Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-02-18

is to the results Of the capitalist sys-
tenn that the Socialists point in con-
domination of that system. In their
platform they say;
"rhs system causes: The planlessnesS
and reckless rate Of productions; the
waste of human and natural forces; the
commercial and industrial crises; the
constant uncertainty of the material eX-
istence of the wage workers, The misery
of the aboring masses: the accumulation
of wealth in the hands OF few
Does that look ~ if Socialists
Judged by intention instead of re-
suits: And all through their plat
form they adhere rgidly to scientific
statement and make their demands
in conformity with sound logic.
Mr.. IIadley may have intended
criticism-the result of his thinking,
however, is just the opposite. We
do not criticize his intentions, but
his words. Nevertheless, it is but
fair that we should permit consid-
Grafton of his intentions to weigh in
extenuation in Judging Mr.. Hadley
himself, and if doubt there be, we
give him the benefit of it.
The same critic says that Socialists
care impatient of those who point
out practical obstacles to their plans"
Here is another obvious error.
Quite the contrary, they seek criti-
cism; they say, "come, let us reason
together" they contribute from
their scanty funds to pay for halls
and even travelling expenses of "those
who point out practical obstacles or
think they do. Then it is rather
premature to speak of Socialist
"plans," when they, more properly
speaking, merely direct attention to
the evidences of certain tendency
in the evolution of society.
Again, Mr.. lIadley insinuates that
Socialists favor cooperative enter
prises when he says:
at shows why they hope to do away
with the capitalist employer, whom they
charge with sealing half the product of
industry, although they have themselves
never been able to get hold of that enor
nous profit by cooperative enterprises
1t will DO borne in mind that the
school of Socialists represented by
Mr.. GronIound is plainly referred
TO. Socialists hold with Iasalle and
answer decidedly, No. to the propo-
sitIon that private cooperative enter
priscs can improve the condition of
the lahoring people. Where such
enterprises have proven success in
the sense in which Mr.. lIadley evil
IDENTITY understands it, as in the case
of the Rochdale company in Eng
land, they have realized the enor-
nous profit, but they grew to Ike
capitalist concerns and labor flcecers.
That s where the enormous profit
comes in. And in the smaller affairs
of the kind it must be remembered
that the so-called co-operators were
subject to competition and usually
too poor in capital to wishstand the
better organization and direction in
addition to the power Of the greater
capital at the disposal Of corpora.
tons. Nevertheless, cooperation it.
self is not a failure-the capitalist
system of production proves that.
The objections raised against So.
cialism in the ordinary capitalist
papers are usually nothing more than
frantic blows at men of straw set W
by the editors themselves; indeed, il
is difficult TO find an honest crit,
cism of the Socialist position. The
Socialists can hardly feel displeased
at the efforts of their would be crit.
les to Judge the issue, for if it signi-
lies anything, it signifies this: that