New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-11
THE ENGLISH RADICAL
A NEW EXPRESSION OF HIS DISLIKE
OF AMERfCA-SOME OF THE REA.
SONS WHY HE DETESTS AMER
ICAN INSTITUTIONS.


London. April a.
The dislike of the English Radical for Amer.
ica or for American methods and ideas In poll.
tics Is once more expressed at length and with
force In the Chronicle" of to-day. The Coxey.
tie tramp to Washington and the coal strike
supply the texts for this sermon. Both these
incidents are treated serious symptoms Of q
bad social and economic condition Whetbe,
that be sound inference from the facts is an
arglabe point, but It is fair enough comment
from the Socialstc side. But we come almost
at once to very different and very illustrative
matter 1t is our inheritance Of political and
constitutional principles which makes us inca.
pable Of dealing with social problems, or less
capable than Europe Is; and especially England
Says this socialistic organ:
'It Is a commonplace that mere Republican
institutions do not OF themselves solve eco
nomic problems Indeed 1t may well be that thu
American people have been much In love with
their Republican formulate, borrowed from the
philosophy OF the last century, that they have
thought far less on the social problem than We
have"
You will notice the phrase mere Republican
institutions" That also is illustrative IL you
remember that the important journal at whose
feet we are sitting is not merely Radical but
Sociallstic AS a Radical 1t does not like the
mere Republican institutions" OF America for
reasons which will presently appear. AS So
cialist It likes, perhaps no existing social inst.
tutions. no form of Society now or heretofore
existing; and perhaps Republican least Of all
since the Republic and especially the American
Republic is supposed to come nearer than any
other form Of government to satisfying the soul
NJ the workingman And the Socialist does not
want him TO be satisfied but TO be dissatisfied,
dscontented revolutionary; so that the old order
OF things which is the present order, may
change and a new order which shall be Social
istic. established; with Colectivism, State Own
ership Redistribution Of property and Of bur.
dens and Of power and OF classes. A very
considerable programme announced but not
yet thought out.
Thinking is. indeed. hardly the word one would
use to describe those emotional processes BY
which this and other Socialistic organs reach
the conclusions they announce. But suppose
thinking really were the approved method Of
Sociallstic effort. The object OF 1t would nat.
urally be TO find a remedy for the evils whica
they denounce and combat. Do they then find
a remedy? Do they apply it here? Is the social
condition Of England better than that OF the
United States? II It be. is the superiority OF
due to Socialistic speeches and writings or to
any form Of Socialistc activity? Are strikes On
a great scale more or less common In America
than in England? Is the general condition OF
the American people worse? Are American
wages lower? Is American property less equally
distributed? II Motif none OF these hypothesis
be tr,ie-how much truth is there in the re-
proach addressed TO the American, and based
on his fidelity TO these American ideas on which
the social and political system Of America Is
founded? II we are 70 be taught TO despise
Republican formulas borrowed from the philos-
ophy Of the last century. We shall hardly select
as our teacher a descendant of the men over
whom those Republican formulas and tina,
philosophy triumphed.
The events Of the last twelve months In
America, due 10 exceptional and transitory
causes, have given the Socialist and the Radical
a plausible pretext for the blackness OF the
picture Of America they are fond Of painting
They find II more convenient for their purposes
10 trace the distress which has existed during
that period TO general than 10 special causes'
10 the American system rather than TO the dis
turbances OF that system by accident They
treat the disturbance as permanent. All ths
testimony we get from America tells US that II Is
diminishing: which does not prevent our Social
istic monitors from asserting that II is growing
and growing to gigantic proportions" The
facts are painful enough: Is II worth while to
trick them out In such cheap rhetoric as this!-
The streets OF every great American city have
been swarming with the unemployed; and IN me
midst Of ped-up riches tens Of thousands or
workmen have been starving.
That stops just short OF saying that tens OF
thousands Of American workmen have starved;
which the careless reader might understand 70
mean starved to death. The resources OF char'
lty" we are told. "have been taxed 10 their W.
most limit. and have proved utterly inadequate
to meet the needs OF the poor" The PHRASE
utterly inadequate is good specimen OF the
sweeping superlative In favor with this class u
writer's. There is news from America that 'ns
relief societies. a very many Of them nave peen
dissolved because there was no longer neeo "
relief No hint Of that in this article. ~
would njure the Casa ray OF white amid 'h'
black. But what angers these gentlemen H.
apparently. not so much the poverty of one CLASS
as the riches OF another Riches are 10 'ie"'
an offence. The possessor Of them is an enemy
OF Society; II he be millionaire he has no rs"''
which the social reformer is bound TO respect
mo one can deny that the double spectacle
OF wealth accumulated beyond precedent IN nv.
man history, and Of multitudes OF unempiose co
men. affords paradox as remarkable as any
recorded"
1t Is the more distressing, this double spec
tace. because the evil might have been so easi'
remedled. Your Radical reformer, whether "'
be Sociallstic or merely political. carries pau
acea in his pocket. His remedy is Legislation
There is dissatisfaction. Soothe 1t by statue
There Is distress. Relieve II by a law.
There are forty-four State Legislatures N ~ ~
United States besides the Federal Congress -,
Washington, and not one OF these bodies xa n.'
taken any serious step even TO inves .p,ns.
much less TO deal with. condition ., ~ oa ne
which cannot continue long without shaking u'
foundat ions OF Society"
1t is worth pausing one moment to remark =.
the use OF the phrase Federal Congress ~,
English often use it;-perhaps It is surV'"
from the days Of the Civil War In Ame'',s
when English writer's were wont 10 designate W."