Workmen's advocate., 1888-02-25
THE NEW ORDER.
The Supremacy of the Collective Will
 Inevitable.

Extract from GroAltnd's "Ca ira, or
 Dalton ia He French Rerolmion.
 The evolution of this capitalist system towards catastrophe is truth, but 1t IS not the whole truth. For, fortunately, side by side with these destructive tend enCes there are every where around Us constructive tendencies at work-this is the other half of the truth. It is well to know that flower is decaying, but 1t Is at least equally important to note that at the same time the fruit is ripening. The capitalist system is being sapped m its foundations. true; but evolution is also, under our very eyes, laying the founda- tion shaping the outlines. of the social order that is to replace 1t. Verify, we may be said to be witnessing race be tween destructive and constructive tend encies. the result of which may very well be- that the new system may fore stall and anticipate the catastrophe and the crash. Instead of our new social order being an empirical eXpedient, Anglo Saxon Collectivism will thus show and emphasize that it is being moulded and shaped now, and by the present so- ciety.
 Is it not already the fact. that, in all civilized countries. the collectivity is face to face with overgrown corporations, whose interests are diametrcally opposed to the interests of the community at large?
 Can any one doubt the issue?
 Of course, private control will have to give way to public control along the whole line The function hitherto per formed by capitalists, that of being so- cial paymasters, will devolye on the State.
 This will sufficiently indicate the gen eral character of the third organic Social order awaiting us.
 Capitalists will give way to society, organized society,-the nation. Eyolu- tion will end in the supremacy of the collective will, and that will be embodied, not in the commune, the county, as some maintain, but in the nation, if United Italy, United Germany, and our Union have meaning. The State, the Nation, the Fatherland is an indispens- | able step of evolution seward Humanity. | Ownership of the means of production by individuals will be replaced by owner | production by the collectivity. Then social functions will for the first time, be properly, adequately, performed, which they cannot be as long as they are | regarded from the standpoint of the | producer and not from that of the con | mer,-society. That the latter shall | be provided for; that, for instance, meat 1 shall be supplied, is the essential; that | ,l, ,l,, l, {, ary. That is why one of the liberal pro- | fessions, say a physician, has always | been honored above trader. because l he is ready to perform his function with out making the fee his object; and so in l the new social order every ones daily | business will be freed from its present | pettiness, and elevated to the dignity of | a public function.
 This outcome is the evident decree of evolution; this is the enduring social order which all previous eras have been, and this transition order in particular is, | preparing for Our plutocrats have been | invested with supreme power expressly | to be instrumental in making ready for | its advent.
 With II we shall have reached the last | step Tn our progress Tn cooperation. | From slavery, through serfdom and wagedon, we shall attain to voluntary | cooperation of all, cooperation, l having for our motto, Leisure for all, | idleness fornone. Note, however, that control of all | means of production by the collectiyty | does not imply that the government is to 1 do all the nations business. There will be eentralzation of power, but not of functions, except say. these three: that | oi being general statistician, general manager, and general arbitrator. These | the collectivity will take upon itself, leaving all the rest to perfectly free asso- | cations of workers.
 There will hardly be government at all, but there will be vigorous ad- mlnistratlon of affairs; that is to say, ! government over things, instead of over men, It will be administered by the competent. skilful, and wise Here, of course, the stereotypic question will be put; "Ah. but how will you secure the competent, skilful. and wise?' The an swer ls: By true democracy; that is to say, the competent, skilful and wise will inevitably grayitate toward the leader shIp of affairs when they are selected from below by free citizens independent of all individuals and that is the only way ! of securing them.