The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-04-15

q. Masaryk n the new Czecho-Slo-
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 bOlsllevism In the saddle. He has
written of Russia and Is accepted as
an authority on the subject. / asked
him. What Is bolshevismg" His an
swer was: "Bolsheyism is consistent
socialism"
B~olshevism is an old, untried
theory Of government. Its object Is to
secure a greater production and a
more just distribution. Socialism says
that men are without motive for eff
Gent work today because they do not
get a fair share of the things they
produce; that the way to stimulate
production is TO adopt common
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
could he would be helping to shorten
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 n would have
all he needed, no one would have
more than another and il 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
abolishes profits, rent and private cap
italiSm.
Money and Capital.
To understand this doctrine 1t is
necessary 10 clearly know the mean
ing of the word Capital" Many peo-
Pile confuse the word 'capitel" with
the word money" These words have
totally different meanings. Money is
the metal or paper used b. q govern
ment to make easy the exchange of
products. Without mGn4y the world
would go back TO the barter system,
in which the man who had corn
traded il for meat, clothes, and the
others things he needed. Capital Is
the u~nconsuined product of labor. In
other words. all of the food, cloth,
clothing, machinery. etc, In the world
is Its capital, just as a mans capital
is the food he has in the cupboard,
the clothes he hasn't worn out, the
money in the bank which represents
a 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 a remedy for wrong, as
a means OF realizing exact justice.
Modern socialism dates from the
Communist Manifesto" published In
1S4S, by Karl Marx and Frederick
Engels. Their outline Of the socialist
plan seized upon the thought OF the
world. Since that day II has been
gathering the dissatisfied of the world
and grouping them In a class, develop
ing what they term a 'class con-
sciousness." Back of 1t has been an
insistent, uninterrupted propaganda
which has reached every corner Of he
globe. Billions of leaflets, pamphlets.
tracts and books have been circulated.
Millions OF speeches have been made.
Drawing rooms have been thrown
open to 1t, highbrows have progressed
the faith, lowbrows have Numbered
the creed from soapboxes on the
street corners. II has tiolrished best
In Europe. 1t has furnished prime
ministers. It's voice today in the par
liaments of Europe is not a whisper
1T Is a shout. In the new govern
ments which have come GU OF the
war 1t is q militant, dominant factos.
The b~olshevism CT Russia Is pure
socialism-literal communism. AT this
moment | am not writing of the meth
DDS of the bolshesiks. 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.
Copyright. 1890. western Newspaper Union,