CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4826, 15 September 1894, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[to the editor, w.d. times,] .

Sib.—Although it is difficult, if not impossible, (o say anything really now about the rights of property, perhaps you will Hud space for a fow ideas, borrowed ornot.ns regards actual words, , which may place some points in a popular aud perfectly intelligilbo light. Most of 'us, I hope, are assured that it is" the fool," and only tho fool, who vainly tries to inako his heart believe that" There is no God." It is a significant fact that atheism aud infidelity go hand in. baud with socialism aud communism,' Every houestman knows what the demagogue's friendship means, it means climbinto somobody else's seat by the help of other men's shoulders. Working men tire taunted by tliqso domagogues with : their " daily labour," as if it were a disgrace to work for a living, as if every one of us, Queen, Cabinet Ministers, Officers of Naval, Military and Civil Services, Surveyors, Landowners, Painters, Poels, Musicians, did not toil aud bring forth, what each has to produce, by the sweat of his brow. There aro black sheep in all flocks, Are therc'no dusky fleeces in the factory, no black sheep" in the mine? No idlers and malingerers battening on tho toil of their follow workingmen? Tho warp and woof of society arc woven upon the same lines fnm one end of the fabric to another; and those who prate about "quality," prate of what never has existed, and never can exist. Sir, a man is a fool who believes in the honesty of mankind, but he is a generous fool, if he bclicvo that people would rather bo good -than bad. It is nonsense. Tho bulk of mankind would rather be stealing from each others' plates, like monkeys than dividing openly and fairly. We were taught when young, and experience has confirmed the truth of tho teaching, that, as a rule, tlie poor aro poor in conscqucucc of their vices. We used to bo taught to say to such, "Go away and " practise thrift, bo sohcr,andworkhard, " By exercising these virtues other men " have risen out of your ranks; by con- " tinuing to practise these virtues thoy " continue on the higher level. There is " no remedy for disease contracted by " vice. Go, and suffer," But now wo say " to them: You poor unfortunatcvictims "of the greediness of other men! You " yourselves arc filled with every virtue "possible to humanity. You aro down"trodden by the capitalist. You are op- " pressed. Yoii make andproducconly for " others to enjoy. But wo will change all "this. Wo will put the fruits and "the harvest of your labour "into your own hands, and yon will "show the world your noblo disiu-j " tercslcdncss.your generosity ,your f air- " nessjourlovofor tho commonwealth," This is thonowGospel. These Gospellers would destroy properly in order to make tho workman rich. Wonderful doctrine.! They would advance the world by destroying the only true iucentivo and stimulant to work,invention,civilization, association, and every good and useful thing. They would destroy property. Can they not see what would follow, as surely as night follows day P They aro ignorant of the very alphabet of the matter. By property they mean the possession by individuals of land or money. But this is only a part of property. Take this nway.nndthc individual remains: and he has got—what you cannot take away—the rafofhispro- 1 perty, by which he will speedily repair the temporary loss. For what docs a man possess? He has property all his own, which cannot be taken from him or shared with another. Properly in his brain, in his trade, his wit, his craft, his art, liis skill, his invention, his enterprise, his quickness to seize an opportunity, his trust worthiness. Again, uc lias his wife and children—sometimes a very valuable property; he has, besides, his memories, his knowledge, his thoughts, his hopes, his projects, his intentions; he has his past; he has lus future; ho has, or liopcs ho has, an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven. Take awny all time things bit by bit, and what is loft? Nothing I not tho shadow of a man, These things separate the individual from the mass, and each man from his neighbour. Wealth is only a part of property; it is the visible and external side of certain forms of property. Make a thousand fresh laws; take all the mullh awny to-day, and tho samo qualities—the same forms of property—the same lack of these qualities will reproduce the same results to-morrow, Society must bo so organised that all these qualities—the whole property of a man —can be exercised freely aiid without injustice.

This larger and liltlo uadcrstood view of property may surprise some men j it is new to them. It lends snereduess to things which we arc un. happily accustomed to hear derided, Aro wo ashamed to venerate laws which have been slowly, very slowly, framed and forms which have been slowly very slowly, adopted, as experience has shown to tis to be wise for the protection of man that is working man, not lazy or "loafing" man? It is right and wise to maintain every institution which encourages the best among us to work, and invent, and distribute ; by these forms alone is industry protected, aud enterprise encouraged. "■But," you say, " Property causes certain crimes, therefore property must be destroyed ?" No, Every desirable thing causes its own peculiar class of crime. The universal passion of love daily causes crimes innumerable: docs anyone intend to propose the abolition of love ? These Gospellers desire aud propose to destroy the craving for properly, wliich is as universal as the craving for love, and which is the most powerful factor in the cause of law and Order. It is impossible. It is a spurious Gospel. Let the companies pay no dividends; let lands and houses pay no rent, let the merchant's capital yield uo profit. Good—but 10-momwlh clever mau will be to the front again, using for his own purposes the dull, the stupid ami tlio lazy, _ The most important thing in any social system is the protcclionof the individual-personal liberty, freedom of contract, the right to enjoy in safety what his ability, his enterprise and his dexterity may gain lor him. So wrote Mr Walter Bcsant—liia name will, cairy weight, mine would not,—l am, etc., Nemo. 10th September, 1894 A li/lasterton Slum, (To the Editor, W.D. Times.) '

Sm,—l consider I am iu duty bound to bring under the public notice, a sight that caught my cyowhilo waiting at the blacksmith's yesterday. The back yard of one of your Chiuamoh was simply full of rottcii : decaying filth, accumulation of bad fruit, tins of dirty looktog liquid, etc. What first drew my attention was four or five little children picking over (ho decayed muck, and squabbling who should liave the best. What is tho risk thoso poor little mites run, iu eating such filth? Have you no Inspector of Nuisances? If not, it is high lime "the Borough had. Trusting that the eyes of parents and your Borough Councillors may be opened, and that tlteso few lines may have the desired effect, ' lam,etc., Health