Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-04-25
From Mr.. Hilburn.


Ed. Register-You quote Mr..
Bryan as saying, "Justice re-
quires that each individual shall
receive from society reward pro-
portionate to his contribution to
society,""
That is Socialist doctrine and
we believe it can be accomplished
only under Socialism. According
to bulletin $50 of the census of
1900 labor creates on an average
of S25, 900 per annum and receives
in wages $500 per annum. Labor
creates all wealth and when say
labor, l mean mental as well as
manual labor, experimenting as
well as actually soiling your
hands with the work.
This proposition has never been
seriously disputed. This being
the time, l would like to ask Mr..
Bryan where is the justice in Civ
ing four-fifths of the product of
labor to those "who toll not neith-
er do they spinp" If the laws of
our country have been SO manip-
ulated as to give an advantage to
the wealthy thus enabling men
like Rockefeller to pile up mill
lions by the methods exposed by
Miss Torbell several years ago,
where is the Justice or chance
for justice, under such systemp
Justice requires that labor shall
receive its full product, nothing
less. By cunning, by bribing
legislators and courts, few have
gotten possession of the great
natural resources of the world and
now levy tribute on the toiling
masses. The pirates of old who
forced tribute fromnthe commerce
of the world on the high seas were
just as honorable gentlemen as
the Shylocks who cut the pound of
flesh from the breast of labor.
cat present." says Mr.. Bryan,
"offcial favors are not distributed
strictly according to merit" That
is obvious and needs no COM
ment. And then he asks, sis it
certain that Socialism would in.
sure fairer division of rewards?"
To which, I reply with another
question. "Could it be less fair
without taking all the product of
labor and bestowing it upon So
ciety's favored fewp" "If the gov
ernment operates all the factories,
all the farms and all the stores,
there must be superintendents as
well as working men; there must
be different kinds of employment,
some more pleasant, and some
less pleasant. Is it likely that any
set of men can distribute the
work or fix the compensation to
the satisfaction of even MAJOR
ity of the people?" When our
forefathers founded this Republic
they did not expect to satisfy ev-
erybody but they knew it would
be better than Monarchial form
of government; and although the
peoples control over their law
makers was remote and hard to
put into operation and liable to
create dissatisfaction, it was, not
withstanding all its faults, much
better than Monarchy. And we
have grown and we see better
methods and soon we will make
reforms easier through the initia-
tive, referendum and recall.
And now we come to you again
and say to you industry is in the
federal state governed by rich
barons who have the power of life
and death over their vassals. We
ask you to establish Democracy
in industry and you want to know
fit will give Iperfect satisfaction
No, it won't, but it will be a long
step in advance Of present con-
ditions.
Let me ask Mr.. Bryan If he in.
tends to quarter Hills, Morgans
Baars, ct al, on the people until
some perfect working device car
be invented to get rid OF themi
If you are dissatisfied with tht
program of the Socialist, where i
your programP "When there i
no private employment" Wha
Socialist ever said there would b.
no private employment An.
man might employ himself If h,
could find the means to do SO, ant
since we will constituts the only
title to land the "back to the sol
movement" might then be really
&.
put into operation.
would liketo notice the rest 0
your quotations, but this letter i
already too long, SO ] will conten
myself with notice Of the las