Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-04-22

vakian republic. He is a Slav. He
knows Russia. He was in Russia dur
ing the revolution and at the begin
ming of the counter-revolution which
put bOlshevism in the saddle. He has
written of Russia and is accepted as
an authority on the subject. l asked
him, what Is bolshevismw His an
swer was: "Bolshevism is consistent
socialism"
BolShevism is an old, untried
theory Of government. It's object is to
secure a greater production and a
more just distribution. Socialism says
that men are without motive for eff
cient work today because they do not
get fair share Of the things they
produce; that the way to stimulate
production is to adopt common owner
ship. Under such a plan, they say,
every man would be working for him
self, In the sense that all would be
working for the state, and that as all
are an equal part Of the state their
interests would be common and
mutual. The socialist says that by
working and doing as much as he
the workday, because if all the people
Of the world were at work they could
produce an abundance of everything
necessary for the worlds happiness
and comfort, every one would have
all he needed, no one would have
more than another and it would be to
the interests of each individual to
work to shorten his own workday.
The program of socialism promises
to destroy all private ownership.
There will be no such thing as private
property. No one will own land. The
land, the factories, the railroads, the
mines, everything, will be owned in
common. The state will hold the title
to everything, manage everything and
distribute the product. This plan
aboIishes profits, rent and private cap
italiSm.
Money and Capital.
To understand this doctrine 1t is
necessary to clearly know the mean
ing of the word Capital" Many peo-
pie confuse the word capital" with
the word money" These words have
totally different meanings. Money Is
the metal or paper used by govern
ment to make easy the exchange Of
products. Without money the world
would go back to the barter system,
In which the man who had corn
traded 1t for meat, clothes, and the
others things he needed. Capital Is
the unconsumed product Of labor. In
other words, all Of the food, cloth,
clothing, machinery, etc, in the world
Is its capital, just as mans capital
Is the food he has in the cupboard,
the clothes he hasn't worn out, the
money in the bank which represents
q power to buy. 1t Is the surplus. 1t
| is the reserve.
Plato, the great Greek philosopher,
| was one of the first of the socialists.
In the republic of Plato we find a
| defense of state socialism. From
Plato to Lenine men have been urging
communism as a cure for the Ills Of
| the world, as d remedy for wrong, as
means of realizing exact justice.
Modern socialism dates from the
Communist Manifesto" published In
184S, by Karl Marx and Frederick
Engels. Their outline of the socialist
plan seized upon the thought of the
world. Since that day it has been
gathering the dissatisfied Of the world
and grouping them in class, develop
ing what they term "class con-
sciousness." Back of 1t has been an
insistent, uninterrupted propaganda
which has reached every corner Of the
globe. Billions Of leaflets, pamphlets,
tracts and books have been circulated.
Millions of speeches have been. made.
Drawing rooms have been thrown
open to it, highbrows have protested
the faith, lowbrows have Numbered
the creed from soapboxes on the
street corners. 1t has fiourished best
in Europe. 1t has furnished prime
ministers. It's voice today in the par
liaments of Europe is not whisper
it Is a shout. In the new govern
ments which have come out OF the
war it Is q militant, dominant factor.
The bOlshevism of Russia Is pure
socialism-literal communism. At this
moment l am not writing of the meth
DDS of the bolsheviks. First, want
to make clear and simple their plan.
Bolshevism is an effort to put into
practice the doctrine preached by
Plato, programmed by Marx.
,co,,,-,abt 1e0O Western Newspaper Union)