The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-15
THE UNIVERSAL ASPIRATION.

THE UNIVERSAL ASPIRATION.
At meeting of the state labor feder-
alton the Socialists attempted to have
adopted resolutions setting forth their
state policy of the naturalization of the
means Of production and distribution.
They were unsuccessful, two-thirds of
the delegates voting against them. In
the discussion that followed their in
PRODUCTION one of the delegates laid
bare the nerve Of the whole contention
when he declared that ''soclialistic
principles are all right, but the men
that are behind the Socialistic party
are all wrong The fatal defect be-
hind all socialism is that 1t assumes
a condition of human nature that does
not exist and which, did 1t exist, would
render socialistic organization and ac-
tivity unnecessary, because the pur-
poses now sought to be attained would
be the common condition Of mankind.
Socialism represents a universal as
piration of the race. What of humani-
tarianism we have attained, what of
progress the Golden Rule has made in
ameliorating the relations of man to
man, what of justice comes into the
dealings Of men. what increase there
is Of sweet charity, are due to this i'm
pulse which has been uplifting men
since the days when every mans hand
was against every other. And none
of this is the result of legislation, none
of it the fruit of the frequent efforts of
states to regulate the conduct of men
or direct their activities. It is simply
due to the gradual, slow but steady
improvement Of the individual. The
path we have Travelled so far runs out
into the long future and ends when
mankind has become universally just,
far distance yet. But the way must
be plodded by this and many succeed
ing generations, slowly, painfully,
amid much wrong and suffering and
the misery of injustice, each genera
ton making some progress in the hu-
manities. each a little better than it's
predecessor.
We have all the material for the
Utopia of socialism with us today and
in this republic. We have a govern
ment by the majority; we have as high
ethical standards as the world ever
produced; we have as great admins
trative ability as ever worked in the
mind of man. Why have we not ideal
socialistic conditions? Why can we not
! IN fol hi
because the human factor is indispens-
able, and the human factor is lacking
in the essential qualities. Consider
what the plan proposed involves and
the method of selecting the men by
whom 1T must be executed. Take any
! single article, the supply of shoes for
! the people, the furnishing Of milk for
a city, Of bread for a nation. Where
is the wisdom to apportion properly
and justly supply and demand? Where
is the security that the methods that
now put into congress and legislatures
and councils incompetent men, cor
rupt or easily corruptible men, will not
continue? Imagine the plan of state
/ supervision of production and distri-
! button committed to legislature or
4 congress such as our present methods
! evolve.
What do we see now when congress
or a legislature assembles-and it is
! through such means that the socialistic
plans must be executed? At Washing
| ton we see committee, holding the
/ taxing power in it's charge, inviting
/ representatives of various industries to
4 come before it to tell how congress can
/ best serve their selfish interests. What
will be the objects of legislation that
will chiefly interest the majority of the
members who will shortly gather
here? Read the political news in the
papers; listen to the talk among the
politicians Is it about measures for
| the public welfare, or is it mainly
about who will be the officers. big and
little, of the two bodies? We recently
went through a campaign in which
were submitted with the choice of can
didates also great, fundamental cues
lions involving changes in the organic
/ law Of the state. The officers chosen
will hold Office for two years, but the
/ changes in the law Will endure for
years. And what were the topics of
/ general discussion in the press, among
the people, on the hastings, the candi-
dates or the constitutional amend
ments? We all knew within a few DAYS
/ who had been chosen for office; tele-
graphs were burdened with returns
showing that, but even now we are I'M
/ certain what the decision was as to
| some Of the amendments, and, on some
OF them, so few voted at all that they