The sun., 1891-05-24

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position was poor ono. nt least II was se
cure; II was protected arainst competition bi
| trade privileges: there werc neither crises no
| strikes. 1.-The had but a small clientele. II nwayi
| remained tho same in number and capacity
nor wero the fluctuations OF fashion rs grea
as they are at the presen. day. Turthse. there
| existed no middle mon. and tho privileges o.
rank were check rhon the power OF capital
Tho noble who lived the life OF Door man, " he
sometimes went supperless to bed. would
mover In oil MIS- misery have permitted q
rich p!ebeian 10 60 before him. In the
provincial assemblies he spoke flrst. with
his head high and HIS hat upon his
head. Now In nearly all European coun-
tries these barriers havo boen removed,
the power Of riches has increased and capi-
tai holds unlimited sway, production has null
tipl;ed. salaries have become higher. but the
workman Ia little be.tor OF than before.
His wages. always subject to tho laws OF COM
petition and to crises which he can neither
foresee nor avoid. become every day moro
completely n form OF merchandise subject to
the laws OF supply aud demand and tho fluctu-
ations OF tho market.
Against this state Of things socialism has
arisen as a protest Through universal snf-
frage we have told tho workman: 1t is you
who are the arblter OF the State. because you
have by our industrial organizations reduced
his labor to a form Of goods subject to the
fluctuations OF tho market Is not this an
evident contradiction How can We say to the
many, You arc a. once sovereiRns and SER
vants2" Besides. though the workman has
obtained tho franchise. he is practically ex.
cluded from political power By the work.
Ing OF economic causes. His vote must
remain subject to the power Of capital.
Economists in general commit the grave
error OF considering production in pref
erence to the individual. md consequently re.
ject large number Of those doctrines which
have become the patfimony Of modern social
philosophy. Political economy. differing In
this from tho larger part OF the positive sci.
encns, Is only applicable TO certain forms OF
society Nevertheless, communities which 1t
igno,os completely. hive existed. as. for ex-
ample, The communion OF forn. which we are
told. was iudepcnd Of supply and demand.
The society Of tho middle aRos with It's close
guilds It's severe regulations OF labor. its serf-
dom. wns based on principles Numerically
opposed to those OF modern economists. Tho
fact that they existed Is u proof that they
were possible, and ehat We cannot hence be
sure that other forms OF society may not arise
beyond the foreseen limits OF ecoE omic sci.
ence. ReferrinR to the house life Of the Amsri-
can aboriglnes. as reported In tho transactions
Of the Smithsonian Institute Signor Nitti points
out that communism. although 1t 10 contrary to
all our tende no;ss, though 1t is form Of So
ciety absolutely the reverse OF that based on
the laws Of social economy. has been able to
exist and for long periods. Economists have
therefore no right to exclude priori the DOS
sibility of the evolution Of q society which they
can neither define nor predict.
uOt, bAf fo Tfatf
because he Is an italian. Signor Nlttl refers
many 0! the evils OF society to the jus utendi ct
oJutendi. which was the basis Of the Roman
property law and Is in its turn tho basis OF
nearly all our modern codes. Never has the
state guaranteed the possession Of property
SO completely as it does now. and never has 1t
asked so little OF the proprietor. The social
conflicts Of antiquity and OF the middle ages
were partial and Of an outside character. ex-
ternal to the reople. like science.or philosophy.
Modern socialism. on the contrary. has sci
entinc derivation. and Is far from being par
tal or limited fact
All socialistic systems are based upon the
idea of equality. Happiness. according to some
ia founded on the equal division Of
property: consequently they teach that the
luxury OF one class must imply the misery Of
another. Many socialistic remedies are based
on tho assumption that riches are the result Of
labor and must be divided in proportion to
labor Man is. according to them, o laboring
animal and they assume that from q given
number Of men there must proceed . given
amount Of labor. This conception is contrary
to tho principles Of sociology and snthropol-
ogy. which teach us that no man ever does
naturally any more work than Is absolutely
necessary. All work done outside this limit
is done by virtue of determining circum-
stances. Labor is not therefore. as the
Socialists say. the cause OF riches, but
only Of that amount OF riches which
prevents men from dying Of hunger
On the other hand. democratic socialists err
In their often brutally expressed conviction
that riches are the real cause OF happiness.
Riches and happiness. poverty and wrstched-
ness. are by no means In necessary correlation.
The present sufierings OF the poor do not de-
rive from mere inequality. but from excessive
inequality. The Christian ideal Is by no
means opposed to socialism; indeed 1t has
much in common with 1t, but 1t Is an undenia-
bio as we'll as curious fact that socialism has
made most rapid progress whore religion is
weakest. 1t Is natural :hat when people be.
come convinced that this Is the only life. they
cecoms more anxious for tho amelioratton OF |
heir conditions here bolow. Tho Social Demo- |
ITat. the chief journalistic organ OF German |
>
and must remain atheistcnl and materlalistic. |
,lgnor Nitti says: Il do not see why the |
,ocinlistio Democrats combat Christianity so |
,bstinately. or why they cling 30 porsistently |
o tho Darwinian positivism. The Dnrwinian
struggle for life implies the destruction OF the |
voak for whom under that formula there is no |
,laca In tho world. Now socialism. as we'll as
Christianity. implies the protection of the weak |
lVainst the strong and must therefore impose
ilnits upon individual liberty"
Tho IukunU OF Berlin, another socialis.ic
,Rper. whose doctrines are In opposition to
hose Of the Social DemOhrat. maintains that
very mans religion Is his own affair. ant
horefore that socialism should romain hlooi
rom all religious o: RIti-religious struggles,
Is. though they may attract some turbulent or
Intl- RELIGIOUS persons. they ALLEVIATE from their
,arty many moderate minds which are op-
,osel to the materiallstio idea
A striking chapter Ia that In which tho author
xaminos the front rreacnted respectively by
and Professionalism to tho socini.
Btic question. With regard to this lie refers
o Archbishop Thompson's discourse Mt tho
pening OF the Pau-Angican Synod held in