St. Paul daily globe., 1890-01-19
1HE B~LLAMYlTEs.

The members of the Nationalist
club of this city were considerably
stirred up at Il recent meeting by the
remarks of q well known real estate
dealer. who had been invited to address
the club, and took occasion to say tnat
he looked Oh the BELIANIY idea as a
species of fanaticism, and broadly inti-
mated that he co isidered BELLAMY's
followers to be a set of cranks who were
striving after the unattainabe. The
incident has provoked good deal of
tireside discussion relating to BELLA
MY's plan of nationalism, and one is no
less surprised by the divergent views
tnat are expressed than to find that the
topic is such favOrite one. All classes
are discussing it, and while it is diff
cult TO Iind any two persons who hold
exactly the same opinion, pretty much
every one has some opinion on the sub
ject, and all are free IN expressing that
opinion.
Whilst majority Of our people may
not indOrSe the opinion that national
ism is fanaticiSm, yet many of them are
disposed to view it in the light of a
iiin'y and visionary scheme, which does
not merit the serious attention given it..
ST II, there are those-and they are
thoughtful and cultured persons,
tou-who are ready with reioind-
erS, and are quick to defend
the BEILANIY theories. Even most of
these are really to admit that the BEL
LAMY school is visionary, but insist that
1t does not merit reproa.h, because it
looks away from facts to an ideal. They
argue that all great reforms had their
beginning in precisely the same way.
TIE pioneer reform5rs ,ulify see
through glass darkly. In the first
reform movements means are liable
to be mistaken, and the orginators of
the movement are frequently wrong in
their methods. Yet the ultimate object
is kept constantly in vie", and reverSeS
are only So many useful experiences in
developing the right plan. The Nation
aiIStS certainly have the hopeful weak
ness of youth, and they are surely act
uated W worthy motive in trying to
advance the general welfare. Whether
they ever attain their object or not, they
certainly must be credited with helping
to throw light upon the limits to which
humanity must subject the exercise of
ARBITRARY power in state control. Their
methods may be wrong. and, in fact,
their ideal may be false: yet no one can
c"ntrOvert the fact that men ami women
are going in the right direction when
they try to establish society upon
oasis that will compel every
member of society to contribute
his share to the general veal
and prosperity, and will enable every
memoer of society to enjoy his just
share of the benefits that accrue from
human government. The one grave OBJ
lection 20 the BELLAMY pla is, that it
Involves national communism, which
would be costly experiment il it
proved to be a failure. As a scrap of
idra!ity it has pleasing glamor that is
calculated to attract theorists, and even
to cIptivate those who are profound
students. But i'll the light Of past hi s.
tory it must be admitted that the BEL
LAMY scheme is risky one, even if i t
were practicable. The experiment
France made half-century ago in the
matter of establishing national work
Tops is not encouraging to the idea that
t le state can successfully control all of
its industries, or that the exercise of
national authority can be depended
upon to obtain every imaginable good.
Sill. as we have stated, no particular
harm is being done by an agitation of
this question OF nationalism. On the
contrary, good will result from it. Bel
lamyism is not fanaticiSm. nor are the
Btllamyites cranks. Wise men in all
ages have held to the theory of govern
ment regulation and control with other
than police views and provisions. And
while the Nationalists Of this period are
probably Oh the wrong road, they are
still doing good by preaching the doc
trine of unselfshness. and by helping
to get the bubble Of socialism to place
where it can be punctured.