The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-20
to us today, human slavery made our
civilization possible

to us today, human slavery made our
civilization possible.
Feudalism took the place OF abso-
utism. Slavery could not always last
in its primitive form. The serf took
the place Of the slave. But the mas
ter still ruled. Feudalism was a
step up, but the lord still held sway.
The serf was slave, who could not
be sold away from the soil. He was
given some privileges, but still greatly
restricted. He could work for him
self, but must remain in his place
He could.not be sold away from the
land. He was little more than a chat
tel, but that little registered mar
Vicious progress in the race.
Capitalism Now.
\ We have now coined new term-it
is Capitalism" This means the rule
OF money and property. Slavery and
serfdom gave way to larger liber-.
ty. Man demanded more liberty. He
demanded the right to sell his SER
vices in the markets Of the world.
This brought him an advantage. He
could now so from place to place. He
could live in city or country, and en-.
ter competition with other workers.
He could quit his Job If he liked, No
man owned him. But combinations of
capital have given new master. II
is folly to say that man Is worse OFF
than in ancient times. But it is
equally foolish to claim man has
reached the highest possible indus
trial freedom. Everybody admits thai
the wage Garner has more liberty
than the slave or serf. We know that
capitalism Is better than absolutism
or feudalism, but the man who does
not know that great combinations OF
wealth put the worker at the mercy
OF tyrants is not informed. Our COM
pltcated life makes the man who tolls
simply part of great machine. In
the old days when man made an
article with his hands, there was
some culture in it. This simple form
OF industry IS only a dream TODAY.
the worker is a part of a machine.
and the machine is a part of a sys.
tenn. Visit any great factory and
study this for yourself, or a machine |
shop and watch the toilers. The VIII
lage blacksmith, the old time shoe |
maker. had tasks which developed
and genius; but modern
capitalism has made men units in n |
great combine. -
New Demands.
We have come upon new demands
The air is full of agitation. We are
IN the midst of an industrial reyolu-
ton. Every civilization has a group
OF Socialists. Many people who are
afraid to use the term Socialism"
talk about Industrial democracy II
matters not what We call 1t, the thing
is the same. Slavery, serfdom and
wage earning must pass. lAbsolutism.
feudahsm and capitalism must 10
The coming worker will demand per-
feet social liberty. He must be master
OF his hands, his brains and his soul.
lie will have a right to the creation
OF his own energy, and share in the
toll OF his own life. He will bow TO
no king and acknowledge no master.
He will be the equal OF all men in a
social democracy. When this will
come, or how, no one knows. II is
folly to guess. 1t will retard prog
ress to lose the spirit of the cam
paign by making a machine. But a
few things we must learn. We must
learn to distribute as well as we have
learned to create. In this new polit-
lcai economy there are two PROPOSE
tons which are fundamental:
W-From each according to his
ability.
t2)-To each according to his
needs.
Democracy in Industry.
An industrial aristocracy can moi
live within an Industrial democracy.
Either we will become an Industrial
democracy or political aristocracy.
But the clock of time does not move
backward. Our political institutions
VIII become more and more democrat-
ic. The future will, then, bring dem,
ocracy in industry. The Industrial.
baron or overload, though he has no ,
title or wears no crown, is an offense
and will be removed.
Let us, then, show the relation of
Christ and His gospel to these prob-
lens. Men care very little about dog.
matic Christianity and theological de-
duction; but when they know that
Jesus taught that the same tender
ties which bind the mother to her
children and the children to their
mother. He wanted to make the ties
OF universal brotherhood, they will
be interested and follow Him. Jesus
came to redeem society and His COS
pei will do It If this problem is ever
settled, 1t will. be because we have
become willing to take Jesus at his
word and live his gospel in every day
relationships.