Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-11-10
FULL ENJOYMENT BY LABOR
OF ITS PRODUCTS.
Socialism Promises 1.-THE Working
men Must Achieve lt-Unpleas-
ant Occupations-How they
may be Covered by
Cooperation.

to Socialism Is the contention that
in Socialist there would be no IN
centive to eXertion, and that with
the removal of the fear of starvation
human progress would cease, inven-
ton would disappear, unpleasant
work would be refused, production
would be seriously diminished, and Il
worse than Chinese fossllsation
would ensue. 1t is not complete
answer to the objection that the
frantic exertions caused by terror are
not the highest ideal Of human
efforts, and that under the present
system the inventor often starves
while the capitalists who have taken
up his invention makes fortune
out of it. A vague feeling is apt to
remain that there is something" in
the objection, and that it must be
met not evaded.
First. let us frankly acknowledge
that some kinds of work are un-
pleasant but must be done. Mining,
smelling, cleaning sewers, and other
similar occupations, can by no means
yet known to be made redolent of
sweetness and light" At present
men are driven into these occupa-
tions by the scourge of fear, under
the threat, "Your work or your
life," and toiling at them for over
long hours, no leisure, no recreation,
they become hardened and coarsened
out of all hope of culture and re-
finement. " 1t must always be so"
say the social parasite, ever willing
to bind on other mems shoulders
burdens which he does not touch
with one of his fingers but Ht
shall not always be so," answers the
believer in the social life. First, the
conditions of the heavier and more
unpleasant forms Of labor would be
considerably improved if educated
men were compelled to take their
share in them, and under Socialism
all men would be educated. Many
of these industries are left more
dangerous and tollsome than they
need be, because expense would be
incurred by better ventilation, bet
ter lighting, better machinery; in
the coming days when men will be
more valuable than property, every
resource of science will be used to
tighten, purify and remove danger
from all such forms of employment.
Next, much might be done by ma
chinery which is now done by hand
a coal-cutter might remove from its
bed the coal which is now picked
out by a miner lying on his back,
working at the imminent risk of
death or fractured bones. Such a
coal-cutter would now be the miners
enemy, for it throws him in the
ranks of the unemployed; but when
coal is brought to the surface TO be
used, instead of to be a source Of
gain to the cxploiters, the machine
that save labor will be a gain and a
blessing to the cdmmunity. Lastly,
none will be compelled to work at
such hours long enough to exhaust;
the worker will return to a comfort
able home, will be thoroughly well
fed and clothed; he will have leisure
for study, for recreation, for the
cultivation of his nobler faculties;
he will be one of a society in which
all are socially y equal, and all forms
Of work that are useful bring honor
to the worker. If it were still found
that the citizens shrunk from any
particular kind of necessary work, it
might either be distributed over the
whole of those who were able to do
it, or shorter hours of the rougher
work might balance longer hours of
the lighter.
The notion than production would
be diminished by the passing of the
product into the hands of the pro-
ducers is opposed to such partial