LAND AND SEA PIRATES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 194, 11 May 1908, Page 2

LAND AND SEA PIRATES.

Sir,—lt is amusing to Socialists to witness the belated efforts of such writers as " Hitter ■ Ender" to kill, if possible, Socialism by'the use, .and more ofton,abuse, of terms* and scurrilous imputations generally.. Such taotics show tho character of our opponents, their weak case, and the " language" used merely- recoils on themselves. The phrases, loafors, pirates, which "Bitter Ender" uses, and assassins applv with a thousand fold force to tho existing system'.of society and its supporters. Wholesale assassination is tho brutal system nations and societies submit and condemn their, rivals to, for, tho 110 greater crimo than desiring to livo as thorn-., selves. Socialism would abolish artificial political differences, which are mainly synonymous with racial ignorance and prejudicesill other words, wars industrial and bloodyby establishing a co-operative federation embracing all nations. / . . On tho oth?r hand, loaferdom is tho sum-

Mit as piracy is the base upon which existing society rests. Just consider the ideal type of sanctity and moral holiness tho present capitalist society tends to produce—tho Morgans and Rockefellers. Consider these pure wiiito "lily" capitalists of the field. For the morrow to get a living what thought do they require to take? They neither reap nor sow nor toil nor spin. They wear purple robes and fine linen, and dwell in rich palaces. Tho raimoiit they use grows hot on. tho tops of trees, nor do the food they consume drop down, (like manna is said'to. of old) from heaven. All tlieso are produced not by. them but for them .by their wage slaves, who " Bitter Ender " refers to as tho "rabblo majority." There's a deification of loaferdom for you! A supporter of -thia system of R-obin Hood capitalism should be tho last person in' the world to talk about loaferdom and piracy. _ 1 . Under oapitahsm millibns aro borii who aro loafexs at birth, arid never require to do a. - stroke of useful labour in their lives: Under Socialism everyono in health or. fit. would havo to do a share of the necessary'work. . Perhaps it. is this ide-a of doing something . useful which to our opponents is so appalling. Loaferdom at both ends of the social' ladder . is tlio product of brutal economic conditions. Employment - under Socialism, would bo' so easy, all being compelled t-o work, that an' individual who refused could only be characterised as a degenerate or moral lunatic, and fit for tho hospital. . ' .. '' Thero are. two ways of getting wealth; oiio w;jy js to 'produce it by labour, the other," the infinitely easier to-the privileged .'class, ' is to. steal it after labour lm produced it. - In existing society predatory wealth—that is, capital; proper—is stolen or unpaid-for labour —the accumulated results of' sea piracy,' glorified wholesale land robberies, legal and financial sharkism. My definition of capitalism is " legalised " swindling. ; Tho 'oapif talist per so is an " honest" swindler, a " moral " ''robber, a sort of industrial and political thimble and pea man, who lays oddr as far as ho can over all tho community", ani? fleeces tho public, more especially the con. fiding wago slave. • ' : \ The latter does riot, see at all clearly that'the dice aro loaded, and' that every dollar : robbed automatically rakes shekels togethei for tho owner over tbo whole industrial-field. - "Bitter Ender.". should note that' Socialists and Socialism are'simply , the growing class consciousness of the industrious workers wlic see that capital spells robbery every time, and ' that its perpetuation signifies the martyrdom l of mankind . generally and. the 'CcOiiomio -as- 1 ssssination of. tho industrious; wofkoririvpatY. ticular.—l am, etc.)- .- •••'• ' May'S. - V T. A. E. .. [Our correspondent's letter is' an excelloni example of. the "class of matter: withNvhich • the out-and-out Socialist writer attempts to inflamo the passions of his readers. " A grain of fact and a' niass of wild assertion, couched in extravagant language. 1 ] ■ : . RUGBY UNION TACTICS. Sir,—" Wo want, cither the J?asin or tho Newtown Park for the purposo of 'playing our Rep. fixtures, arid please mdy wo charge', for. admission?"' We all know that tlia Council saw money in it',' arid' that tbo answer.was, yes, certainly. -/-V ;*■ I feel, too, that the Rugby Union' consulted, the. feelings, of Rugby followers'when , they . decided to play ' all. club fixtures' >t Miraniar. .The money would be there,but the comfort? Nowhere. Again, .how"considerate they ~ jvcro, to ..the yPctono Seniors . last Saturday!' But there was something, in this move that should not be' overlooked. 'Gate?, Money, whoofl . ' Association, lacrosse,- hockcyites — stand, off the grass! The strictly-amateur Rugbyites want to' popularise their own game,? But listen to this-— ' ' . "I say, Bill, I guess if the pros, 'ud look' smart and make a bid for tho Athletic Park they'd get it and' all this 'ere tram bustleu'd soon bo over for us.".-(Chorus: "My ; . affidavit." ~ My .advico to. the Rugby Union is, compromise .with the park company and " come - home," or as sure as fate the pros, will score and. tho carcasrii, " all gold," .wilhrocoil against' you.—l am," etc., May 8. ' " RUGBY SPORT.