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

heicnhthk mas nluety-tWO ooclaiht
members. and under Socialist manage
ment the German government devel-
oped the greatest efficiency that any
nation had ever yet attained Ger
many spent more money on her
schools than she spent on her navy.
Germany has the least illiteracy Of any
nation Of the world Less than one
per cent OF illiteracy in Germany.
England fears her power will be
broken by the Socialist party Of Eng
land. Connolly and James Larkns,
the leaders OF the Irish rebellion were
Socialist. McDermot was strongly
leaning to Socialism, and who WAS
said the most eloquent orator In Ire
land. Who are the leading Socialist in
the United States, and are they men
Of any ability? If a party in not rep
resented by intelligent leaders IL is
sure to go to pieces in the combat of
discussion. The following is a par
tial list of some Of the Socialist big
guns. Allen Lewis Benson is an able
speaker, one Of the most beautiful and
forceful writer's in our country. Allen
Lewis Benson is the Socialist candi-
date for President II a mans writ
ings Ia any indication of his character,
Benson must be a man with a beauti-
full soul Fitzpatrick is Benson's run
ning mate and an orator without a
peer. The man who meets him In de-
bate will think he has run against a
buzz saw. Morris Hillquit a very able
writer and speaker. Charles Edward
Russell, journalist and literary man,
world wide known as a master of the
pen. DR.. Lum, ID. D., Alexander Irwin,
I'D. D., ]. Stitt Wilson, d. D., and Job
Hassiman, Attorney at law, and many
others. Eugene V. Debs is a candidate
for Congress in the Fifth COMPRESSION
al district of Indiana of which Terre
Haute is largely a part. The Hoosier
orator had better not challenge Debs
TO debate expecting a soft snap. The
only reforms either of the old parties
have made have been reforms long adj
vocated by the Socialist. Municipal
ownership of public utilities. The
election of United States Senators by
the popular vote OF the people. The
Initiative, Referendum and Recall, the
ILLUMINATION of Child Labor from one
factories, Woman Suffrage, are all re-
forms that the Socialist party has agi-
tated for years. None of these reforms
originated in either of the old
parties. They long favored the Par
eel Post, and their platform can be
summed up In few words, this Is 1t:
Anything for your personal use shall
be owned privately, Your home,
whether Il be the farm or the house
in the city Anything used collective
ly shall be owned collectively, such as
coal mines, oil fields, railroads. tele-
uhones and telegraph lines. water
power sites and all natural resources
of the people that is collectively used
Socialism is not a welcome visitor
among the great industrial centers of
our country, they teach the penicuous
doctrine that a man is entitled to the
wealth he creates and for this reason
he is no more welcome than the labor
union. Capital believes it has per-
feet right to organize, even to forcing
the small dealer or manufacturer out
of business, these results come under
our personal notice almost every day,
but capital denies labor the right to
organize, or set the price of his la
Dor. With Socialism fully in power
the labor union would disappear, there
would be no army of 10000 or 10000
state troops to support and pay for the
sole purpose of entrenching capital in
power. The government would own
or control all these things and strikes
would disappear like a mist before the
morning sun. But some tell us the
church does not approve Socialism.
This is partly true, in large cities the
wealthy churches do oppose Socialism,
but the reason is abvious, the capital
list church member is often a keen
shrude politician as well as a devout
christian. and he sees in Socialism,
the friend of labor that would and will
some day liberate the toiling masses
from the hand of their exploiting mas
ters. These churches tell us that So
.cialist are atheist and infidels, that
they are free lovers and destroyers OF
homes; but Socialism is a political
party, the same as the Democrat or
the Republican party, just like these
parties II has no religious creed. JEFF
ferson was said TO be an infidel. Mr.,
Lincoln never held membership in any
church. Robert Ingersol was an in
ddel Mr.. Taft is a unitarian, which
church people often declare is inhdel-
ity gone TO seed We never heard
any one object to their political faith
because of their skepticism, AS free
lovers an destroyers Of the home, our
divorce courts should be an accusing
witness against any one who throws