Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-03-16
SOClALISTlC SOLUTIONS OF
SOME SOCIAL PROBLEMS.


class of adherents of the present
order of thlngs-disOrder Of things
would be the better term-the OPP
ponents of Socialism, to demand Of
Socialists full and complete solutions
to all the problems that pertain to
the State or to society.
The fact is, no authoritative decla-
ration of a Socialist body has ever
been made on the subject, and one
who attempts to give details is really
giving merely his own individual
views If he chance to be free
lover on the marriage question he
will put forth freeloyism as the So
clalist solution of the problem of the
future Of the family. If he is an
opponent Of Christianity, etc, he
will declare that Socialism means
the adjustment Of the Christian
relig on and the church. And so of
other questions, he will answer them
in accordance with his urn opinions,
all the while giving forth the idea
that this, his mere lpSl dtrt, Is the
real, slmon-pure authentic and gen
uine Bible of Socialism.
have learned to believe that So
ciaism is pretty big thlng-a very
large matter-tOo great, to vast, in
fact, to be mlnimized into the ipSi
diIit of an individual.
The idea of justice in the social
and economic affairs of society is the
ideal of Socialism. But how men
vary in their Interpretation of JUS
tiCc
Justice is an idea of ethical i'm
port. In fact, the fundamental idea
of ethics may be said to be justice.
TO our purpose AZ Socialists, it may
be defined as justice in the social
and industrial relations Of men, and
in the economics Of society, includ-
ing the functions Of politics and
government.
Ethical sentiment is the basis of
Socialism. Socialism is the voice Of
the ethical sentiment in man pro-
testing against wrongs in society and
calling for better adjustment Of
societary relations, to the end that
wrongs be avoided and justice done
to all as nearl y as may be possible.
Now, ethical sentiment, like the
social organism, is thing of growth,
of evolution. Ethical theories are
products of, and correspond to the
varied forms Of social life which the
imperfecty developed natures Of
men have produced in all ages of
the world. Look at the great mas
ter of logic, the cmbodyment of his
time, the " father Of political econ
omy," so called, Aristotle, who just
flies slavery and POUNDS the State
upon it. But, with the progress of
ethical development, such lncOngru-
tiles inevitably tend to diminish and
disappear, AS the process Of ETH
cal growth goes on the ethical ideal as
sumos more nearly perfect form in
the conception of humanity and So
clety, and so IN process of time 1t
comes to pass that the ethical ideals
/ of one age fall far below the moral
altitude of the ideals of a latter and
more highly developed period. Ey-
outiOn operates in the domain of
ethical ideals as truly MS in the AMI
NAL or the social organism, and the
mllestones of moral progress erected
by one age are left behind by sue
coeding age.
Was 1t Emerson, or who was it
that said; "Nothing is ever settled
till it is settled right? Perhaps it
was Charles Sumner. | am sorry
do not reCollect, but whoever it WAS,
the sentiment Is worthy to be sailed
down in everyone $ memory. Viewed
from the point of ethics, there are
still many unsettled questions, many
problems to be solved, and to be
resettled perhaps again and again,
until the final and only real, because
ethical. settlement is attained.
The settlement of to-day will cor
respond to the ethical aycrag' views
of to-day. The next generation will
acquiesce in and maintain the pres
ent, unless it shall have advanced or
refrigerated in It's ethical ideals.
The era of Socialism vii stliruu~, t.