Socialism as it is : $b a survey of the world-wide revolutionary movementWalling, William English
History
Socialism as it is : $b a survey of the world-wide revolutionary movement
Walling, William English
Socialism
"We are not fighting property," Mr. Wilson continues, "but the
wrong conception of property. It seems to me that business on the
great scale upon which it is now conducted is the service of the
community, and the profit is legitimate only in proportion as the
service is genuine. I utterly deny the genuineness of any profit
which is gathered together without regard to the serviceability of
the thing done.... Men have got to learn that in a certain sense,
_when they manage great corporations, they have assumed public
office_, and are responsible to the community for the things they
do. _That is the form of privilege that we are fighting."_ (Italics
mine.)[33]
A second glance at these passages will show that Mr. Wilson speaks in
the name rather of struggling small capitalists, business men "on the
make," than of the nation as a whole. His diplomacy is largely aimed to
move the "honest" large capitalists. These are assured that the only
form of privilege that Mr. Wilson, representing the smaller business
men, those "on the make," is attacking, is their freedom from political
and government control. But the large capitalists need not fear such
control, for they are assured that they themselves will be part of the
new government. And as there is no fundamental "difference of
interests," the new government will have no difficulty in representing
large business as well as small.
No better example could be found of the foreshadowed treaty between the
large interests and the whole body of capitalists, and their coming
consolidation, than the central banking association project now before
Congress. Originated by the "Interests" it was again and again moderated
to avoid the hostility of the smaller capitalists, until progressives
like Mr. Wilson are evidently getting ready to propose still further
modifications that will make it entirely acceptable to the latter class.
Already Mr. Aldrich has consented that the "State" banks, which
represent chiefly the smaller capitalists, should be included in the
Reserve Association, and that the President should appoint its governor
and deputy governor. Doubtless Congress will insist on a still greater
representation of the government on the central board.
Mr. Wilson emphasizes the need of action in this direction in the name
of "economic freedom," which can only mean equal financial facilities
and the indirect loan of the government's credit to all capitalists,
through means of a government under their common control:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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