The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-21

Some writer in the Snohomish Sun
thinks the Posr-IrELLIGEScER should
study Bellamy. implying that Bellamy
contained something that was new truth.
Bellamy is q man of superior literary
talents like Henry George, but, like
Henry George, he threshes nothing but
old and very musty straw. All that is
true in Bethany and George is not new,
and all that is new is not true.
Georgeism is a. old as Moses, and the
philosophy of Beilamyism is as old as
Lycurgus in Sparta and Plato in Athens.
Plato who first formulated communism
was a true aristocrat by conviction, and
Sparta whose so-cal!ed republic longest re-
tanned institutions analogous TO commun-
ism was at the same time the most aristo-
cratic republic in Greece. More's Utopia
and other systems OF the same type were
only distant echoes of Platonism.
The Able Mably in the eighteenth GEN.
fury derived the evils of society almost en-
trely from al unequal division of prop
erty. st. Just called property Infamous
Robespierre said, mo one ought to exist
who possessed more than 800 liyres de
rente." Montesquieu wrote: The state
ought to give to each citizen an assured
subsistence, decent clothing q mode of lite
not dangerous to health" Chapelain in
his report on the decree of the 18th OF June,
l7gl, writes that the nation is obliged 10
give work to those who need it, and the
French convention sanctioned the prin-
ciple when it decreed that public aid Is a
sacred duty, since society owes a subsst-
ence to its less fortunate members"
State socialism and communism. which
is ut the bottom of Bellamylsm, is very
Old straw. like prohibition, modern spir-
itism, etc, nothing but creed out
worn. The most successful state social
ism the world ever saw was practiced for
several centuries under the government OF
ancient Peru. The government decided
what crops should be planted, how much
work each citizen should perform, and
! provided each citizen with the raw mate.
rial out Of which his clothing was made; ;
! the land was owned exclusively by
| the government and was allotted
! to the people according to their
needs, new allotment being made
| when necessary each recurring year,
! The government decided what crops
| should be planted, and how much work
each citizen should perform. When the
| young were old enough 10 marry the gov
! ernment gave them a house, and in case Of
/ sickness or old age issued soup tickets.
| No man did more work than he could
| easily perform; no man did more than
| his share. There was neither riches nor
| poverty; there was no money. Here we
| have Georgeism and Be.lsmyism mixed
| literally enough 10 satisfy the most
! IanGuid loafer that ever t-amped our state
throwing up his hat for the demagogue
! that tells him that the "rich are growing
richer and the poor poorer"
As matter OF fact. poverty, human
| misery is not increasing. but a. evil con-
stantly tending tn diminish. People are
more disconnected than they ere of old.
/ because they are more conscious of their
condition. With the acQuiremeat of polit-
/ zeal liberty has come the asp ration for
economic independence, bus aajnlal com
| fort, calm and content are mo- le const:t-
uents Of a vital civilization; & they were
then Peru, with is perfect ,ernal,agn
which reduced the people 50 uch a state
OF absolute dependence Oh soc .euz.al
government that they were chiGishly
helpless and defenselcss as 8 onmunitv
of slaves, was an ideal sta l Peru as
suEed its people clothing. t-ai. fuel. and
shelter from the cradle tn IT, grave. but IN
| return they surrendered t..e exercise Of
that individual freedom q tlourht. effort
and action without whic ~ American
would think life worth sung. Pizarro
struck n this IDEAL statec. Peru with his
/ Toledo blade and this aire Of happy
human cattle dispersed j c 8 herd Of ante
lopes when a lion springs o, il.
L the Peruvian test Of !" philosophy Of
Rel.amyiSn ana Georgei 2 De too ancient.
read the story Of Broot 4r.n and oths-
sociaiistic experiments. Ealch Illustrated
the woEthlessness OF the Eellamv phloso.