Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-10-24
OF SELF-LOVE AND PUBLIC
SPIRIT.


We have already considered some OF
the fruits Of that higher morality which
thus will be the natural outcome Of bet
ter economic conditions We may now
add that not only crimes against property,
which we discussed under the head of
'integrity,' but all forms Of crime will
probably he practically unknown.
Crime. in all its forms, is an evidence
Of the neglected responsibilities Of Soci-
ETY., exactly as the plaques of the Middle
Ages were the proofs that the laws of
health were diSregarded. Now we have
bedded in criminality, that you might
lay your hands on each and say, that
if not rescued by something akin to Il
miracle, this child is, inevitably, destined
to a criminal career. 1t is a sad reflection
that inlanticide would in their cases be
absolute mercy, Yet the State stands
by with folded arms, cares not a straw
for them, permitting them to be trained
to crime, furnishing them even tempta-
tions, until it catches them with its inn
placabIe arms and-strangles them. For
mark children and young pers ons-- and
old persons, too, for that mattur-arc led
into a criminal career from precisely the
same reasons that keep proper people
from such Il career: Temptations example
and love Of appreciation.
The New Order will do away with
crimes against property "legltimate,
such as the law now takes no notice Of,
as well as ''ilIegitmate"- tempting all
the right way. 1t will do away with
crimes of brutality and passion by its
thorough education and exalted sympa-
thy. For this class Of crimes does, Ger
tainlv depend upon the "plane up to
which one has been educated. AS to
such crimes Beecher might, with proprie
ty, say of himself that he is on too high
plane ever to be tempted to commit
them, though a gwen occasion might
prove. that he was mistaken even in that.
In other words criminals will be found
to be what all so called "nuisances" at
bottom are: useful matter in wrong
places.
OF course, for the first few generations
the New Ord. will still have some Crimi-
mails on its hands. In order to show that
Socialists are not influenced by any pc
cnlar sentimentality in favor of crimi-
mails, let US state that we perfectly agree
with Herbert Spencer. who would give
convicts the barest of boards to rest ON
and nothing but cold water to support
themselves on, until they force them
selves by an internal coercion which
they can carry with them ont of prison
To work for their neCeSsaries of life and
whatever comforts they desire, without
suhIecting them to any unnecessary pain
and degradation as now they are sub
ipCted to. But that. also, can only be
properly accomplished in the New Com
m0nwealth. where convict labor will be
come an integral part of the cooperative
labor OF Society. Convicts will there,
certainly, not be utilized by contractors
to paste leather ..fnl IEisteooard together
to make thick sole impose upon the
public, rs is said not to he unfrcquently
the case now.
But the most glorious fruit of this
higher morality. the one that ought to be
most highly priced, will be this: that a
complete accord, a perfect Cancellation,
will at last he effected between two hth-
erto irrecOncilable sentiments, self-love
on the one hand, and regard for our fel-
low-citizens and the public on the other.
We have several times impressed upon
our readers the fact that Socialists take
human nature as it is and we have
Cl aimed that to b one of their greatest
merits II will aISo baNa haan noticed