St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-15
ON MODERN SOCIALISM.
An Interesting Treatise Prepared For the
Globe by Organizer Evert
Nymanover.
The Origin, Aggressive Development and
Present Magnitude of the Worlds
Socialism.
The Strong Hold on the Masses--So-
cialism Considered With Re-
lation TO the Bible.

The history of socialism. especially Amer
lean socialism, presents. in fact, scarcely
trodden field for the investigator. And yet
the whole civilized world to-day is swayed
by ideas for which we must in great part
thank the representatives of this great
movement known as modern socialism.
AT all epOchs and in all nations" as has
justly been remarked by DR.. Seligman, the
souls of noble men have been stirred to
righteous indignation at the sight of so
much oppression and perhaps undeserved
misery among their fellow beings, ard
propositions to effect a regeneration of So
cety have never been lacking' The MAIN
springs or all human action are of a two
fold character. are in fact dual and we
I find in every individual impulses or forces
which tend to weld society together to rem
der the idea OF self subservent to the COM
mon veal Ii the history of the world had
! not hitherto been struggle to realize the
most righteous form of society, the time has
now come. nevertheless, when our search
! for tile secret of orderly and just association
must take this long wanted direction.
Now, what wish to say at the very out
set is this, that nothing can be more En-
rOneouS or false than to represent the
! social refOrmer as sort oil a hum
drum fellow, TO depict him as a hyp0cr .te,
devoid OF all SENSE and sympathy with
mankind. and c0ncealng his own selfish
designs under the mask of good Will to all.
Ihele are, indeed and always have been,
men Who work upon the dissatisfaction Of
the masses: | acknowledge this. But it
cannot be denied that many great leaders
IN the movement for political and social
reform during this century have been nen
Of puTest motives and the most spot
less lives. Suffice to mention men
like Victor Hugo. Mazzine, Louis Blanc,
Charming, Karl Marx, Aug Blanqui,
and the more recent and yet living mel like
Hon. Gladstone. Henry George, Liebknecht,
and let us not forget our coming guests.
Mr.. and Mrs. Avelng.
True social SIN, to use again DR.. Selig-
mans expressions, simply demands a
wider scope for the play of public spirited
men, fuller appreciation of this common
moral element which underles all cOllec-
tive action" The whole system of capital
iStic spDlatiOn is mUnStrOus evil and an
aggressive power in our times; it will have
to be met and corrected by no less powerful
and determined popular will which can
and ONLY will be created by the just and
terrifying doctrines of socialism. DemOc-
racy-I mean here Jetfersonian Democracy
in its broadcast scope and most
humanizing significance is but
one side Of the life in this New World.
| On the other side socialism is found and
| introduced, and is going soon to make up
the greatest factor i'll the progress of Amer
lea. Hence the great activity among the
socialists, hence the call for greater unity
along with increased zeal and energy.
| Besides, the rising political, moral and
social issues of the title will have to be met
| The temperance question, family question,
marriage-and divorce question, the educa-
tlOnai and industrial training question. the
wages question, the peace and protective
tariff question, municipal and administra-
ton question. etc. each and all require
| serious and effective solution, and solutions
on the ground or premises of property
Specialization. See there, the truth. Once
more a quotation from Dr. Edwin
oellgman; he says: There is, perhaps,
no TERM in the whole vocabulary
more abused than the word socialism; a
| term" he says which in the minds of
some is tantanount to organized revolu-
! ton. But" as lie further says. the
underlying idea of the word is in itself
| harmless altogether" Socialism is the Cd
|
sense of the word we are all more or less
SOCIALISTS. Thus We come back to the
starting point; We are dealing in tie social
| question with the problem of ages. as
Gladstone calls it. If the various problems
OF our time are more seriOuS than tnOse of
earlier ages. it is. as Prof. Richard Ely
truly remarks. because our opportunities
are grander. "A good time coming. a
| golden age in the future this has been the
nupe of sageS and prophets since the
civilized world began. it has been
the faith which has inspired
martyrs to God-like deeds" And. it is no
mockery, he claims. The progress of
history brings lis nearer the goal, and never
before was the way open for such rapid
movement III the direction of the attain
ment of the great purpose OF humanity"
The belief that the excess of every So
| caI evil tends TO insure its abolition. Is in
deed disproved by the history of wealth.
| Nevertheless, when the yoke of depOtS had
| made deliverance more desirable than life
itself, despOtiSin had reached The term of
It's power. When the iron rules of the
priests had made the hatred of Siams burn
hotter than the fire of the stake. no Jesuit
| ical ntrgues could prevent the triumph of
the Protestant and the Huguenot revolt
The evil of the individual accumulation
of wealth has long been recognized as the
blightlng curse OF modern socialism.
Will not deny the fact that individual
wealth some generations ago was neceS-
Sary step to higher civilization. This
will not deny. But l find that the progress
OF society has now OutgrOwn the era of
capitalism. In sOOth capitalism at the
present time blocks the road to improve
ment; its adjustment is now in order, or
rather its evolution into a system of general
social cooperation. Now, dear reader, a
| short narrative Of the
ORIGIN OF SOCIALISM.
There are two kinds of socialism in the
world. One is Utopan in character. the
other scientific and practical. 1t is the last
suggested here speak Of and which l call
Modern Socialism"
Modern socialism has its origin in the eel
ejrated doctrine of the French people.
! called ''droit au travail, which played such
an important role i'll the Revolution of 1878.
| This year is pre-emnent as the year of
| birth of so-called labor organizations; of
| labor organizations in the sense we today
| take them 1878 is the Christmas wear of
the labor movement; it is the year of the
! introduction of socialism proper i'm the
modern world of progress. Scientific So
cialism differs from UtOpan socialism by
its being through and through political.
Modern socialism works Its way by the
means of political machinery; il introduces
itself to the different civilized nations by
pleDcte. 1t uses the ballot, the press. the
speech, etc. just as well as any other
cOmmOnsense movement of to day. Social
ism is no longer Utopiau.
The socialists, as q consequence, are
now fully outspOken in their ideas and
aims. All their working for the aborng
mans redemption and the wealthy's con