BOLSHEVISM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3400, 14 May 1919, Page 52

BOLSHEVISM.

TO THE EDITOB. Sin; —Will you allow me space in your paper for the following remarks on the above question? What is the cause of Bolshevism? is a question often asked these times, and what is the best way to prevent this menace from spreading throughout the world? Any person making a close study of the cables, and who has read the opinions of great men, whose ideas on the problem have appeared in the press, must come to the conclusion that the cause of Bolshevism is "man's inhumanity to man." Burns in his day dreamed of a peaceful world, when all men -would bo brothers: but were he alive to-day he would still find his dream far from being realised. But why? Simply through "man's inhumanity to man." How has this inhumanity been shown? you may ask, It is a well-known fact that before this war started, and for generations countless in number before' that, the labouring class on the whole throughout the old world were iinderpaid. On the_ Continent they ,havo been very badly paid for the work done, and even in England the wages up to a short time ago were rotten. Before this war labour was easily got, and the supply far exceeded the demand in all the iarge towns of the old world (and even elsewhere, but not so aoute) were to be found the unemployed. Amofngst these unemployed were many honest, decent men who were willing to work, but could not get work.

' The capitalists knew this, but did they help to remedy it? No. instead, they employed lalour uc a low wage and longHours, instead of a shorter working day, when it would have taken more men to do the same work, and thus would have given more of the unemployed a chance. lhis is the idea of many ot the working people at Home at the present time, and the cause of many of the strikes, now so common. The motto of Capitalism has always been, "Get j.s much work out of man as fossible for as little as possible." The labouring class for generations, owing to miserable wages and long hours, have not been able to get any pleasure out of life worth speaking of. I speak of the old world; the colonies are not so bad, but, dear knows, bad enough in New Zealand with a bungling Government doing nothing to keep down the cost of living. Their families have been dragged up, and knew of nothing but hard graft from when they were able to work till they died. Labour unrest was beginning to make itself felt before this war; but, now the war is over, the cost of living has advanced something terriffic, more considerably than the advance of wages, and the labouring class linds it still harder to live. Before the war, amongst the unemployed of the cities, the Anarchist problem the poorest that such things breed. Bolshevism also thrives best where there is most poverty. If there was no poverty there would be no Bolshevism. But Capital.sra sits on its high throne and looks on. -.: failed before the war to help the unc. *■■ ployed, and in so doing it allowed Anar.•.:;-• and the seed of Bolshevism to thrive, "inhumanity to man." Had the labou.iug classes a few years ago been given snorter hours and a better wage, had work ;el - u given shorter hours and all labourers . • p n given a' share in the industries ot, i ■ r own countries, there would have bet,, > Bolshevism to-day. The labouring . has been ground down in the dust for . turies, working hard for a poor wage, • tirely inadequate for a decent living. 3k...lions of unemployed have striven in tne cities and died in gaols who would have been honourable men and women had they been able to get work. Of course there is the riff-raff wno won't work, but I don ~ think that they would total more than • per cent. Amidst this poverty was hate no. the seed ot Bolshevism, which is to-day • menace to the world and the deadlier enemy capitalism ever had.- Inhumanity 10 man is the whole cause of it. The worki;. 0 classes have been looked down upon by tii capitalists, and treated more like dogs tha.» men by some of them. The capitalist liycd his life of pleasure accompanied by ever.. - thing that made life happy, and refused 10 share even a little with his poor brotnei, the working man. This kind of business is entirely contrary to the law of God, and anything that is contrary to the laws o: the Bible will ultimately come, to the dus.. All men are brothers, but the world ctoos not realise this, especially the capitalist. It is the duty of the men of means to heip their brothers in distress. The hireling is worthy of his wages, and such wages as to provide him with sufficient food and clotning and a certain amount of pleasure and comfort. The world is free to all; the poorest wretch on earth has as good a ngm; to live as the millionaire. There js many an honest heart beats in a poor man a breast. But right down to the present tun. Capitalism has ignored the call of the unemployed, the call of starving children o; the unemployed, for bread, and still ignores to a certain extent the call of the worker for a respectable wage. Capitalism is g.viiip- away a little, but he is a hard boss to deal with; he gives way when Labour is at his thro;.. But I will conclude .by sayme. t.i... that if Capitalism doesn't come down from his high (-state and say to the working classes of every land: "Here, I will g:vtyou a respectable living wage, and an interest in the industries of your country, so that the more the industries prosper the more you will prosper." He must also a*v to the" unemployed: "Come, I promise -v.. : work and a. decent living wage and a share in the countries industries." And above a he must say to the fallen, the poor .and down-trodden of every land tae childre-i of the poor, and all those who have hfeiunfortunate, all those who through adyer-" circumstances have been dragged down to the gutter: "Come, my brother; come, my sister; give me your hand. I will lift you up, I will give you a start m life. If he doesi't come down and do this he will bo pulled down. But Capitalism _is averse to this When a man-is down it kicks him, it turns a deaf ear to the cry of the honest poor and up till lately has ignored the poor' working man. The man of means must lift his honest brothers and sisters -n distress, he must help to lift up the fallen and feed the hungry, and this can be done bv giving the worker a decent living wage, and bv seeing that no man who is willing to work £>oes idle. This would have prevented Bolshevism, the cause of which is purely "man's inhumanity to man." But now I am afraid it is too late. It may not bo but the forces of Anarchy, bred m the slums, is putting itself at the head of Labour wherever it can. and learned men amongst the labouring classes are giving way in manv cases to the Anarchist spirit. But it is evident that if the capitalist does not hold out his hand to the- struggling masses ot humanity and put Labour on a better footing, do away with poverty and the causes of it. and help to lift up the fallen, ho will be dragged down to the dust, and civilisation will so down in a welter of revolution and bloodshed such as the world has never known. —I am, etc., A. T. S. Gore, April 5.