The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-08-20
PEOPLES FORUM
SOCIALISM IN AMERICA
(By JOHN n. sHORT.I

Much has been said and written
ABOUT the conditions existing in Rus
sla under the present form Of govern
Anenrr so called, and the question
arises will it be destructive or con-
structlve or itself. AS far as the writ
er can observe it is heading towards a
system or state socialism, which, in
the last analysis, means industrial SER
V1tude Tor the masses. Freedom has
already departed from the soviet
state; freedom of speech, freedom Of
the press, freedom Of free assembly.
You are either for or against the
powers -that-be in Russia, If against,
imprisonment or death is your lot. The
Reds backed by hireling bayonets, are
entrenched at Moscow. The vast
horde of ignorant peasants Of Russia
have gained some advantages from the
Revolution through seizure Of the
lands of the aristocrats; but they are
gradually waking up to the fact that
they will eventually lose their hold on
the soil when communism or social
ism is fully established.
AT present, the soviet rulers at Mos
cow have refrained from imposing
their iron rule on the peasants, but
the time must come, If state socialism
or communism is to be put into force,
when the peasant will not till the land
as a proprietor, but as serf of the
state; a mere pawn in the hands of
the doctrinaires at Moscow. Workers
in the cities will be no better than
galley slaves chained to the oar. They
will have no control Of their destinies,
under capitalism, with it's many imper-
fections. We at least have liberty of
speech and freedom of the press. We
can attack the powers that-be for
their short comings. We can control
our own fate. We can stop or refrain
from working as we please. No one
can coerce US to do things we do not
want to do, provided we do not break
the law of the land. Workmen can
strike 'ad libitum" and lad nausem."
We can own property, write letters to
the papers protesting against almost
anything under the sun. !
Under capitalism even bolshevists
can have their say. Emma Goldman,
professed anarchist and general dis
turber Of the peace Of humanity longs
to come back to America and bask I'M
der the Old Flag. Conditions as she
found them were intolerable to her,
and yet, our dear misguided, foolish |
and soured professors, |
preach revolution, in spite OF the ex- |
ample set by Russia.
One prominent observer Of Russian |
says: There is no prospect |
VIVA tsoever that communism will in |
crease the sum total of human liberty, |
that it will ever make better oppor- |
tunities for the average man or |
woman, or that it will improve living |
conditions so that folks under its sway |
will eat better, dress better, or live |
better. Only so far as it could accom-
plish such things would it have any
excuse for existence"
To come down to bedrock, commun-
SIN and socialism are opposed to hui
nan nature. These Utopias look we'll
On paper, but they won't work when
applied State socialism on small
scale, was tried out in Paraguay some
Jears ago when the government coded
/ large tract Of land to group OF for
,ign socialists and babe them God
speed in. their undertaking. Their ex-
however, was a lamentable
allure.
But we may under capitalism borrow
'ome points from socialism, without
our liberties. Public edu-
alton and the post office department