The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-03-31
BROTHERHOOD or SAINT
PAUL HOLD DEBATE
The Question Was "Shall the People
Own the Trusts"

The debate on the above subject
called out an interested number of
men at the semi-monthly meeting of
the Brotherhood of st. Paul Lyceum
on Monday evening. The president,
II. A. Dinsmore. called the meeting to
order and the business was transact
ed and the debate announced. Re
solved That the nation should own
the trusts Charles Murphy and w,
G. Hapgood were for the affirmative.
These gentlemen said in part that the
philosophy of socialism aimed to rep
resent principles of truth and JUS
tice and to secure for the masses the
same rights and privileges and OPP
Dortunities enjoyed by the favored
classes. The causes which lead to
the concentration of wealth and the
organization of industry into trust
and gigantic corporations we're re
! ferred to. Historic references were
made. regarding evils of aggregating
wealth into the hands of the few
through which wealth and power
corrupted itself and might destroyed
right and nations plunged into ruin
and disaster. Especial emphasis was
placed on the creation of wealth by
labor and the exploitation of the lab
orer through the ownership of the
implements of industry. Manufacture
ing and mechanical establishments
were owned by organized capital and
the principle upon which these or
CARNATIONS worked was to increase
dividends regardless of the social or
moral effect of the system on the
morals and health and welfare of the
creator of wealth. 1t was pointed out
that hard times and panic were caus-
ed not by oyerproduction but by un-
der consumption.
Let the people own Let collective
ownership of the tools of industry be
inaugurated and production and con-
sumption will keep pace and the many
will have the blessings of life such as
the Creator has placed in the world
for the use of all mankind. This is
essential for mankind to come to its
best. 1t Is not fair that labor should
be commodity on the market to be
bought and sold as cheaply as posi-
BILE. The biographies of six men were
recently published In New York pa
per and these men represented in
wealth over $2000.000000 and those
men through that wealth controlled
the interest and welfare of other in
situations of industry to the extent of
500, 900 100000 We see the effect of
this in our national life, the govern
ment Is controlled by wealth. The
Standard oil fine is declared illegal,
direct taxation is unconstitutional.
labor laws are thrown out and child
labor reform thrown down. Condi-
tons are becoming intolerable; two
propositions are inevitable: let the
trusts own the people or the people
the trusts
In reply the negative sustained by
F. A. Leitch and S. F. Emerson said
in part: Industrial evolution and in
dustrial concentration were newt
able. Civilization moves from the
simple to the complex. Newer meth
DDS of manufacturing, better facili-
ties for transportation. less expensive
methods of distribution, the eiimina-
ton of waste, of needless competition
represented good business methods
Transitions in life, In business. in
methods were always disastrous, but
readjustments enlarged opportunities
! for service and in time tended to
cali into activity 10 men where pre-
viously only one was employed. More
men, more capital, more opportuni-
ties, more blessings are prevalent to-
day than in any other age or period
OF the worlds civilization. There
are existing evils; we are not blind
to them. We need to have them
pointed out We want these evils
remedied. Will collective ownership
remedy existing conditions? Will a
nation that is all government be the
best government? Will not the col
lective ownership OF the vast and
complicated and intricate Industrial