The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-09-28
LOOKING FORWARD.

Although 1t Is over year since the re-
markable book of Edward Bellsmy ap-
peared, II is only of late that 1t has begun
to awaken serious attention and discussion
At first regarded lightly as a fanciful 70
nance, 1t already threatens to eclipse
Henry Georges Progress and Poverty '
as weapon In aid of the socialistic propa-
ganda. The book has been translated
into foreign languages and Is attracting
attention In Europe, while at home not
only the newspapers but the magazines are
beginning gravely to discuss 1t. No longer
regarded as the dream Of wildly imagin-
alive novelist, 1t Is treated as intended In
all seriousness to forecast, In accordance
with the principles Of evolution, the next
great stage In the industrial and social de-
velopment of humanity.
II the book contained sheer nonsense,
such treatment of It would be inexplica-
BILE. There must be about II at least ker-
mel of truth. As matter of fact, 1t de-
pIcts the evils of our social system In a
manner at once so striking and to the
magipation so enchanting that the reader
almost feels like the man In a dungeon
surprised by sudden influx of a stream
of daylight.
Society In the 10th century, according to
Bellamy, looking backward from the 2lst
century, was prodigious coach, to which
the masses OF humanity were attached and
which they were obliged to drag toilsome'
ly along a very billy and sandy road. The
driver was hunger, and permitted no lag
cling, though the pace was necessarily
slow. The top of the coach was covered
with passengers, who never got down even
at the steepest ascents These seats at the
top were very breezy and comfortable
Naturally they were In great demand
everyone seeking as the first end In life to
secure one. Did their occupants think
only of themselves? Had they no COM
passion on their brothers and sisters in the
harness, In their agonized leaping and
plunging under the pitiless lashing Of hun
ger? Oh, yes. At such times the passen-
gers would call down to the toilers, ex.
horting them to patience, and holding Out
hopes of possible compensation In another
world for the hardness of their lot.
MIR. Bellamy's dream abolishes the
coach; or, rather, It Is so enlarged that all
In turn equally enjoy seats on the top OF
asslst In dragging. In other words, tc
drop the figure, our industrial system has
undergone such revolution, that all 1T
able bodied members do an equal share OF
the work and all divide equally the prod.
ucts.
The way II came about was this: In the
last quarter of the 10th century, to over.
come the evils of competition, all the grea,
industries Of the country combined In huge
corporations, syndicates or trusts, and !,
was found that the larger and more CON-
prehensive the combination Of any Indus
try the more simple and effective was It,
management. This naturally suggested
the question, II the combination of grea
industries separately Is 80 successful, why
not combine all the industries OF the coun
try Into one huge trust, and let the head o.
that trust be the government
Statistics showed that the annual pro-
duct of all the Industries Of the U. 8. wa
equal to $500 per capita Of Its entire popu
lation. Equally divided, here was abund-
ance to support all In ease and comfor,
How to bring about this equal division wa
the problem. II was done by placing thu
control of all the Industries In the hand
Of the government. The population wa
divided up In this way; Infants under ST.
years were In the exclusive care of thei