Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-01-02
ny w. E. eraham.).


Jones and Smith were old friends.
Jones was lawyer and Smith
farmer. They Unexpectedly met on
the street.
Il hear, Smith," remarked Jones,
that you have left the 'progressives'
and Joined the Socialists"
Yes answered. Smith.
well, well, l am surprised" said
Jones. What do you Socialists want,
anyhow
I'VE want to give all the people a
chance to make good living and have
little enjoyment" replied Smith
How do you propose to do it?" said
Jones,
by establishing public ownership
and democratic control of all the prin-~
cipal Industries and of the means by
which the products of these industries
are transported and distributed to the
people" answered Smith.
II think myself" replied Jones,
that people ought to have a better
opportunity and more equal oppor-
tunity to make good living, but you
Socialists Ago too far. 1t seems to me-
here Jones was interrupted by be-
ing bumped\on the shoulder by m an
who was hurWing along the crowded
street. lit appears we are blocking
the public highway" he continued,
land perhaps We had better move be-
fore we are requested to do So"
Haven't we right to block the
street, if we wish to-" asked Smith.
"Oh mo, we are not allowed to do
that" said Jones.
THAT is going too far" declared
Smith. Il see no reason why you
or myself should not have control of
this street."
VERY good reasons indeed" explain
ed Jones as he pulled Smith to the
edge of the sidewalk. You see prac-
tically everyone in this community
must have the use of the highways in
order to live here. The public welfare
demands that every la wabiding per
son shall have access to the streets.
Therefore, it becomes necessary to
make the streets and highways as 4
easily accessible to, all, the people as
possible. Since all law abiding peo-
pie have the right to use the streets
and highways, we must give all an
equal opportunity to do So"
This is all very true" interrupted
Smith, "but it does not prove that
should not be allowed to privately own
and control the street"
Jones laughed heartily at this appar
ent show of ignorance on the part OF
Smith.
"Yes," said Jones, chat is exactly
what it does prove. Years ago we
tried private ownership of publicly
used highways and we found it unsat-
isfactory. The private, owner ~would
erect a toll gate and charge travellers
for the use of the road Also the own
ers could close up the road entirely,
even though it did discommode the
people. You see that plan was in
tolerable, because highways were not
as easily accessible as they might
have been; neither were all people
given an equal opportunity to use
them, as some could i'll afford to pay
the toll The result was that we
eliminated private ownership and con-
troll of publicly used highways and
substituted public ownership and con-
troll, because we found that the only
way to solve the problem"
+tAs, / see," said Smith. 'sThe only
way we could solve the problem of
travel and transportation on the
streets and roads was to own them
publicly or socially. That is to say we
applied the principles of Socialism"
"Well-I-er- perhaps So, STAN
mered Jones.
Now" continued Smith, "as said
in the beginning, Socialism means the
public ownership and democratic con
troll Of all the principal industries and
of the means of distributing and trans
porting the products of these indus
tries. You said, Mr.. Jones, that the
very existence of this community nee
essitates streets and highways, and
that the life and well being of the