Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-22
THE COmING SLAVERY,


A very striking and thought stimulating
article Is that in the April number of the
Popular Science Monthly by Herbert Spen-
Ger, entitled 'sThe Coming Slavery" He
calls attention to the spread of the idea that
government should step in and regulate
whatever is not going right, and points out
that the legislator who yields to this idea is
unconscious of the truth that he is helping to
form a certain typs of social organization,
and that kindred measures, effeeting kindred
changes Of organization, tend with ever in
creasing force to make that type general,
until, passing a certain point, the proclfvity
toward it becomes irresistible. "Just as the
system of voluntary cooperation by compan-
les. associations, unions, to achieve business
ends and other ends, spreads through COM
munity, SO does the antsgonistic system of
compulsory cooperation under State agen-
cies spread, and the larger become its ex-
tension the more power of spreading it gets.
The question of questions for the politician
should ever be, What type of social struc-
ture am tending to producer But this is
a question he scarcely ever entertains."
Mr.. Spencer shows how the practical
politicians are in various ways helping social
lists to reach their desired ideal, and then
lays down the proposition that all socialism
is slavery, for, if, without option, the social
ist has to labor for society, and receives from
the general stock such portion as society.
awards him, he becomes slave to the socie-
ty. And under the arrangements proposed
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dered in proportion as their material welfare
is cared for for no form of cooperation,
small or great, can be carried on without
regulating agencies. Mr.. Spencer further
calls attention to the fact that the experience
of those who are loudest in their advocacy of
new social order under the pa
ternal control of a government shows that,
even in private. voluntarily formed soci
cites, the power of the regulative organiza-
tion becomes great, if not irresistible; often,
indeed, causing rsstiveness and grumbling
among those controlled. Trades-unions
which carry on kind of industrial war in
defense of workers interests versus employ
ers interests find that subordination almost
military in its strictness is needful to secure
efficient action for divided councils prove
fatal to success. And even in bodies of CO.
featuring or distributing business, and not
needing that obedience to leaders which is
required where the aims are offensive or de-
fensive it is still found that the administra-
tive agency acquires SO great power that
there arise complaints about the tyranny of
organization. Judge, then, says Mr.. Spen-
Ger, what must happen when, instead of
which men may belong or not as they please,
we have a national combination in which
each citizen finds himself Incorporated, and
from which he cannot separate himself with
out leaving the countryl Judge what must
uader such conditions become the power of
q graduated and centralized officialism, hold
ing in its hands the resources of the commu-
nifty, and having behind it whatever amoent
Of force it finds requisite to carry out its
DEGREES and maintain what it calls order!
It is not probable that Mr.. spencer's lucid
and profound statement of the dangers
which attend socialism will make many con.
verts among the socialists, for they are very
enthusiastic in their belief that there ia
good time coming when everybody will be
happy and prosperous in cooperation.
Neither will they pay much attention to the
following solid truth with which he con-
cludes his remarkable article: There seems to
be no getting people to accept the truth.
which nevertheless is conspicuous enough,
shat the welfare of society and the justice
of its arrangements are at bottom dependent
on the characters of its members; and that
in neither can take place with
out that improvement in character which
results from carrying on peaceful industry
under the restraints imposed by an orderly
social life. The belief, not only of the social
lists but also Of those so-called Liberals who
are diligently preparing the way for them, is
that by due skill an ill-workipg humanity
may be framed into well-working institu-
sions It is delusion. The defective
natures of citizens will show themselves in
the bad acting of whatever social structure
hey are arranged into. There is no political
alchemy by which you can get golden conduct
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