Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-05-04

! little solid brain matter, l will take
up your silly argument on the sugar
question, and let that illustrate the
other things you mention.
I. There is an investment in the
agricultural land on which the sugar
cane must grow.
2. Value of seed cane, and caring
for it till planting season-labor.
3. Cultivating, by plcwing and hoe
ing.
A. Gathering. d..
8. Transporting to the plant and
transporting it to the customer before
it can be sold to him at retail
All these things have value and
would have it under Socialism, crank
ism, foolism or any other ism.
Now, it seems to me that you would
show all of these things when you go
to set up an argument as to the cost of
producing an article and then point
out the places where the wrongs exist.
You can't fool intelligent people by
taking up fallaey on it's face.
You speak of making sugar, shoes,
ETC., with the material at hand and
figure nothing for the cost of produc-
ing that material. am we'll aware
of one thing in regard to the retailing
of sugar, and that is that the retail
merchant sometimes comes out in the
hole after selling barrel of that sweet
article.
The only way you can make your ar
gument intelligent is to show unreas-
enable profits in the production Of
the things you mention. You may
possibly be able to do this in some in
stances. In that case think it would
be wrong, but that would not Justify
us in casting aside the system of gov
ernment. 1t seems to me it would be
better to regulate it under the system
we have. You keep pounding at me
with the religious part of your theory
and making extravagant assertions
about the insincerity of church work
ers in saying long prayers. l have
never told you that 1 say these long
prayers and teach Sunday school class
es, but | want to drop thought here
for you and "Uncle Tom" While it
is not always true that the church
worker is sincere and righteous, most
generally he is far better morally and
spiritually than those who are con-
stantly nagging at him and CRITICS.
ing his efforts.
Your Socialist theory acts on the
presumption that all men will get
good and honest at once when your
system sets in, yet am personally ac-
quainted with some of your Socialist
brethren who are very wicked. One
of TIE strongest workers for your the
ory with whom I am personally ac-
quainted, calls himself materiaist
His friends say he is all atheist.
What l mean here is that your theo-
ry toes not christianize man, as
seems to be your notion, neither do |
think it impossible for democrat or
republican to be a christian. True it
is that voter should vote for what be
thinks is right, and should strive for
what he thinks will be best for him
self and his fellowmen, but there is
reasonable ground for a difference of
opinion as to what is best for all the
people of great country and many
great statesmen of the past who were
honest and sincere in trying to serve
the country's best interests have
fought for principles in direct conflict
with each other, and when you say
they unchristi anize themselves in so
doing, you express what seems to me a
very radical opinion. You ask me if
private ownership of land is right, and
how much. think that agricultural
land should be owned in bodies of not
more than 100 acres to each individu-
al. My reason for this is that land
would be better cared for and made to
produce more when thus owned there
by increasing the productive wealth of
the country. 1t would also give op-
portunity for greater number of per-
manent homes and in that way make
for the betterment of our moral and
educational development. If owned
by the government l see no chance for
a permanent home for anyone, and
that would make for the neglect of the
land and also the temporary home.
You people picture beautiful and
happy homes, but it requires little
reasoning to see that the question of
who should occupy the land would be
a bone of contention that would give
rise to all kinds of crime, even mur-
der.
You refer me to Abrahams time
when the latch string was on the out
side of the tent, but you forget that
there was strife and war and blood .
shed for who should possess the land
in those days. Our Bible record is full ,
of accounts of the strife and conten-
ton over who should possess the land.
and brute power ruled except when
God himself intervened in behalf of
His people and sent them against I
wicked and pagan nations to destroy s
them from the face of the earth. Abra- I