The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-21
OUR SOCIALIST FRIENDS
AND THEIR $1,000 OFFER

In yesterdays Star, at the request
of one of our socialist friends, we
printed the following:
W. F. Refs, OF Toledo. Ohio, offers
$1,000 in cash to any one answering
the following five questions without
using the socialist answer:
1. Why are the great bulk OF the
people in poverty?
2. Why do those who do the least
work have the most. and those who do
the most work have the least?
3. Why is IT that 81 per cent Of the
population of the United States do not
own a home?
e. Why is IT that in the United
States poverty and prostitution in
crease three times faster than our
population?
5. Why is 1t that every few years we
have panics, and men are thrown out
of work, and why have the farm
mortgages in North Dakota increased
80 per cent from 1900 to 1910?
Do you think 1t would be unfair to
tell your old party politicians before
the next election: Unless you win that
prize OF $1,000 we are going TO vote
for a collective ownership of trusts.
which means socialist control, through
ownership 0f cne-gcv--rfnert BY the
people, by means of universal suffrage.
the initiative. referendum and recall?
We have no doubt that we can an
swer the questions but we are BANKED
dollars.
1. The great bulk of the people Of
the United States are not in poverty,
il by poverty is meant lacking the
means to obtain the necessities of life.
Comparatively few ara in want, and
the majority are able to have at least
few Injuries.
2. AS a rule, those who do the
most work have the most. There are
quite a large number of people who
are compelled TO work TO the limit for
a bare living, but they are few in
comparison to those who are passably
well remunerated, and probably do
not equal in number those who could
have more IL they would work more.
3. II by owning homes is meant
title deeds to houses and lands, the
vast majority do not own their homes
Comparatively few people are home
less, and a great many of those who
live in rented houses and rooms do so
from choice. The country abOunds in
opportunities for people to own their
homes, and where one person is pre-
vented from doing so by misfortune
or necessity. there are at least two
who rent out OF preference, or because
they would rather spend money for
other things than buying land and
building houses.
4. We do not believe that poverty
and prostitution increase three times
faster than the population. Up to
short time ago. we had no statistics,
or very careless ones, on these sub
jects. 1t Is hard for any man who has
had as much opportunity to observe
conditions as the writer has to believe
the ppopIs~-0f the United States are
poorer than they were forty years
ago. They are certainly spending a
great deal more, and how can they
spend 1t unless they have it. AS for
the evil OF prostitution, it increases
with civilization and luxury faster
than it does with genuine poverty
Among the savages, where every fam
ily's possessions can be carried on the
backs of its members, 1t is unknown.
Necessity drives many women into it,
but Ii is more the necessity of keeping
fine clothes than 1t is the necessity for
bread.
5. We have panics because we have
no better sense than to be frightened.
Increase in farm mortgages is not so
much a sign of poverty as it is of en-
terprise Farmers, as general
thing, mortgage their farms in order |
to buy more land or improve what
they have. Everybody who makes any |
advance in these days does so by going |
in debt. A man who wants to make an |
Improvement that will pay him 40 or |
so per cent, would be foolish to try |
to save the money day by day when he |
can borrow 1t at per cent or less |
The reason why American farmers |
live in good houses with pianos for |
their daughters and top-buggies or
autos for their sons, is because they |
have borrowed money. The reason |
why European farmers live in the |
same houses with the cows, and walk |
into town on market days is because |
they haven't borrowed.
Now, the editor OF the Star is a So
cialist himself in a way. He thinks it |
will be a mighty good thing for us all |
to be on the outlook to help each |
other. instead of trying to get the
best of each other. to abolish poverty
by altruism and crime by not COM
1t; but he has no reason to
believe this generation or the next one
or the next one will pull OFF any such
stunt. 1t can't be pulled off until we
all work at 1t cheerfully together.
We do not agree with what Brother
Ley said, or what our socialist friend
Sullivan says Brother Ley said, that
poverty is part of the divine plan, or
that 1t will always be with us. We
may be a hereto or some other kind
OF a tick, but we do not believe divin-
lty ever planned sorrow and pain in
any form. We believe that poverty
will be abolished the same as can
nibalism has been abolished, when we
have the. wisdom to do so. But we will
have to increase in wisdom before
that time comes.
On the first page today. we print an
article from our socialist friend II. c.
Jones. He says some things that are
sensible. but he misrepresents others
and promises too much.
1t is very true that the aims of So
cialism are not a little misunderstood
but socialists are the same kind OF
people the rest OF us are, and IL they
are able to take the reins of govern
ment, they will handle them just the
same as the rest of US do, and the
very nature OF their promises insures
that they will have to WELD the whip
with more vigor than any party
hitherto has. Who can tell where
capitalism Begins in this country and
where 1t leaves off. Every man who
works for himself is a capitalist.