The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1911-11-03
IL Socialism the Remedy?

When President Taft was recently
In Panama, he interviewed men work.
ing In every department. asking them
all sorts Of questions, and endeavor.
ing to secure information from first
hands Of facts which would enable
him, as President, to properly under.
stand conditions and pass intelligent.
ly upon them. As might be expect
ed, all sorts of grievances we're
brought to his attention, and one of
them was an appeal for the men who
are doing the actual work for an In
crease In wages. such as
have been made all over
this country by employers. either
willingly or by compulsion. As a
matter Of fact. 1t seems like the Pan.
ANA ditch digger should have the
same pay as ditch digger In the
United States, but right here comes
in the queer part Of the story.
On examination the President made
the wonderful discovery that while a
man in America got higher wages
than the Panama laborer. the latter
could live just as we'll and much
cheaper than the fellow who dug
bitches In the United States. And
why. Simply because the United
states was the boss-was working on
its own hook, so TO speak-furnished
food, clothing and medical assist ance
on the cooperative plan. and thus en-.
abled the Panama worker to live
much cheaper and as we'll, or better.
than his brother In this country
II this isn't practical demonsi ra.
tion that the socialistic theory IL cor.
rect. then what is ~ Practically ev.
erything used 10y the Panama laborer
comes from the United States is
shipped long distance and must
necessarily he difficult TO handle: still
the Panama workers can sit down to
refrigerated tenderloin, pork chops,
sugar, coffee, hot biscuits and fresl,
butter at less price than he could DO
so In the American town from which
It Is shipped or the country village
where IL grows. 1fsuch conditions do
not prove the contentious Of social.
ism, then the Bible j. not understood
and he'll il a refrigerator.
Tie question plainly put Is this-if
the government can by plan Of CO.
operation feed and clo,he cheaply the
| thousands Of laborers on the Panama
ditch. why cant 1t do the same for
the balance Of MS here at homeY L.
the American IN Panama OF more i'm.
portance than the one al honey II
the government Is powerless to pre-.
vent the meat packers and provision
manipulators from robbing American
laborers, how In the translucent ether.
lied reinforced hell can II stop them
In PanamaY The proposition has a
transparency about 1t that offers very
little obstruction TO he eyesight-i,' IS
too thin.
am not socialist. probably be.
cause do not understand socialism
land have my doubts about any one
fully understanding ~, but claim tC
be an honest, fair and liberal.minded
American citizen. and who finds II
impossible TO divide human actions
into more than two classes right and
wrong.
When one man secures dollar from
another man honestly, fairly ant
openly, It Is right. II he gets 1t dis
honestly, unfairly and stealthily, II Il
wrong, plain and simple, though peo
pie sometimes call II financial shrewd
ness, embezziement, or the more mod
ern name for theft-"graft."
II one man defrauds another out OF
one dollar, We have law that no,
only demands restitution Of the dol
lar, but iniiicts punishment TO thu
wrongdoer. In case the dollar la.
been spent, the offender Is punished
anyway. At present under our high
ly intelligent and scientific CONNER
| " wv" h's o's W. !"
a company which Is termed a trust OIL
combine, openly and brazenly rob tn,
people at will, force them TO pay out
rageous and extortionate prices fol
everything they use, and our great
blondined government utterly fails L
stop such high.handed robbery. On
the other hand, the same government
can very easily protect a portion Of
her citizens from the trust, and re-
lieve them from such vicious, rascally
and ineXcusable eXtortion.
| II the government can protect g
Panama ditch digger from the bee
and bread trust, why isn't IL able Il
protect the ditch digger In Texas OF
New EnglandY
| Has 1t more power in Panama than
In the United StatesY Or Is our gov
| nlipn In, uith a.. ,,,ss