The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-06-19
socIALISTIc SHORT TALK

In the last Short Talk the typo made
the mistake Of rendering the phrase
"the horror of confistication," the
honor" of confistication; but the
author is constrained to believe that
wisdom may be drawn from the trivial
error as we'll as from those of greater
magnitude. Where the ends OF justice
are served thereby confistication is an
honor.
When the human chattels held by
the a~ristocracy Of the old south were
confisticated by the northern states
they collectively and individually felt
that they did themselves honor in
achieving that result.
The memorial day so recently cele.
brated was instituted to the end that
the living and the dead who were the
immediate instruments in destroying
this property in human beings, should
receive honor and the nations &C.
~tivities pause for a day annually that
this honor may be duly rendered.
Yet slaves were property sanctioned
by immemorial tradition and constitu-
tional enactment, there were innocent
purchasers and innocent inheritors of
this property, and doubtless 1t would
have been much cheaper in blood and
treasure had they been emancipated
through purchase or gradual enfran-
chisement. Had it not been for the
pressure of the northern industry and
the arrogance of the slave holders it
might have been yet the principle was
then established in our country that
for the ends of justice and human vel.
fare confistication is an honor, though
it may not prove the most expedient
method of securing these ends.
1t is a historical fact that no dom
inant class ever gave up an advantage
unless forced to do so; and peaceful
methods are not always possible.
Anent memorial day and it's attend
ant mind4sprir rs-the soldiers who
wrought the work of this confistication
Of property receive pensions and honor
but how about the industrial soldiers
who are paying these pensions and
carrying forward the work of the coun-
try at the same time? For in the last
analysis it is the workers that furnish
the living for all, and whatever sur
plus remains over that.
Some of this industrial army are old
and gray, many injured and killed in
the industrial warfare, many debilitat-
ed by occupational diseases; shall not
these too receive pensions that the
evening of their lives may be spent in
peace and tranquility? Old age PEN
sions for the workers have been grant
ed by the monarchies of Europe which
set the copies for Jul governing body
in many things that are not beneficial
to the workers. Why lag behind in so
important a matter as old age pen
sions? Bismarck that astute statesman
of the c~apitalistic order, favored them
as a means of warding off the spectre
of socialism.
Old age pensions are the workers
due and a part Of the graft that now
goes into the Golfers of the trusts
would furnish the e of providing
them. BY their own showing the most
official department is allowing the rail-
roads to swindle the government out
of $4,000, 900 annually for carrying the
mails. And the Armor plate trust OBJ
tains $1,000, 900 in graft on every bat
tleship that Is built. The stoppage of
a few such leaks would give US old age
pensions without any additional tax
and furnish some measure Of justice to
those who have secured the industrial
advancement of the country. This is
one of the measures to which the So
cialist party is pledged. Study it's
principles and take your place in it's
ranks. Alice Ball Loomis.