Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-11-23
ANT|-SOC|AuST
DELIVERS LECTURE
Good Sized Audience Hears Peter
W. Collins at'the Armory
Opera House.

ter w. Collins last evening at the
armory opera house to hear his lect-
ure on the Menace Of Socialism. :"
Harry B. Ash introduced the speaker
and in so doing said Mr.. Collins
would not only indict socialism but
would explain it in contrast to diff
ferent phases of social reform. The
burden of Mr.. Collins address is that
socialism and religion are diametri-
cally opposed. He claims that a
Christian socialist is misnomer,
and that the saying of some that
Christ was socialist is blasphemy
of the Savior. He proved this-to
his own satisfaction, at least-by
saying that the Christian who claim
ed to DE socialist did not know
what real socialism was according
to the doctrines of those who are au-
thorities on the subject, such as
Karl Marx, etc. Mr.. Collins said he
had debated with the leading social
lists OF the country and not one of
them but what Mad admitted that
socialism was incompatible with re-
ligion.
At the close of his address Mr..
Collins asked for Questions from the
audience. A few were asked by two
or three present, among them Mrs.
Florence Bossenberger of Williams,
who recently wrote a communication
for the Freeman-Tribune in which
she criticised Mr., Collins lecture de-
livered An Williams some time ago.
The speaker answered the questions
propounded and also paid his re-
spects to the article in this paper.
His answers seemed to please ma
iority Of the audience, as they were
heartily applauded.
However, some of the best inform
ed people in the audience disagree
with Mr.. Collins. They contend
that his explanations are from a
wrong viewpoint and were no an
swers at all.
Following is brief extract from
Mr.. Collins lecture:
IT am interested first, as work
.tag man, in kpaWling dwla tharJ1Fs not
this doctrine of socialism could come
or does come from the working class.
Socialism, my friends, does not and
could not come from the working
people. Why? Because the working
man is spiritual being with a
strong, firm and abiding love OF God,
the Creator, in every part OF his
makeup; and this doctrine of social
ism which denies God, does not and
could not come from the working
class. The ministry of our Saviour,
Jesus Christ, upon earth, teaches
that beyond all question of doubt,
Christ, Himself, became working
man. He selected his foster father,
st. Joseph, the carpenter, and many
OF His apostles were working men,
showing how He dignified labor by
His lessons and ministry upon
EARTH and this doctrine which de-
MES Him could not and does not
come from the working class.
Marx, Engels, Liebknecht and
Lasalle, the founders Of socialism,
were not only not working men, but
they had absolutely nothing in COM
mon with the workers. Is it not
natural to lay down as logical
proposition that a movement to be
Of the heart beats and hopes and the
aspirations and the ambition of the
working class would come from
within the working class and not
from without?
Socialism serves to tear down
the present order Of society and it
appeals to the working people to use
them as the means Of tearing 1t
down. It says we socialists cannot
DelleVe IN q future system OF society
In the same manner as the old re-
ligion promises us life in the next
world. Religion is probably nice
fantasy for undeveloped brains, but
not for people advanced so far as to
reduce everything to a mathemati-
cal proposition
"a few years ago there came to
this country great German leader
Of socialism, Carl Legien, with al
message from the socialists Of Ger
many to the workers of America,
and I want you to hear him and his
message. 1 quote from the Iron City
Trades Journal of Pittsburgh of
May 3, 1912, giving his address. He
said, Religion is opposed by science.
Now that science has left no room
in all the world for the advance
ment of those believing in the old
forms Of religion, there remains
nothing else but socialism, Think
OF that, they say that science abol-
fishes religion. Why, science does