Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-03-15
COMMUNICATIONS.
Signs Of the Coming Social Re-adjust.
ment.

DI6ub Va thC SVHthb SoSAhA NV
ment.
Editor WoRKMEN's ADvOCATE:-You
plan of publishing brief expressions of
the views of our leading Socialists and
Nationalists is very good one. l con-
slider it a great honor that you should
have thought of me, at all, as one whose
words might have weight. fear you
do not know what very small man |
am in this present world of socialistic
thought. But l am ready at any time
to do my best, by word, pen, or action,
for a cause which enlists my full SYM
pathies in the revolution of our present
social and industrial conditions.
Is it not strange that in all the thou
sands of years in which man has walked
the earth as an intelligent, warm-hearted
being he has so far missed the right
paths of evolutionary development?
When man, savage then first seized
upon land or property of whatever
nature and claimed his private owner
ship of the same, the first wrong step,
which has led to the present maladjust-
ment of society, was taken; "the value
sense" was developed in the mortal
mind.
What visions come to us as we picture
social development on different lines
from those laio and prompted by mans
lower animal nature But we must
take things as they are. We must re-
member that outside our physical senses
there is no such thing as Space and
Time; day is equal to a thousand
years, thousand years is but day
We may have the cheering conviction,
az we trace the progress of our social
istic thought in the minds of our modern
people, that at last a new ethical system
is to be established. The different re-
ligions, especially the Christian, have
had their uses, no doubt, in developing
the Individual; but at last the stage of
moral development is about to be raised
to higher plane. The doctrines OF
"personal holiness" and the constant
regard of the single soul must yield
to higher sentiments! The moral sys-
tenn Of lie future must be founded
on the fact that Society" is the unit
on this earth and that the soul of the
living organism Society must be kept
pure and saved for eternal progression
in the mortal plane of existence. Thus,
if there is any spiritual life beyond our
present knowledge this organized achOle,
with its human molecules, will enter
upon future of higher advance,
| must leave metaphysics to say one
word about the subject of American
Socialism, or, as it is called, National
ism. This movement is gaining ground
day by day. The warfare of words
which is now raging IN all our maya
zines and newspapers shows the interest
that is at last taken by our leading
thinkers and writers in principles which
are not new, but which many OF our
present critics seem to treat as such.
And this is the great good that Edward
Bethany has done in writing his noble
book, Looking Backward. This 70
nance has awakened thought on the
highest subjects; it has stirred the pop
ular mind in a way that more serious,
practical exposition of wrongs and their
amendment would have hardly done.
This book of Bellamy is attracting much
criticism from writers and speakers on
this side of the Atlantic; but when the
Socialists can count on their side such
English giants in the world OF political
economy as Mill u. S., Card, LID.
Professor of political economy in the
Glasgow University, Prof. ii. s. Fox
well, London University, Sidney Webb
LID, City of London College, Prof
Marshall, University Of Cam bridge, ano
Prof. Sidgwick of Cambridge, we So
cialists and Nationalist need not feal
the superficial attempts of the pigmles
on this side of the water.
Let the paper fight go on! Nothing
but good can come to the workers Of
the world in the end.
The Nationalists, the Christian Social
lists and the Socialists of the Labor Sec
tions must use due discretion; but they
must put forth continuous energy, anc
the Cooperative Commonwealth on thu
American continent will be established
before the dawn of the Goth Century.
Yours fraternally,
E. S. HUNTINGTON.
Boston. March 6, 1890.