The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-04-28
ANSWERS HIS OPPONENT
AND EXPLAINS MATTERS
Along Sociological Lines-Says
He's Not a Reformer But
RevoIutionist.

Hartford. KY. r. 6, Apr. Is, 1915.
Editors Herald:-"A. d. ia
Democrat Teetotaler," presume
tries very severely to ridicule me;
but, regret to say, in doing SO, he
only emphasizes his own illiteracy
and shows his utter lack of clear
knowledge of sociological facts, and
also of the complement of democ-
racy.
Democracy signifies that no hui
man being shall be neglected by So
ciety. Democracy provides and
care for all-socially, politically, in
dustrially and morally. 1t is JUS
tice,. right, Industrial freedom and
social righteousness. Democracy
safeguards all by safeguarding So
ciety itself. 1t cares for the indi-
vfdual by caring for society, OF
which the Individual is a part. Dem
ocracy is not individualistic, capt
talistic and competitive in its ma
ture and animus; but it is
social, collective and cooperative
in all it's principles and program.
Society is not composed of classes
and of people who have antagonis-
tic and warning economic interests.
Hence, individualism, capitalism.
classism and the class-struggle for
ever destroy all semblance of So
ciety, and in lieu thereof set up hell
and pandemonium on earth. Socie-
ty is composed of social, political
and economic equals who have COM
mon and identical interests. 1t is a
homogeneous whole--a social unit
lin which each individual is the
social, political and economic peer
of every other individual. Society
is no higher than its lowest sub
stratum. 1t is no higher than its
lowest hobo, its lowest pauper, its
lowest drunkard, its lowest crimi-
nal.
Whenever society is regenerated
by virtue, sobriety, honesty, justice,
freedom and democracy, then will
begin the regeneration of the indi-
vidual, who is component part of
and factor in society. Has the re-
formation of individuals ever re-
formed society? No! Well, then,
give sobriety to individuals by for
mulating a sober society, by legal
enactments which will penalize vice
in any form, and make odious the
liquor traffic. When the fountain
head (society) is impure the whole
stream (the people, is defiled.
lay down these propositions:
We are the products of our en-
vironment; If our environment is
evil we are evil (more or less) ;
the individualistic, capitalistic COM
petitive environment is evil; in or
der that we have good environment
we must nave a good social order
which eliminates indlvidualism and
capitalism (upon. which our present
social order is based) which ever
| furnish brutal incentive to man.
kind, and tend to deteriorate and
degenerate the human race, mental
ly, morally and physically, because
they (individualism and capitalism
are wrong and unjust, brutal and
degenerating.
A good social order is one which
substitutes social justice and eco
nomic freedom in lieu of raw bru-
tishness, social injustice and indus
trial slavery, and that individual
ism and competition which turn the
hand of every man against every
other man, and make us all like
the beasts of the jungle-fghting
with tooth and claw for that brutal
supremacy which is cruel, unjust
and beastly in all its vicious aspects.
Capitalism, competition. profits
these father poverty and misery,
and all the evils of the liquor traf-
fic. Let's abolish them, and pro-
hibit the manufacture and sale of
intoxicants. so that We may have
better men by and through better
society. which puts social and legal
restraints upon the evil passions and
appetites of men. Capitalist socie-
ty. being evil. begets evil; for, like
begets like, and like cause produces
like effect. Capitalism is criminal.