The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-02-09
The Socialist
Editor, Miller
And Banker, III. b. Hoffman's At
tack ON the System of Rent
Interest and Profit

On February 2. Comrade C. B. Hofr
man. editor of the Chicago Daily Soc
ialist. delivered the first lecture III
the series being given under the aus
pices-ot the Charleston Local, his sub
ject being The Philosophy OF Soc
ialism."
The speaker was introduced by C.
H. Boswell, editor OF the Labor Argus
In his Introductory remarks, Comraae
Boswell urged the necessity OF a be-.
ter understanding OF Socialism, since
1T is an Issue which we must soon
meet, and to meet it intellfgently. we
must study it.
Editor Hoffman began his remarks
by saying that Socialism is a piloso.
ply Of all philosophers; that it is as
broad as earth. as high as heaven,
and rs deep as human nature. I.
gathers up the elements of all philoso-
phies, takes the best from them. and
combines them into what is n new
philosophy 1t takes the best expe--
1ences Of the past, and proposes to
reorganize society on an entirely new
basis. Our present sytem of society
Is founded on injustice and special
privilege; npon the idea that the earth
and the fullness there of were not m
tended for the benefit of the few, Cor
whose sake the many must toll and
suffer: that the many must live IN
poverty In order that the chosen ones
may live without toll or hardship: that
novertv. for the majority, Is necessary
and inevitable. Socialists prouose 20
rebuild our economic system. foundin
it upon Justice and brotherhood. They
do not believe that it is right Or neces.
sary that the masses OF mankind.
surrounded as they are by all the
things necessary to their material com
fort should live in poverty. Before the
invention of our modern ma achinery.
when production was by crude and
pr1mative tools, poverty necessarily
existed among the great masses OF
mankind, on account Of the limited
output, and so the idea originated tha
poverty is inevitable, and there are
people even today, who are so benight-
ed as to cling to this ancient idea.
They look upon the man who propos-
es to abolish poverty, as the ignorant
people Of Europe looked upon Colum-
bus when he declared his intention 20
sail around the world. Nobody ever
had sailed around the world, therefore
nobody ever would or could. "We
have always had poverty" say these
ignorant ones OF our day, "and we al
ways will have It." We are even told
that poverty is divine institution.
that it is ordained by God, and are ac-
tual1v taught that we ought to be
thankful that it is no worse than It
is.
Rut the invention of modern-labor
saving machines, and modern methods
OF organization and distribution, have
increased our productive capacity
many fold, and made poverty wholly
If he but have access 10
the raw material and the tools of pro-
duction, man can not only produce
food, clothing, and shelter in abun-
dance for all his needs, but can do
this and still have time for education
and enjoyment
Why is it then, that with all the
progress that has been made in the art
Of producing the necessaries OF life
the vast increase in the ability of the
individual to produce. that there is
constantly increasing number without
food, clothing or. shelter sufficient for
their needs? It is because along with
the increased productive capacity OF
the workers there has come an IN
crease IN the number of those who
produce nothing. and who rob the
the worker OF all but 1.-THE of wha.
he produces. Continually. bv the aid
OF the machinerv of government which
they control, they have fi1ched a lar