The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-05-26

among the workers, men are laid on,
the price Of labor goes down. while
rents and necessities Of life remain
the same or go up.
The Socialist view of these condi-
tons which we all know often happen
from this stand point The worker
has produced all this wealth, for
which there is at present no market
and yet amid all this abundance that
his own hand has created, he often
walks the street ragged, homeless,
and hungry. These conditions often
bring on strikes and riots, the loss Of
life and the Obstruction Of property.
This in the opinion Of many able men
is the chief reason why the capitalist
are clamoring so loudly for prepared
ness. and for building up the State
MALTA, and for military training in
our public schools The bill for mill
tary training in the public schools in
New York was signed by the Governor
a few days ago and now has become a
law.
Pennsylvania has an army known
as the State Police or State Constabu-
tary. This army now is probably 1O,-
600 or 10000 strong, | am told they
are paid $75 per month, whether this
50 larry is price for each month, or only
for the time they are on duty we do
not know, they consist of both infan-
try and cavalry, and their mainten-
ance is paid by the taxpayers Of the
state. We have seen them in many
places of this state, and notice they
eat at the best hotels.
During a prolonged strike in one
of the large cities of this state prom
Iinent manufactures said to the writer,
This is the way to deal with strikers,
if one of them is killed 1t is the last of
the matter" Could militaryism be
more absolute? However this army is
not deemed sufficient to protect the
Interest Of the manufacturers of the
state, and a strenuous effort Is being
made to bring recruits to the State
Constabutary, but such men as can
pass the examination into this army
of State Police are turning their atten-
ton to pastures more green.
The muniton makers feel they are
sadly in need of expert gunner, and
are paying $3.50 per month for mount
ed Cossacks to guard their plants
while they continue to pile up dollars
making the implements of death to
destroy their fellowman. The rapid
concentration OF wealth into hands of
the few is viewed by the Socialist, as
well as many others with much alarm.
With all our boosted wealth, and loud
Wanted christianity statistics. under
our present economic system show we
are not doing much for the moral,
physical or financial welfare of the
people. Statistics show that We
have in our penitentiaries lO2,329
jprisoners and in our juvenile institu-
tons 23,7S6 children. There is total
of 199,9S1 paupers in the United
States. Three million pauperized citi-
zens ask assistance from charitable
institutions each year. There are $780,
600 prostitutes in the United States of
which 100000 die each year. Only 50
per year for each child is spent to
educate it, while $l7 is spent to keep
its father drunk.
Six per cent Of the population of the
United States own so per cent oil TIT
wealth, 10 per cent the middle class
own Is per cent, and IS per cent of
the working class own per cent.
There are S,246,S57 persons above the
age of ten years in the United States
that can neither read or write Out
of 100000 school children 100000
never enter a school. The railroads
of the United States own 60000,00O
acres of the peoples lands and are
still accommodating more. Ten years
ago as per cent of the farming was
done under the tenant system Do We
need any change in the management
of our government? Can these cOndi-
! tions exist indefinitely? Will not the
time come and come soon too. when
we as a nation must enter the first
stage of our decadence? This has
been the history of all other nations
who have travelled the road that We
are so rapidly travelling over. Can
We hope to escape their fate? The
4 Socialist party claim. that socialism
will when in force dispel these cOndi-
lions, that armies and navies will not
be needed to protect our foreign
trade, for with universal socialism
the commerce of the sea will be open
to all nations, which can never be
either under a high or low tariff and
by the way this is practically Mr.
Taft's view of the matter for when he
, was President he said that reciprocity
world wide would be a great blessing
TO the world. Then why not have il.
We are told the Soscialist can never
accomplish anything, they are too few
in numbers. All parties were at first,