The Ottawa free trader., 1889-06-22
Cooperation.

CO-OperhtiOu.
EDITOR FREE TRADER: Edward Bella
my's book, "Loking Backward" Is as de-
lightful as II Is instructive, and every one
should read 1t.
Its chief character, Mr.. West, is rich
gentleman of leisure residing In Boston,
who is on the poin. of allying himself to q
beautiful young woman OF his native town
West suffers continually from insomnia,
and, In order to escape the noise Of the
street traffic, has constructed for himself a
secret subterranean chamber, the existence
of which is known only 10 himself, his
body servant, Sawyer, and quack physi'
clan whose mesmeric powers gives West
his needed rest. The mesmeric condition
into which the doctor puts West does not
of itself come TO an end hence Sawyer
has been taught how to bring his master
out Of 1t.
A sinister fate DEGREES that one night,
the doctor, after having put West to sleep
In his secret chamber, is suddenly called
away TO New Orleans, and in the same
night Vests mansion, with it, contents and
occupants becomes prey of the flames.
Poor Sawyer perishes, and, of course,
Vests friends assume that he too was
burned to ashes. 1t is just one century
after this occurrence, that is to say, the year
1887, when Boston physician named
'Leets, has an addition to his house under
way; the excavation is finished when a
rainstorm causes the earth to cave In and
reveal some ancient masonry, which turns
out TO be none other than the secret cham
ber built by West century previous, and
in which he is found in exactly the condi-
ton In which his body servant left him
that fatal night.
DR.. Leets brings this singular discovery
10 the notice of the authorities, as we'll as
the medical fraternity, and obtains their
permission to experiment on the case. He
succeeds In recalling West to life after an
imation had been suspended a century.
OF course. for quite while West feels
convinced that he Is the victim of clever
deception, but when finally this theory is
no longer tenable, and he becomes &C
quainted with wondrous new Boston, and
still more social wonderful phenomena
therein, heallows the genial DR..
Leets and his charming family
10 become his instructors in the
new social conditions which II is the pur-
pose of Mr. Bellamy to bring to the notice
of the reader in order to reveal what CO.
operation is capable of producing, and des.
tined to produce.
Before he has read half dozen pages
the reader is quite prepared to identify
himself with MIR. West who, after resuci-
tation and after the first shock has passed
situation and notwithstanding his antiquat'
sions as to the new dispensation of things,
is gradually enlightened The reader will
understand why, when once the whole
enormous change had become familiar to
West, and he dreams that this wonderful
experience has been merely DREAM
whose termination finds him In his secret
chamber In the year 1887, with his man
Sawyer at his bedside,-l say the reader
will understand his horror of, and the diff
Guilty of reconciling himself to the condi'
tions of society which are the very ones
we now live under.
Bellamy's industrial republic is pure
State socialism. the State directs all the
industrial activities of the people. There
is no such thing as trade or barter. The
State is the only seller, the only manufac-
turer; there is no money; banks and law
yers are unknown; cooperation has so
largely increased production, and the
wastefulness of administration, both
public and private, under system like
ours having ceased, wealth has In conse-
ouence so enormously expanded that every
one who labors in his or her special avoca-
ton q certain number of hours day, has
a credit which enables them TO have
enough and TO spare of all the good things
worth having fear that our lady read RS
especially will become rampant socialists
when they learn of the twentieth century
housekeeping.
But though the tendency of the times
is strongly towards cooperation, and day
may come when it will manifest itself 10 a
more benefcent form than our nineteenth
century trusts and combinations, yet 1t is
doubtful whether Mr.. Bellamy's vision will
ever be realized while human nature re-
mains as at present constituted.
Mr.. Bellamy is socialist, and certainly
exhibits socialism in a most tempting and
alluring light; quite different from what is
ordinarily considered under that name.
Mr.. Beliamy believes in the constant eX-
tension of governmental powers until these
have absorbed all those of the individual,
II is true he almost convinces you that his
government is essentially one of the peo-
pie by the people, for the people, and that
the governing motives, then potent, would
be of the most exalted of which human
nature is capable. Nevertheless, il is in
disputable that governments, be they what
they may, are, have been, and always will
be, essentially aggressive as against indi-
vdual rights. Ancient history as we'll as
modern bears out this fact. We can per
ceive 1t alike in political governments as
in those of private associations. Govern
ments should derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed, but do they =?
Our political principles rests on the rule of
the majority as that which Is conducive to
the welfare and conformable to the will of
the greatest number, but what of the mi
nority? With the most exalted notions,
the most liberal education and absolute
equality in the distribution of wealth,
such as prevails in Mr.. Bellamy's industrial
republic, will there not always be major
ity and a minority? Will there be no