The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-22
ethics of collectixism.n

Lawrence Gronlund, the noted writer
who is at present in Salt Lake, lectured
last evening at st. Paul's church. Fol-
lowing is a synopsis of the gentleman's
remarks:
AS 1000 years ago it was asked 'Fhow
can any good come out of Nazareth 2"
so now you ask 'thow can any good
come out of socialism 2" I am sorry
to have to admit, that socialism is as
ISOLATED with atheism, but on the same
principle you will have to condemn re
publicanism, for it has had worse as
sociations; and then it is your fault.
Whey will you not study it, and if
found to be Gods cause, make it your
own? l prefer to call it collectivism,
for it means collective control of CAPT.
taa-by the nation in its sphere, by the
state and municipalities in. theiw sphere.
OF capital. observe! Collectivism, or
socialism, is not negation of property
at all; it will give private property for
the first time an ethical basis. 1t is
capital, all means of production, it will
socialize. make into public property,
and here comes in the distinction be-
nationalism- Socialism says: Every
body according to his deeds;" commun-
ism, Everybody according to his
needs.' and nationalism, Everybody
alike which is unjust to the individual
and injurious to society. IL you will
give me an opportunity I think I can
convince you, as I have others, that
socialism is Gods evident will; that it
is inevitable, whether it is going to be
permanent or but temporary, that is
different question, but it is surely COM
ing, and / believe we shall be the first
nation to realize it, which may be in
ten years from now. for we are an
energetic people. We actually are IN
the birth-throes of this new civiliza-
tion; our present discomfort is simply
societyhS labor-pains. Indeed we may
say. that it is already born into the
world. for the trust is really Socialism
in action for private benefit The
trust against which it is as futile to
fight. as against gravitation, proves
that one must have system and cannot
get along with planlessness. The plat
form on which collectivist president
may be elected in 1904 need only say,
from next 4th of March public establish
ments shall take the place of private
esta blishments, as soon as the different
enterprises can be SocialiZed, and this
can be done, I assure you, without the
least injustice to anybody. But it will
be done gradually, that is a qualifica-
ton people always forget. Again,
there is one terrible danger-of which
cause shall be class movement in our
country, as it unfortunately already is
in Europe; it will be a class movement,
for farmers and worknen are already
joining hands Evolution cannot stop
for your sake, but on your shoulders
be the responsibility
present to you the very highest mo
tive that should move choice minds by
saying that l can prove if given the
opportunity, that collectiv1sm will
regenerate us morally and religiously.
Three hundred years ago our fore
fathers cheerfully laid their heads on
the block for convictions sake; now it
is hard to get people to listen to dis
cussion on the gravest subject. The
reason is that we have lost tf1ss sense
of human rity-brotherhood. We
believe the teachings of Herbert Spen-
Ger, that we are autonomous individu-
ais; that men have come into the world.