The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-02-11

in strict confidence If we are so advise'
Editor Labor World:
I think the following article en-
titled "What Is Socialism," by John
King, would be of interest to many
of your readers. I would like to
have you publish it, if it Is not ask
ing too much.
| DULUTH SOCIALIST.
WHAT is SOCIALISM.
Socialism is the science of economic
government.
Its essential principles may be
summed up in the words: Collective
| ownership of all utilities of a public
nature and private ownership Of all
those things that are of private use.
Thusfi all things that are provided
by nature or natures God are regard
ed by the Socialists as public utilities.
They are for the universal use of
mankind.
They are our natural inheritance,
belong to one as much as to another
and our right to them is inalienable.
I Man-made laws that attempt to set
aside this great principle are in OPP
position to the decree of God.
In the following natural laws man.
kind will always find that the, obsta
cles he meets present the least resis-
lance.
To divert the natural law is to
court disaster.
Socialism seeks to follow the nat
ural law.
It recognizes the fatherhood Of God
and the brotherhood Of man.
It differs from communism which
teaches that all things should be held
in common.
Under Socialism man may own a
horse and buggy, his books and his
home and would be at liberty to beau
tify that home in accordance with
his taste and desire.
There is room under Socialism for
incentive enough to keep alive the &C
tivities Of man.
Denied the right to exploit" his fell
bowman the restless activity of his
mind would seek new fields of dis
covery and invention and his superior
genius would be directed towards the
end of elevating to higher plane the
physical, intellectual, moral and spirit
ual life Of his fellow beings.
of higher honor than that of 1iav-,
ing won the confidence and praise of
people whose interests have been
unselfishly served and whose condi-
ton has been naturally bettered by
the individual efforts of a man who
is actuated by such noble purpose.
History is full if incidents Of this
kind even amidst conditions where
/ 1,,r TO-,
and power.
Every advance towards a higher
and better civilization has been
wrought by those whose purposes were
nobler and higher than the spirit Of
greed and the desire to accumlate
wealth.
The greatest Reformer Of all s-ges
was a carpenter of Nazareth, MAN
of Sorrows who had no home.
Wealth, luxury and ease, with an
ambition for greater wealth and
greater power, plunged the void in
to the condition of the dark ages.
From this gloomy period humanity
was rescued by men who regarded
gold as filthy lucre, and whose souls
rose high above the sordid desire for
riches and the material things of
this earth, and whose hearts beat
for the bleeding cause of human
rights.
Socialism believes that aggregated
wealth privately owned by a few indi-
viduals is an insurmountable obstacle
to the moral and spiritual uplift of the
people, as we'll as hindrance to their
material advancement.
Great fortunes are not only an in
jury to those who own them, and to
; those especially who inherit them, but
they are burden upon the community
, which is taxed to the end that they
may be increased or preserved intact
for the support of future generations
. who shall in their term inherit them.
They are fruitful nests for the
breeding of parasites who 'toil not
neither do they spin,' but are paupers
living at public expense.
Socialism provides that ''if a man
will not work either shall he cat"
Under such condition great for
tunes would be impossible, as the
profits now enacted from labor by
those who owned the means OF pro-
duction would remain in the hands
OF the creators of wealth.
= Labor alone creates wealth.
The system which fobs labor of a
greater portion of the wealth II
createscreates, and builds up the col
ossal fortunes which are so common
and numerous in this country is
7 wrong in principle and should be
abolished for the simple reason tina,
1t robs labor. But such system
has yet more significant Importance
\ than that of robbing it's employees
for that might be said to be a ques.
ton confined to the employers and
| tho ononInvoa