Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-25
l9&w 9aren @aig Mgornng gontnal and Gpnrer.
soo1A11sm AND COMMUNISM.
The Subject Discussed by Genera
 Francis A. Walker, Formerly o YaIe-Lecture Before the Yale The

The Subject Discussed by General
 Francis A. Walker, Formerly of
 YaIe-Lecture Before the Yale The.
 oIo21caI School Yesterday.
 General Francis A. Walker, president of the Massachusetts School of Technology, be- gan his series of three lectures on "Social- ism" yesterday afternoon in the Marquand chapel. Three words have become very famil- jar of -"Nihilism, Communism and Soci- alism "Nihilism expresses means rather than an end; it's purpose, which we can only con- lecture, is abolition of the existing govern ments, institutions and all forms of authori- ty. The prime objects of Communism and Socialism are not attained through revolu- tion; they are different from each other, though one overlays the other in many re- spects so that it is hard to distinguish them. Communism confines itself mainly to the one subject matter of wealth. Socialism is conspicuous in all manifestations of society and controls every form of it. Communism regards wealth as produced and labors for an equal distribution of it. Socialism passes over distribution and asserts the right to control consumption of wealth for the general good. Communism is essentially negative while Socialism is positive and aggressive. Communism is at a standstill, while Socialism was never so full of vlgor as now. Socialism may be defined as the effort, under popular impulse, to enlarge the power of government, to the diminution of personal enterprise and initiative for the public good. That the movement be under popular impulse and for the good of the public is of the essence of Socialism. We may take certain maximum and assert that all is Socialism which transcends that maximum under popular impulse for the public good; or we may take certain mini mum or draw the line along the power of government as it now exists. People like to draw dead line in this way. Mir. Walker took the minimum line defining as socialistic popular impulse and for the public good, above the powers of the police. He is a Socialist who is active in promoting the extension of government, or who is supporter of schemes for the ex- tension of government. Police powers em
 brace those measures necessary to keep peo- pie from picking each others pockets and cutting each others throats; for. the protec- tion of property and individual rights and for the punishment of islander and libel. MT. Walker then dwelt upon the religious wor- ship, the promotion of popular education and the roads and bridges for public use, the repression of obtrusive morality and the sanitary inspection and regulation from standpoint connected with his subject. Measures are not of a socialistic nature because they imply the extension of the actual work of the State; and on the oth- CT hand, the assumption of power by the State cannot be freed from 8 socialistis name. In considering how far measure is socialistic the government and institutions and the political and economical condition of the country must be taken into account. The subject of the lecture this afternoon will be ''Socialistic measures proposed and adopted by those who are Socialist" Gen eral Walker gives the second lecture this af
 ternoon at o'clock at Marquand chapel.