Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-03-21
Some Fa1ac;es of Socialism.
From tho Spectator. London.

1OuOOn.
pays for the use Of this piece OF capita,
Is less than what he gains by the substi-
tution OF a superior for an inferior instru-
inent. Up to this point, SO far from being
roooed by the capitalist. he is benefited
me position is not Fundamentally altered
H. instead OF "A peasant, tilling his own
1lekl with hired capital. he hires himself
oui as a laborer to help to till another
man 8 field with the aid of that other
mans capital. Here again the only ques-
tioh Is whether what he earns by working
az d nfred laborer with the aid of capital
" more thar ne could earn by working on
ms own field without capital. aIHve
10 thls question is that an agricultural
'aoorer working as a hired man 10 better
OFT thar a peasant working without
capital, even II he 10 working on rent free
land. Similar considerations apply with
intensified force in the more complicated
industries. The great fact
OF the lth century is the way in which
the development of capital has increased
lne earning power OF manual workers.
ihefe ID not a mar or woman employed
III our manufacturing industries today
VINO y not better off than the same type
or Individual would nave been in the old
Gays OF hand labor. In many cases the
improvement is so great that the manual
worker of today would rank with a
J capitalist of I'M 18th century in his com
mano or the comforts and Injuries OF life.
In saving this we do not for a momen
mean to express any opinion upon the
question whether on human u moral
GROUNDS the capitalist ought to yield TO
the iaborer "A larger share of the total
amount OF wealth produced by the joint
efforts of capital and labor. That Is an
entirely different question. and one which
does not enter into the socialist creed. For
socialists repudlate moral considerations
IN dA2v1nN With ~~AA-s >.AAf-. rr1.nS.
whole argumen Is hat the laborer is
ROBBED OF his rights. and it is that g
ment which Is fundamentally false. So
far then as the socialist creed rests upon
THIS primary misstateznent of fact ii is a
worthless deduction from n false premise.
capital. instead of robbing the laborer, as
the socialist contends. has added to the
and the amenities of life. Consequently
the idea that capital IL the necessary
enemy of labor is an ahsurdity. The
capitalist and the laborer may and do
quarrel as to the respective shares which
each is to draw out of the joint product.
but both gain by the partnership.
Whether it would be an advantage to
sweep away private capitalists altogether
is an entirely different question. and the
answer to it depends upon the considcra-
ton OF what is to be the substitute for
the private instinct for saving. AT present
all capital is accumulated by private
individuals, who save for future use
money which they might spend on present
enjoyment. The state save nothing. it
Is the worst of spendthrifts. Therefore, IL
the private capitalist is to be abolished.
we shall have somehow OF other to endow
the state with habits which II at present
is far from possessing. But that is not all.
In addition, we shall rave to deprive all
the citizens Of the state Of liberties which
II 4HAO MA 1904 L. A.
liberty to decide whether they will spend
or save, and OF the liberty to decide
whether they will work or idle. A com
munfty in which all capita is the property
OF the state must OF necessity be a COM
munity of slaves. The state would be
obliged to prescribe not maximum but
minimum hours of work for every individ-
ual. n a maximum scale of expenditure.
Otherwise there would be no means If
@surtng the necessary output of the
products required by the community and
the necessary margin of saving for the
purpose of keeping up the supply Of
capital.
Possibly the full horror of this prospect
OF universal slavery is not appreciated by
weekly wage carriers. whose life for six
days a week Is regulated by the factory
bell; but even such wage s~laves"-to
quote the socialist ~slang-have freedom to
spend their wages as they choose. and
lTeeoOm W1thIn I2lfly VIDE limits to take
a holiday when they choose. Under social
ism both these very valuable liberties
would disappear. Not only the working
hours but the whole life of every indi-
vidual would be regulated by the state.
and the regulations would be enforced by
state officials standing aloof from the rest
Of the community. playing into one an
others hands. and probably in time form
ing a new hereditary aristocracy. The
reason why this prospect fails to appal
those middle class "intellectuals'' who pull
the wires Of the socialist movement Is tina
many Of them come from h existing
bureaucratic classes, and all Of them
assume az q matter Of course that they
will be the bureaucrats IN the future
socialist state. They will do the regulating
and the rest Of the world will submit. In
the meantime. by posing as the friends of
the working man. they gain an amount of
public importance absolutely dispropor-
i~.tionate both to their numerical weight IN
society and to the intellectual value Of
their creed.
Il Sounds All Right.
From the Chicago Herald.
1t vas the office Of the Great snoring