SOCIALISM CRY FAILS TO STOP PROGRESSIVES

...Criticism Not Justified With these critics, let us take the liberty to disagree...

...The critics have evidently only regarded as such human beings, whereas this is an era of corporate business...

...The essence of liberalbm is the prevention of calamati»-i by recognition of dangerous trends...

...As it is, his theory has apparently already proved itself true in regard to corporate business...

...To them it was the one argument unanswerable: it was a term expressive of all the political and moral iniquities of the ages...

...First, to got the small investors' money, to let him take the risk while they take the profits and retain control...

...time...

...Despite predictions by many economists that mergers would prove only a parsing phase of our economic life, they continue to occur with Increasing frequency...

...Corporation Is Unit In tfie...

...The preliminary steals of public wealth by private greed are made...

...The Russian peasant was a fanatical adherent of Communism so long as Communism meant to him the division of landed estates from which he wag to get his share, But when he got his parcel of land.- he became something he had never been before—an Independent business man...

...SOCIALISM CRY FAILS TO STOP PROGRESSIVES Arguments of the Enemies of 'Old Bob' Exploded By Former University Man (The Progressive gladly gives space in this week's issue to the following article by T. Arthur Turner concerning the economic and political aspects of the great Progressive movement In Wisconsin and the nation...

...Right then the Russian peasant lost his enthusiasm for Communism...

...yet it did delude many into opposing Progressiv-ism, especially among the very men the late Senator was seeking to protect...

...Does this principle apply today...

...In a country with vast natural resources, such as the United States, there is at first certain to be a great increase in the number of wealthy men, simply because wealth itself increases enormously...

...The tendency toward great business combines in all fields, esitecially those vital to the economic life of the nation, continues to grow and gather momentum...

...At any rate, it might prove an intereirtlng and profitable pastime for the independent bankers of Wis consln to consk'er the matter carefully...

...If we are wise, however, we shall recognize trends as well a* accomplished facts...

...When Karl Marx wrote that the capitalistic class was cutting the ground out from under itself and endangering its own existence by concentrating wealth into fewer and fewer hands, he was, -and still is, laughed to scorn by critics who point out that this hypothesis has not been supported by subsequent developments...

...Turner, who formerly studied at the University lit Wisconsin, wrote this splendid article from a sick bed in a Madison sanitarium where he is making a gallant fight against tuberculosis...

...The absolute control of the nation's credit facilities by a small group of men may quite possibly prove in tolerable to the public Under such circumstances it is not all improbable that the public will rise up and demand the complete socialization of the country's banking faculties...

...When this stage is reached, and we must begin to near this stage soon, the theory of Marx may prove to be a valid economic law both in regard to men and corporations...

...Instead of growing smaller, they maintain, the capitalistic class has actually increased in size...

...timber, and iron becomes limited...

...into the teeth of all Progressive opposition...

...First of all, we must have a clear understanding of Just what we consider an individual in the capitalistic class...

...They have, however, overlooked one aspect of the ma tier This can best be summed up In that superb utterance of Abraham Lincoln —you can't fool all the people all of tl...

...There can be no doubt that the number of wealthy men has Increased...

...The Issuance' of non-voting stock to small holders has a dual purpose...

...It would appear that the guiding hands of many huge business combina Hons have already thought it over...

...ran short of political arguments—and they ran short cf them often—they were in the habit of hurling the cry...

...Reason for Prejudice The reason for this prejudice among small business men was an erroneous idea both of their own position as related to big business, and »n utter disregard of the implications of either Socialism or Progressivism...

...The Progressive believes Mr...

...economic life of today we must consider the business unit as the individual...

...Always for Independence The Progressive group in Wisconsin and elsewhere has always preached individualism and independence...

...We find, therefore, that the enemies of mergers—that is, the adherents of Progresslveiem--long called "Socialists," are pcrlvps doing more to forestall stale Socialism than the friends of big business...

...It appears that their criticism is not wholly justified, because they have been guilty of some errors in observation...

...and that perhaps Marx, in view of this fact, was not so stupid* alter all...

...To repeat, Marx declared that if left to their own selfish, stupid course, private capitalists would eventually exterminate themselves as a class, because wealth tends to center more and more into fewer and fewer hands...

...For example, let us suppose that the control of banking becomes centered in one business unit...

...The corporation rather than, the human being should be taken as the individual capitalist...

...Whether actual monopolies, exist or not, there are distinct trends in that direction, Once a monopoly in any one field is established, it becomes a cherry ripe for government picking...

...Robert M. La Follette was always the champion of the small business unit...

...it Is a legal person created by the state...

...Perhaps nol actual monopoly at present exists...

...Because of this situation, the peasantry is the greatest obstacle today in the path to the socialization of Russia...

...Turner's article is a fine example of frank and clear thinking and unhesitatingly recommends It to Progressive readers.—EDITOR'S NOTE...

...Socialist...

...These were the small, independent business men and independent bankers...

...That does not concern us at present...

...This la a brilliant idea on the part of the plutocrats...

...Next, the critics have failed to consider that the sum total of wealth in a country does not go on increasing indefinitely...

...Legally and economically, the corporation Is an individual...

...In this word they had tremendous confidence...

...If one wanted to find the bitterest enemy of Progressive Republicanism in a given town, more often than not one had only to seek out the local banker or leading merchant...

...After a time, however, the point of diminishing returns must be reached...

...Anyone who has abserved developments in Russia during the last ten years must, be aware of this fact...

...the supply of coal,' crude oil...

...What does concern us is that the units which control business are growing less and less...

...A new variety of banana, which Is immune from disease, has been developed in Trinidad...

...It is a quite harmless word, transparent enough as an argument...

...BY T. ARTHUR TURNER When the political enemies of the late Robert M. La Follette Sr...

...4...

...There is reason to believe that monopoly is the straightest road toward state Socialism, the very phrase that the adherents of the Stalwart crowd dread...

...always it has fought mergers, vast combine, and all economic manifestations that appeared to have a trend toward monopoly and endanger the life of the small business unit...

...It appears quite obvious that the greatest deterent to the spread of Socialism is the existence of thousands of small, independently owned business organizations...

...second, to give the small investor a feeling of proprietorship which will react against pub lie ownership much as independent business does...