Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-04-25
', ..tr HAVE NOT REACHED
W. THE END.
(By Victor L. Berger)

..A&.*>ggss 49,
new phase of ciViliza-
u. s's Socialism thus far has as + Re,
tel ~, tbe attention only OF me
y 'd n and nd the lowly. The 0pu-
eprs''s' no rich have no reason TO
d and 'r change Of the system. They
I'd fOr 'l' ~nla want to hear any
b's - '' ., ats outside of the working
GpHl o. ,- 's students of history, OF po-
vs. o a.onomy and a few advanced
b''i s'S ssye given any attention to
binSs is.i II Of Socialism. Most other
rnS ssvs only a very vague idea
rhpnS 10 10, ., basis.-Yet Socialism is
e'a ~ u foreground of discussion
Is This the endf
49,. stands for a new civil
a 10 .,,,se with people who believe
VI 'v "a+oyer is will exist forever
t'i .S sa We have reached the acme
lna ,1 Ir' it is entirely useless
b argue So ia man he.
@' .sat the present conditions. are
he s''' end Of all things
wv w. rational development is clear.
d w. new invention and every new
S 'sti.sl question proves that to- US.
lo, y, !, would be-sad indeed if we had
u1 .d Dthe end" We then should
' '','-t be on a leevl with China
wv w., need not explain that the
,. aaI movement is not
y sa as traced to the irresponsible work
:, Individual agitatoTs or eccentric
PERSONS. a,
rsa very name of our party, SO
:, nomocracy, proclaims our aims
:. regard to the political form we
,.m,nd the rule Of the people, i. e.
democracy. In regard to the economic
. ' and the spirit which h shall
".nifest itself in this form and give
NJ. n II. we demand Socialism, that
!. tho collective ownership of the
. ~ of production and distribution.
Thus we shall have Social Democ-
.sv 4 democracy which is founded
an economic independence, upon the
,oitjcal and industrial equality of OPP
,o+unity for ALL.
Industry on Large Scale.
Determined opponents of the pres
ant capitalistic system of industry as
the Social-Democrats are, still nney
never think of calling the concentra-
lion Of capital the cause of all evil.
SOcIsLDemocrats do not try to
smash the trusts as such. On the
contrary, the SocialDemocracy ap-
vreciates so fully the advantages OF
industrial production on a large scale
that we wish its most perfect devel-
Spment; Which is impossible under
the capitalist system.
The control Of production by the
people as a whole means the highest
possible perfection of industry on a
large scale.
Our Lives are in Their Hands
And We all deeply feel thedisadvan'
tayes Of the private ownership of the
means Of production and distribution
On a large scale.
We observe how the railroads,
street car companies, and other pub
lie service corporations corrupt ou1
legislatures. We notice how our life
insurance savings are simply furnish
ing funds for high5financiers. We
witness how the largest factory own
rs combine into trusts which are
fnanciered" by banks and how the
neat trust. the oil trust, the steel
rust and all the other trusts are
regulating prices" and how, more
Ver, some Of these trusts are ruin
1g the health Of the people.
We all see it. We all feel it. And
e all know it.
Then We all must comprehend that
lie owners of these sheets and strips
paper (Which under our present
stem stand for "capital'') virtually
sclde how much we shall pay for
II coffee and our bread, how much
r our kerosene and our coal, and
wv much We are to spend for our
uses, clothing. etc.
IN other words, they decide how
ELL or how poorly we are to live.
icy have the say" as to how long
now short time we are permitted
live.
The Wolves Succeed Best.
AND the wage workers are by no
cans the only ones who suffer from
csc conditions.
with every Increase of power and
lcentration Of wealth the educated