation OF man
kind to Mother Earth, by securing to
every one the perpetual opportunity to
work with the best machinery that in
genuity and labor can devise, and to
possess and enjoy the value he creates,
and the ethics Of that institution are,
and always will be, right.
Thanking you for the courtesy OF
your columns. desire to be, and to re-
main, friend to you, and to all my fell
lowmen. E. A. TYLER,
Norway, Maine.
The Democrats comment on Mr..
Tyler's previous letter has called out the
above somewhat lengthy reply. We con-
fess that we can find in it little that is in
the line of argument. While we do not
care to prolong the discussion, we wish
to say briefly this:
We not question that there are wrongs
that may be righted. We not question
that there is inequality in the condition
of men-there always will be, under any
system. We do not question that some
men have amassed and are amassipg
enormous fortunes, more than they
ought to have under any righteous sys-
tenn of ethics, and that other men fail to
get full return for their labor-we do
not believe it Is possible for man tn
contrive any system which will entirely
abolish that condition. We do not deny,
nor do we affirm, that under present.day
conditions those who labor with their
hands are getting, on the whole, less
than their fair share In the division. We
do not deny that the industrial system
now prevailing may be improved. All
these may be granted, without establish
ing any basis for the Socialist pro-
gramme.
Mr.. Tyler hints>at something evolu-
tionary rather than revolutionary. When
the well-wisher of mankind, call him
Socialist or anything else, comes forward
with any plan to make conditions more
equitable, which Is evolutionary In Its
nature, he finds coming to bis aid the
broadcast minded and highest minded
students OF economic conditions. Theo.
dore Roosevelt 10 the truest Socialist
this country has seen, for bis programme
was evolutionary.
The trouble with the Socialists Is that
they preach not an evolution, but
revolution which involves confiscation,
without making any attempt to meet OIL
recognize the problems which must
come with that revolution; that they
base their argument upon the premise
utterly false especially under modern
conditions, that labor produces al
wealth, and Its inevitable conclusion thai
capital Is entitled to no compensation
for Its use-which is contrary to common
sense and will never be permanently &C
cepted by any large fraction OF mankind
and that they spend their strength IL
rhetorical appeals to class prejudice, In
stead OF making any attempt to consider
seriously any OF the economic probleni'
concerned In their programme, or point
ing out the steps by which 1t Is to be &C
complished. With all due appreciation
of the inequities which the Socialist!
wish to correct, and oil sympathy will
their desire to improve conditions, We
wish to say copcisely even II inelegsntly