The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-11-02
THE NEW SOCIALISM.

THE NEW SOCIALISM.
The sales of that clever and, indeed
remarkable book by Edward Bellamy
"Looking Backward" are said to eX
coed 900 copies day, and they have
long since passed the 100000 line
While the doctrine of cooperative so
cialism Is not new, yet it must be said
that in Looking Backward Mr.
Bellamy has presented the subject in
a very attractive manner; and it is
not strange that it should have capt.
waited the imaginationS of large body
of men who have been seeking a way
out Of the many defects of our modern
social life and industrial conditions
Nor is one surprised to learn that since
this book has been "discOvered " and
is being read, the idea of cooperative
socialism has begun to spread with an
unexpected enthusiasm. This seems
to be particularly the case in Boston,
which was the birthplace and is the
headquarters of the new Socialisti(
Societies, the Nationalist Club
and the "Christian Socialists" both
of which have their newspaper organs
growing rapidly in circulation, aud
both of which organizations are form
ing branches all over the country tC
spread their doctrines, one part OF
which is the naturalization Of all OF
the industries of the country, by plac.
ing them under the management of
the general government, to which idea
the book of Mr.. Bellamy has certainly
given wonderful impetus.
Whether Mr.. Bellamy got his cen.
trail idea, as expressed in Looking
Backward" from the numerous trust
organizations of the country, OF
whether, by singular coincidence,
the trusts have stepped in to approve
his theory, it is nevertheless true tnat
these organizations are doing more to
emphasize his doctrine and clear
away the difficulties in its way than a
decade of theOrizing could accomplish.
If all the iron mills, if all the sugar
works, all the barbed-wire mills, the
jute-bagging mills, etc, etc, can each
be organized under one management,
why cannot they, in turn, be all com.
bined under one management and that
the general government! AS a stock
company is an organization OF private
capitalists, and trust an organiza.
ton of companies, what substantially
says Mr.. Bellamy) is in the way OF
combining trusts into one huge cOrpo.
ration? The trust system is nothing
more nor less than industrial socialism
applied to particular lines of industry
for the sole benefit of the capitalists
alone. Mr.. Bellamy would continue
the system to its logical end for the
advantage of the workmen as well as
of the capitalist-make the govern.
ment the capitalist and all men the
benetlciares.
TO teach and spread this doctrine
is the purpose of the new crusaders in
Boston's socialistlc societies, in whose
ranks are fonnd TAT least as cOntribut.
ors to The Nationalist and The Da,cn
such names as Mrs. Abby Morton Di.
az, Colonel II. w. Higginson, the Rev
DR.. r. +. Hale, Mrs. Helen Campbell,
the Rev. DR.. Heber Newton, Rabbi
Schinler, General A. +. Devereux. Pro.
fessor Daniel De Leon of Columbia
College, Edward Bellamy, Mrs. Mary
A. Livermore, the Rev. O. p. Clifford
of Boston, Miss Frances e. Willard,
and many clergymen and laymen from
all parts Of the country.
1t is expected Nationalist League
will soon be formed, centralizing the
detached but kindred organizations,
so that with the formation of the
league there will be central organiza-
ton to operate all over the country,
while the Christian Socialists expect
to have soon a public demonstration
and then proceed to prosecute a
lively wintercampyign.
The two organizations, having
many MEMBERS In common, are