Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-11-21
THE PROFESSIONAL CLUB.
REV. MR.. PHALEN ON THE SOCIAL
QUESTION
It's Aspects, Problems, and Proposed
Remedies

\ the members aud their guests we're ready
for Rev + /, phalens paper, whose sub
;act zoe sAsnacts Of tbs Social Duestinn
JoOs was, A'P' W. ~ g
real anu unreal prohemsi pToposed solu-
tions'
go,
Abstract OF MI fhaleh 5 faper'
A urofoupd sujrit of disroutett the speaker
said ,,eryadss cvilization An the nations Of the
western world are astir with problems which 90
to the very roots Of the present order Of society
Not only In Europe but here in our own America.
crave and ursssing slcial questions clamor for
solution There are those who would solve these
nroblefns by DENYING their reality The optimist
safe and happy IN his own home aud business,
sees nothing amiss with the present social struc
turp Discomfort. poverty. Injustice. exist, II Is
true hut these are inseparabe, he reasons. from
human society on the whole things are about
as they ought TO be- The pessimist on the other
hand finds everything absolutely bad. He raves
that our whole social structure Is rotten to the
core. humanity il retrograding, law, justice
wages. hours Of labor, and economies are at their
worst
The vail Of the pessimist aud the sclt satisfied
smile Of the Optimist. are both wrong. Society
liz not az bad as IL might bp nor as good as Il
ought 10 be- Very grave defects exist In our so
rial structure there are gfirvous wrongs to be-
righted and many forward steps to be taken be
fore this land becomes iu reality the abode u
liberty Justice and humanity
To define In a word or a sentence the social
question as ii exists Is impossible All that can
b. done is to look sobrly IN the face the fact that
grave problems demand solution. The leading
writer's Of all countries on the subjects involved
m thas. problems recognize the fact that we live
ia an epoch making period. We are IN the breach
hstya,in tho old order ~ sn,.irtv Inherited from
fqudalistn and "A new and rational social fabric
Once few leaders could determine and control
the movements and ideas Of the masses It is 80
no longer The people. the tolers Of humanity
are wide awake The masses are demanding TO
know by what right the present economic and in
dustriai order Of society exists Every question
of prorarty and labor is being discussed as never
befor.: the whole field Of our social institutions
is under critical examination John stuart Mil
saws the real object OF AL inquiry on these prob
1 T.. q aa.aa fH8Na. fN
property would be- established IS an unparalleled
legislator absolutely impartial between the pos
SCISSORS Of property and the non pos...ssurs; be-
tween those who owe their ease to the condition
Of things as IL exists and those who are ground
under the nillstoups uf Injustice and inequality
which our present fabric produces
The problems Of modern society must be ap-
preached in a spirit Of truth and Justice No
naines ought 10 frightenus Socialism. commun.
anarchisn and nihilism must be- studied without
bias and without timidity only in this free and
fair way can We hope to approximate the point
disturbed because their own condition has not
been improved IN proportion with that Of the
well to-do classes Thomas q Shearman. In a
recent article gives an exhibit Of startling fig
ures In connection with hist Of millonaires
in this country who's estates run from S5o.O 5000
to sI5O.pIu 90 each he shows that the couceutra.
ton Of wealth in private pockets is greater ia the
/ [ nitpd states than iu Great Britain The annual
income Of the richest hundred Americans is
! 81 ,spup In Great Britain the same average j.
| less than $4,000 Fully fpur-hfths ~ American
| household, do not earn 50 much a. goo year
Nearly NJ Der cent Of the wealth Of the country
| is in the control Of 2jO.DU persons Within 80
wears, AT the present rate the United States will
| b. substantially owned by less than j0.OOO money
| kings Two Thousand men own half Of the land
l Of England and 30OuulO own none A similar
/ proportion is fast growing In this country When
/ that day comes there will come with Il a strain
upon our social structure the like Of which has
not been seen since the lurid flames Of the French
/ revolution filled the world with dismay What.
/ ever sanction Law and custom may give Ia an
U q f,.r
| few shr.,yd men t. absorb the wealth Of a nation
It is certain that the multitude once conscious OF
and giy, stltf,rt and ts.rnar,nc. a. such "A mon
] strou-ly unjust state II things
/ Statistics were given showing the shocking
ratio ~ poverty which exist. 10 London the me
frotlli. n tho. world ,gher,. uu,. t-.r-lu I'M ever,
nyi dies boz a work hons. or hospital and where.
/ one. in every ten Of the population would die If
/ their means OF life by begging thievius or sub
] -tst.p,. ..u charity y-r,. t.ut ~ IDuI.n and
/ England ar, far avay' but d similar STAT Of
Thing, is showing f.lf boz an the. great CENTRE. In
! tbis rDaIntry
TIA, r,r,l,i.rY which ,,rfr,ufs tt. WAS Illustrated
/ by the story " Young girl " hu-.. wage, as a
! servant had procured bare subsistence for her
| mother and thr-. small children aud who lost
] h.r place. by the death Of her mistress t-pabl.
10 find work and dist rai.t.,d by the hunger ,f the
! children -be aUpli,.I a. IA friend for a.lvic. sad
! Size. what is th. right way for people t. live
/ when they can get nothing t. eatt' ON behalf
! Of her inartjt.tilat. class who help To maxi. our
! social rrubetu I r-n-.t her u-stion. What a r..
! .,a,nii Ia a. 4, hen fh,.y can lt neither vork nor
] f,s,ls Ayaluzf I'M. .oudifipr tf her nd fhosp
IN. her mi th. figures ~ on. wears Irofits In
! Mail street When ten or a dozen men made
| gains amounting To- s~luGubi Vanderbilt lead.
~, ,ith Mum ~ s3l an - - il strnns,. that
M. ,,nrkioi,r,qn minis, IA. is mai ,ttiny III shar
| of the. incrt.as.. in national wealth,
! What is to b. done, Tn. frst thing Is to get a
clear and definite idea Of the nntlr, and extent
! Of our problem: TO find what i omen Ia cnrr,-r
/ linn ami what il iD.vitabIy fnr,..3 mon az hv
natur. The apostle, " unrest should l.. Watched
and criticised Social uuacks and self - king
Z agitatofS should he. sumuariy dealt with The
pul,lic need TO h.. informed against thos.. uro.
f-sst f-i.n,- Of humanity ami sr.-tts ~ nv,
earth sber, they an. 10 sit In the chief s.,ats
who To- us. Voltair-'s biting satire. arr irving To-
! administer unstrums Of which they know little to
! a social body Of which they know les TO cilr,.
/ ,iis-as... Of ~ hicb they know uofbiu,
From this poipt The. ,-s,ayisf went an In sr,-ak
Of the four lead us methods Of social reform nov
| advocated by phusophrrs. political economists
! and so.callei friends Of humanity IN Furot,e and
! America
| Socialism Tbi. takes ON mani, f,r,,s md
| Appears IN many unlocked for pla,p-s Asdrfnpd
! br Webster il is a theory II society whi.b adyo-
Gates a more precise orderly and Harmonious ar
raugrinrnt Of the social relations than uoyy visits
Historically considered socialism is a product OF
! the French revolution TIN, yr,Vtb Of I'M. shirt
" socialism out of the feudaIism and oppression
Of the middle ages and its d.y.loume6t down
| through the centuries since. was traced to the
present dav when il shows itself in various forms
voiced in such proverbs as a fair f.lj ana no
! favor" Every one for himself and God FOR us
all Il is difficult IL not impossible TO define thu.
line between the terms communism and socialism
] lfafU Ia L. he NO
principle II certain voluntary and local establish.
mrnts and both arr used 10 Indicate action by th..
state The central idea is the same In both M.
collective action and cnGteraton Of All the. ts-op,.
for the general good being the common and dis.
! tinctive priuciplr Communism however would
break ~ the nation into communes or small local
societies while socialism has come to mean col.
lectivpism or uatunalism Stated i'm a general
! way stat. socialism or co.-ftiyrisrn ar national
ism proposes that land and rauitaI shall H. taEen
posssssiou of by thu. stat4-that il bv me Who'll.
people. that ali production aud distribution shall
h. under control Of the STATE. mar every rn.n,har
/ of the community shall draw from th. stat. his
compensation for services performed; and that
money and interest shall c.as. 10 exist The more
advanced and consistent of its advocates hold
that the scheme nec,ssari ly ifnnes int.rpattOna
union upon these matters. Ace riding TO some the
establishment Of the socialisic stat. Is L. b. gain
ed by revolution According to Others IL is 10 be
reached by peaceful evolutionary agitation. edu,
| cation and legislation According 10 some m.
! equal distribution Of property il Ia ba made IN
oncr without compensation According To- other,
! il is to b. brought about nv SOM. svst.n If com
promise Tbrouphout he ,tbni. riy'ns H.. a. -,
some general patrrnal action by IN. state
> Anarchy About this subject rniicb confusior
and many false ideas prryail In tbs r,n,la,
mind anarchy is associated with the bomb throw
en- and dynamtrrs Of Chicago but in reality il 4
, as much a logical system Of tbougbt and socia
philosophy as socialism or rannbiicanisn An
archlsm strictly means a condition OF existenc,
without government Ii had rs origin In Russia
, as did also nihilism which has l.,n practicaiI,
: confined to that country Roth are the natura
revolt from the extreme governmental tvraun,
Of which Russia has ALWAYS been the Theatre An
archy il the oDposit,4 III sSrialisn, hai,i,, x,-,
indiyiduaism The socialist Would incr,.asa ~
action Of the state the anarchist would 40 ava
I | with II altogether Reduce government To a min
imum saws the anarchist and then The ini,vidns
will recover his fun liberty Of initiative and actor
and all the varied needs Of humanity will ll sat
1 fled by means Of FREE. grouts and Federation
freely formed and uniufiuenced by the unwisa In
I reference and coercion Of crude and binndarin
; legislation. There are several schools OF anarcl