Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-04-27
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

To those who attentively study the
signs Of the times they are significant of
some great impending change. As the
life of the individual is divided into
periods or stages called "climacterics, "
from Greek word signifying steps of a
ladder so are there cimacterics in the
history of mankind. In each the symp-
toms are restlessness, impeded circula-
ton, eruptions, and general giving
way Of the vital powers. 1t is clear
that we have arrived at one of these
stages. Evidence of it thrusts itself
upon the unobservant, and to the re-
tecting mind the portents afford a
glimpse into the future, clearly indicat-
ing as they do in what direction change
will have to be effected. The impeded
circulation they perceive to be due to
capitalism of which society must purge
itself before the circulation will be re-
stored. 1t will be disfgured by ulcer
Gus eruptions-e wealth side by
side with abject poverty-till that is
done. Where there is enough for all,
where material out of which labor can
fashion all things needful and desirable,
is abundant, where the workers are
skillful and industrious, every member
of the community should be in the en-
joyment of that "just enough" whose
praises were sung by Horace, and have
been versed by poets of every age. But
the arteries of society are clogged with
accumulatiOns Of wealth, and the blood,
poor and attenuated, courses sluggishly
through the veins. Socialists, above
all, should heed well the indications
that we are passing through one of the
crises which divide one system of soci-
ETY., one stage of evolution, from
another, Those who are fretfully ac-
tive, while they delude themselves that
we, by our unaided efforts, can revolu-
tionize society, and despairingly idle
and apathetic as soon as they discover
their mistake, will perceive that the
change is inevitable, and that what we
have to do is to intelligently aid and en-
courage the natural forces which will
restore health, unless recovery is
checked by political quacks and by the
growth of those parasites who entrench
themselves in diseased or debilitated
body. To rid US of these is the work Of
Social Democracy.
Among the signs of impending change
are the increasing tendency of capital
to concentrate in fewer and fewer
hands, the increasing development of
joint stock companies, the growth of
! those huge Unconstitutional Provid-
ers-which are crushing out the small
shopkeepers, and last, but not least,
the combination or Union of the
| firms or companies engaged in the pro-
ductiOn of any one commodity with the
object of limiting competition and thus
augmenting profits. Whittier does this
| tend if not to the control within very
short time both of production and dis
tribution by a very small number of
people, absolutely irresponsible to the
community, which is vitality concerned
therein, by people with no object in
view but the satisfaction of the greed of
idle shareholders? To anyone but the
/ thoughtful socialist the prospect is
gloomy indeed; but to such a one these
things are significant of the near ap-
proach of the day when the community
will be compelled in self-defense to take
over these gigantic enterprises, when it