The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-08
CAPITALISM AGAINST
GOLDEN RULE
Socialist Tells of Class
Struggle
Declares Rockefeller Baby VIII In
herit Half of National Wealth.

Declares Rockefeller Baby VIII In
herit Half of National Wealth.
BY the mere accident OF birth, the
baby grandson OF John d. Rockefeller
will own half of the wealth OF the tni-
ted States by the time he comes OF
age, provided the capitalist system
lasts that long declared Ben. Wilson
of Girard, Kan, during the third lee
ture of the Socialist Lyceum Course in
the opera House last Thursday night.
The War of the Glasses was the topic
on which Mr.. Wilson spoke, and near
ly every member of the big audience
left the Opera House with the distinct
impression that the great struggle OF
the ages was nearing the climax.
Like those who have preceded him
Mr.. Wilson is a speaker of great pow
er and kept his audience flucuatine
between rapt attention and tumult-
uons applause.
Beginning with historical sketch
Of the labor problem, Mr.. Wilson said
that for centuries 1t had been ignored
The average man didn't think, If per
chance, he did and ventured to eriti-
eize either church or state, the
chances We're that he lost his head.
Do1iovo ~ bo do,,,r,a1 uoc tho man
date of all but modern times. \ de-
cade ago society holly denied the criti
cisms of the Socialists, but today they
are generally admitted as justified.
There is nothing wrong with the
earth, declared Mr.. Wilson, because
God made that, and pronounced his
handiwork good. But man hasn't yet
learned how to relate himself to the
earth and his neighbor. He has how
ever, become convinced that he can
learn anything. The school boy study
ing science is told to look at the speci-
men and report what he sees. Thou
sands of American men have been edu-
Gated that way. Now they are look
ing at society and telling what they
see. Hence the era of unrest. The
workingman is seeing that his per
petual toll accomplishes nothing but
to keep him on the earth, and SO is no
longer content.
IF the Golden rule is right, then the
capitalist system of exploiting hui
manity is wrong" declared Mr.. Will
son. IF the sermon on the mount is
right" he continued, then the govern
mental system responsible for present
day conditions is wrong Christ said
suffer little children to come unto me
and forbid them not, yet the mines
and factories of the country, and even
the mills of Skowhegan, are grinding
out their young lives every day. Mann
mon is the god of our time.
The world has always crucited its
saviours and then wondered why it
was in hell, according to Mr.. Wilson.
He cited the executions of Christ,
Copernicus and Gallileo and Lincoln
as typical cases in history, and the
past and present treatment of the So
cialsts as up to date illustrations.
Socialism has been misunderstood,
misinterpeted, and misrepresented, but
at last is coming to be understood and
accepted. No man need think to sup
port the present system. The only diff
ference between Republicans and
Democrats is that one is out and the
other in. So long as either rules,
poverty will be the part of those who
toll and produce the wealth of the
world.
Mr. Wilson insisted that the Social
list were not bringing the class strug-
gle any more than the doctor brings
disease. They were merely interpret
ing il and prescribing the remedy. He
told how few years ago he had been
a Methodist minister in the mining
town of Springvale III. There he had
seen low grade workmen from Europe
imported to drive out native Ameri-
cans, they in turn to be displaced by
black skinned beasts from the south
ern states. While conducting funer-
al beside the grave of little child
who had died victim of corporate
greed, the horror of it all had come
over him, SO that then and there he
dedicated himself to Socialism,
The essentials to life, food, clothing
and shelter, Mr., Wilson explained, all
come from the earth The raw ma
terials are produced and manufactured
by human labor. yet the toilers are
destitute The weayers in Lawrence
who make the cloth stand shiyering