The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-16
.SPARGO ON
SOCIALISM
Noted Exponent of Doctrine
Gives TdealiStic Views
at WOman'S Club
SOME ERRONEOUS
IDEAS DISPELLED

Fundamental Doctrine Is Collective
Control of Things which in Private
Hands May Be Used to Exploit La
Dor Of others.
About $50 members of the Brattle
boro Woman s club and guests listened
attentivelv for IN hour and a quarter
yesterday afternoon III the Congrega
tional chapel to John Spargo, the most
gifted exponent of Socialism in the
United States, if not in the world. As
always, he held the undivided attention
of his audience while he told of the
idea! Of Socialism, picturing with beau
tltul word paintings what everyone
appreciates would be the ideal life on
this earth but which few. unless ar
dent Socialists, will believe may be
brought to pass at any time.
His audience caught a glimpse OF his
early activity in Socialism when, in
describing much of the present antag
onistic attitude towards that doctrine.
he mentioned that he was one Of the
five who in London drew up the first
description Of the Socialistic belief:
Collective ownership and control IN
der democratic management OF all
means of production. distribution and
exchange. -
Since that time he explained, the
efforts of opponents OF the doctrine
have been busly engaged in explaining
that the word AL : was a mistake.
What they did mean to express at that
time, and ito now, was the : ownership
and control OF those things which, in
|, private hands, can be used to exploit
the labor of others; which give others
power over life and the capacity TO
earn bread.
Touching upon that other perverted
belief Of many that Socialism is in
tended to bring all TO a dead level of
equality and that all private property
is TO he taken for the state. he char
actcrized this as ridiculous and the
antithesis of the theory or intent of
Socialism What the true Socialist
looks forward to in that happy millen-
ium is the increase in private property
TO a point where every person shall
have as his or her own 50 much as
each can use without doing injury 70
another IT is not desired that all
should he on an equal plane of amy
kind except that Of an equal chance
III NE Tor tAtEN EHilNl anu lIitN- llt
! contends with truth. cannot be until
4 every child has been born into the
world with IN equal chance at sunlight
i and brought forth 10y a mother who
4 has an equal chance with all others
for health ana strength.
The solution of much of this he re-
I CARDS as the governmental control OF
uH public utilities: not the curling 81
81 n E,,+ etl
Ieetive or governmental control OF
Z them for the benefit OF all. Politically
; he said. All parties except the Social
list view the situation with nothing
Init destructive programs for the bet
tcrment of conditions. One favors
leaving well enough alone. another
curbing the monopolies, while the SO
cialist party comes forth with the only
, constructive view. that of public own
ership and control OF the great indus
p tries.
l. Incidentally, he expressed the beliei
a that Mr. Roosevelt : program of curb
n ing the trusts is bound to be tried out
and bound to fail FOR the reason thai
it was based upon the Fundamentally
J unsound principle of setting a man t,
watch the man who is watching til,
: man at work. Such plan carried out
TO the last degree necessary woul,
transform the United States into tn,
greatest bureaucracy ever known. Al
! an illustration, he declared that il cost,
= moro to regulate banking in New Yorl
: than it would for the government I,
do all of the banking
Fundamentally. the Socialist believes
that those who make the bread shout,
!. he permitted to eat so much Of it a.
e health and strength require. The SO
+. cialist does not condemn individuals
i, for the worst evils are the incidental
l. results of the highest and best collcc
Il tive aspirations for good.
d rs the material progress of man Il
T. traced upward basis of material gaii
for all is shown. The Socialist says al
i of the gain we have made is WORTHLESS
+ unless il is TO lead to the liberation o
human energies for 4 larger spiritual
e moral and intellectual plane in the If
', of the world. No upward step in tn
march Of progress can prove a blessint
; to mankind unless il is nurtued II
= clean soil and under decent econom
., conditions. Every increase in the pow
/" CT to produce wealth can be made
step upward and Godward under prope
! conditions.