Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-11-15
Letters From, the People
The ooIdstein lecturs,

LGtIGT0 from tue EGOpvG
The ooIdstein Lecture.
David Goldstein of Boston, the noted
anti 6ocialist lecturer was greeted
Wednesday night by an immense audi
ence In the Pinney theatre, which most
eloQuently attests to the intense inter-
est the people have in the Socialist
philosophy.
It would be asking too much space tc
reply in detail to his speech. This must
effort.
| He appealed to the prejudice of his
sympathetic hearers. especially to those
of the Catholic church, and by taking
isolated parts Of some of the writings
Of noted Socialists, proved to his own
satisfaction, and to the delight Of the
unthinking, that those students did
not fully believe In the Bible. He also
recited passages Of one book written
by Bebel. and another book written by
Engells to prove that those men be-
lieved in free love-: but he dared not
accuse either Of practicing It. And
| then because these books were offered
for sale along with 1900 other pieces of
literature by the lyceum course Of the
national party. every prominent So
cialist was irrevocably committed to
free love-"
Even were It a fact that every So
cialist was an atheist or free lover"
that does not prove that the principle
of collective ownership Of what must
be collectively used is wrong. And he
knows that the great mass Of the So
cialist voters are neither the one or the
other.
Persistently did Mr.. Goldstein avoid
the fundamental mission Of the Social
ist party Only too we'll does he know
that the reason for the existence of the
Socialist party is to stop the exploiting
of the producers by the insidious extor-
ton through interest and profit.
1t Is wholly immaterial and irrelevant
whether Socialists arS horse thieves or
statesmen, the issue Is not personalities,
but principles
The essential question is whether
business under private ownership is
just and can continue, or whether to
preserve civilization 1t is necessary for
the great businesses to be collectively
owned and conducted.
If it should be proved that none but
atheists, skeptics and horse thieves
advocated just system Of production.
while the Catholic church. the Gold
stems and Harry Orchards defended
system of exploiting that will not bear
the searchlight of analysis. then like
the Scotchman's COW. lit will be bad
for the church"
But 1t is not so. Many devout Cath
olics are ardent Socialists. They
clearly understand that the large for
tunes that now control the great mod
ern businesses of the country have
been built up In the last 40 years
(since steam and electricity became
practicaD until over 70 per cent of the
wealth of the nation Is in the hands Of
one per cent of the people, or one per
cent Of the people own IS billions of
our wealth and the other 90 per cent
own less that 40 billions.
Cyclone" Davis puts It much more
strongly. He says. 1915 men own and
control more Of our wealth than 60
millions Of our people" And remem-
Der, similar conditions exist in other
countries.
Mr.. Goldstein knows as well as every
intelligent Socialist knows, that the
Of the Socialist party Is to
change the present private ownership
OF the means of producing wealth to
collective ownership He knows that
private ownership of such cannot exist
without the profit system. And profits
mean the doubling Of those immense
This is patent to all but the
most wilfully blind and pre1udiced.
What prospect have the masses to
Improve their condition. when we real
Ice they must create IS billions of new !
wealth by the time one per cent doubles |
their wealth. even for them to hold |
what they have now? Common sense |
that 1t IL impossible to create |
30 much new permanent wealth in 10 |
years. and yet the rich with their un- |
questioned ability to manipulate con- |
ditions can on an average double their |
wealth in much less time. IL civilization |
IAN stand the strain that long.
This. then. is the picture presented |
% US by the present system. Can |
Governor Wilson induce the rich to .e-
invest their dividends unleaa there are |
profits In sight? II he were able to
insist on small profits capitalists would
.efuse to invest In new enterprises. |
This In turn would retafd development,
less work for labor and con-
DeQuently harder times.
The result would be the Democratic
,arty would be kicked out Of power SO
ar that It would take them 20 years
o get back within speaking distance.
II. on the other hand. Mr.. Wilson en-.
development by allowing al
uring profits he will be damned by
public sentiment az much or more than
President Taft has been, and with AZ
little reason. Either horn Of the dilem-