Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-03

by exaggeration Of the defects of oul
present conditions, by false charges
of responsibility for it against indt
viduals and classes, by holding up tt
the feverish imagination Of the lese
fortunate and the disconnected, the
possibilities of millennium, condi
ton of popular unrest has been pro
duced. New parties are being formed
with the proposed purpose OF salts
flying this unrest by promising pan
acea. In so far as inequality Of con
dition can be lessened and equality
Of opportunity can be promoted by
| improvement of our educational sys.
tenn, the betterment of the laws to
insure the quick administration OF
justice, and by the prevention of the
acquisition of privilege without just
compensation, in so far as the adop-
ton of the legislation above recited
and laws of a similar character may
aid the less fortunate in their strug-
gle with the hardships of life, all are
in sympathy with a continued effort
to remedy injustice and to aid the
weak, and I venture to say that there
is no national administration in which
more real steps Of such progress
have been taken than in the present
one. But in so far as the propaganda
for the satisfaction of unrest involves
the promise of millennium, con.
dition in which the rich are to be
made reasonably poor and the poor
reasonably rich by law, we are chas-
ing phantom; we are holding out to
those whose unrest we fear prospect
and a dream, a vision of the impos-
sible.
The Danger Of Socialism.
In the ultimate analysis, fear, the
equal opportunity which those seek
who proclaim the coming of so.called
social Justice involves forced d.
vision Of property, and that means
socialism In the abuses of the last
two decades it is true that illgotten
wealth has been concentrated in some
undeserv1ng hands, and that If 1t were
possible to redistribute 1t on any
equitable principle to those from
whom it was taken without adequate
or proper compensation 1t would be a
good result to bring about. But this Is
obviously impossible and impractl-
cable. All that can be done Is to treat
this as one incidental evil OF great
expansive movement in the material
progress Of the world and to make
sure that there will be no recurrence
Of such evil In this regard we have
made great progress and reform, as
in respect to secret rebates In rail
ways, the improper comforting OF pub
lie franchises, and the immunity or
monopolizing trusts and comb1na-
tons. The misfortunes Of ordinary
business, the division Of the estates
of wealthy men at their death, the
chance of speculation which undue
good fortune seems often to stimu.
late, operating as causes through a
generation, will do much to divide up
such large fortunes. 1t is far better
to await the diminution OF this evil
by natural causes than to attempt
what would soon take on the aspect
of confiscation or to abolish the prln-
ciple and institution of private prop
erty and to change to socialism. So
cialism involves the taking away OF
the motive for acquisition, saving,
energy and enterprise, and futile
attempt by committees to apportion
the rewards due for productive labor.
It means stagnation and retrogres-
sion. It destroys the handspring OF hui
man action that has carried the world
on and upward for 1000 years.
Opponents Offer Nothing Definite.
I do not say that the two gentlemen
who now lead, one the democratic
party and the other the former re-
nublicans who have left their party,
in their attacks upon existing condl-
lions, and in their attempt to satisfy
the popular unrest by promises OF
remedies. are consciously embracing
socialism. The truth Is that they 10
not offer any definite legislation or
, policy by which the happy conditions
thew promise are to be brought about,
but II their promises mean anything
they lead directly toward the appro'
priation of what belongs to one man,
to another. The truth is, my friends,
both those who have left the repub.
lican party under the INSPIRATION o'
their present leader, and our ola op'
ponents, the democrats, under tnelr
candidate, are going In dlrectlon
they do not definitely know, TOWARD
an end they can not definitely oe
scribe, with but one CAlel anu @ioo'
object, and that is Of acquiring power
for their party by popular support
through the promise of change fo'
the better, What they clamor for Is
/ change. They ask for change IN gov
eminent so that the government may
he restored to the people, as II this
had not been peoples government
since the beginning of the constltu
ton. iii,
have the fullest sympathy with
every reform in governmental and
election machinery which shall tacli
itate the expression of the popular
will as the short ballot and the reduc
ton in elective. offices to make 1t pos
sible But these gentlemen propose
TO reform the government, whose pres
ent defects, if any, are due to the fall
ure Of the people to devote as mucl
time as is necessary to their political
duties by requiring political actiV
ity by the people three times tha'
which thus far the people have been
willing to assume; and thus they pro
nose remedies which, instead or ex
citing the people to further interest,"
- oo+;vitv in the government, VIII