The Washington herald., 1912-10-20
By FRANCES DE SALES RYAN.

Mr. Kopelin's efforts to prove the Jus
tice Of Socialism IN last Sundays Wash
ington Herald consisted in the main OF
an expose of capitalistic evils. This
policy is followed by all defenders of
Socialism. Ask for q demonstration of
the Justice or practicability OF Socialism
and you will hear an attack on capt.
talism.
In each of my articles in this series !
have emphasized the fact that We vigor-
ously condemn existing evils and stand
ready to support any social-reform move
ment that Is based on sound moral prin-
ciples and that can convincingly demon
strate its practicability. its freedom
from tyranny, and its Justice to all
classes Socialism possesses none OF
these qualifications. and is not only farci-
cally impracticable, but Is outrageously
unjust and tyrannical. Socialism. there
fore. must be condemned. We freely
admit that the social body is sick and
in need Of treatment, but We know that
the proposed remedies Of the Socialist
doctors would be worse than the disease.
Mr.. Kopelin based his entire defense
of Socialism last Sunday on the state
ment that "as a result Of the private
ownership Of the means Of production
and distribution the masses are COM
PEELED to work for less than half Of what
they produce" and when a worker
tunder Socialism, is able to get the full
value of what he produces-a system that
does is just"
This is fair sample of the irresistible
logic of Socialists. Mr.. Kopelin's party
wishes to give man "the full product OF
his labor" and this in the name Of jus
tice. How can it do so? Supposing
man makes a number OF watch springs
in a day. Is he entitled to the watch
springs or their equivalent in money
value? Certainly not.
Whose product. Mr. Kopelin. is the
watch spring? Thousands shared in pro-
ducing it. Miners eXcavated the ore In
the regions of Lake Superior. Labor was
employed in transporting II. There was
wear and tear of machinery. Finally the
ore was smelted by workingmen. 1t was
refined by workingmen. 1t was tempered
into steel by workingmen- 1t was made
into watch springs by workingmen.
1t is obvious that the last link in this
chain of workers cannot claim the watch
spring as his full product because the
labor of many preceded his own efforts.
He rs entitled only to that particular
share of the product which he has con-
tributed. His share. consequently. is ex-
pressed in wages.
Overcstimatc worlers' Share.
Socialists make a practice of thus over
estimating the workers share in pro-
duction by dividing the gross production
Of all wealth in the manufacturing estab-
lishments by the wage hands employed.
The cost of materials. coal to operate
the plants. the thousands OF workers
who are clerks, foremen, &c. are all
ignored. and the effort is made to make
the working class believe that they pro-
duced the raw material. dug and trans
ported the coal, &c. Isn't it a gross
form of Justice to thus deceive the work.
ing class? What can honest. intelligent
men think of such tactics?
Mr.. Kopelin cites the safeguarding of
machinery and occupations. the use Of
the initiative and referendum. and a sys-
tenn of rule by the people" as Socialistic
proposals. This is news. If Mr.. Kopelin
will look up some of the legislation
passed in Congress during the past ten
years he will find that remarkable prog
ress has been made in the safeguarding
Of machinery and the protection Of en-
ployes in dangerous occupations. and in
the enactment of this splendid legislation
Socialists played no part whatever.
AS to the initiative. referendum. and
recall. they are advocated by many of
the leaders of the old political parties.
and the ideas are in no sense associated
with the doctrine of Socialism The talk
cf rule by the people" is political cant.
Our present. voting system in America
furnishes the people with the power
of ruling at all times. Under Socialism
there would be tyrannical boss rule. for
Socialism stands for bossism.
THE people" tunder Socialism,, says
Mr.. Kopelin. will safeguard the rights
of all. Bossism or autocracy cannot
thrive where pure democracy obtains.
Greed and graft cannot thrive where