The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-27
work which was begun thirty-six years

| cent OF which Is That OF the Sontn AUS
tralian village settlements. A commission
| OF inquiry lately travelled through them,
| and parts OF the evidence collected are
| quoted in this volume. The testimony
| proves the prevalence OF dissension. vio-
fence. idleness-and rebellion. coupled with
admissions orr the part OF nearly all that
their beliefs in the goodness Ct com
munistic system had been dissipatcd.
He then takes up the doctrine from
biological standpoint. This general law
! OF species--life is laid down--the law that
| during immature life benefit received must
! be great IN proportion as worth IS small.
while during mature life benefit and
worth must vary together. Clearly" says
| he. with a society as with n species. sur
vlval depends on conformity 10 both OF
| these antagonlstic principles. Import into
| the family the law Of the society and let
| children from infancy upward have life
| sustaining supplies proportioned to their
| DEMONSTRATING labOrs. and the society DIS
| appears forthwith by the death Of all its
4
| the family, and let the DEMONSTRATING
supplies be great In proportion as the
| DEMONSTRATING labors are small. and the
| society decays from Increase Of its least
| worthy members and decrease Of its most
| worthy members"
The doctrine Of the socialist ignores this
| distinction between the ethics OF family
| life and life outside the family. Their
maxim IS from each according TO his
capacity to each according to his neces-
sity." No reckoning is made Of what will
happen If, generation after generation.
the material well-being Of the inferior is
raised at the cost of lowering that of the
superior.
Mr.. Spencer thinks that voluntary char
fly Is good. but people who. In their cor
porate capacity abolish the natural re-
lation between merits and benefits Will
presently be abolished themselves. Either
they will have to go through the mise
ries of q slow decay. consequent on the
increase OF those unfit for the business
Of life. or they will be overrun by some
alien people who have not pursued the
foolish policy of fostering the worst at
the expense of the best.
In the next place. Mr.. Spencer takes
up the question from the standpoint or
mental structure.
community which fulfls the socialist
ideal must be composed or men having
sympathies so strong that those who. by
their greater powers, achieve greater
benefits. willingly surrender the excess
to others. The principle they must glad
ly carry out is that the labor they ex-
pend shall not bring to them its fun re-
turn; but that from its return shall be
habitually taken such part as may make
the condition of those who have not
worked so efficiently equal 10 their own
condition. TO have superior abilities
shall not be Of any advantage in so far
as material results are concerned, but
shall be disadvantage in so far that
1t involves extra efforts and waste or
body or brain without profit The inten-
sty of fellow feeling is 10 be such as
TO cause lifelong self-sacriiice.
But this, he adds. leads to an interest
ing contradiction, for we are obliged TO
assume such feeling in each and every
member of the community as would
prompt him to constant unpaid efforts
on behalf Of his fellows. and yet such
lack of this feeling as would constantly
Ia+ d - Col themselves IA
benefit The character of all is TO be at
once so noble that 1t causes continuous
sacrifice of self TO others. and yet so
igncble that it continuously let's others
sacrifice to self.
The impossiblity OF such a mental con-
stitution becomes more manifest when the
question of offspring is considered. The
superior must not only be willing TO
sacrifice himself for his inferior neigh
Dor but must also stint his own progeny
to aid the progeny of his neighbor. lie
must love his neighbor as himself and
his neighbours children as his own chill
dren.
The answer OF socialists to this is that
the care of the children would devolve
upon the state.
Just as they would suspend the natural
relation between effort and benefit. so
would they suspend the natural relation
between the instructive actions OF pa
rents and the welfare of progeny. The
two great laws. in the absence of either
of which organic evolution would have
been impossible. are both to be repealed.
From this ideal human nature Mr.
Spencer passes to consider human ma
ture as we see 1t in everyday life, and
notes many examples. showing the greed
and selfishness of man. which are utterly
irreconclable with the Utopian dream OF
the socialist
But in spite OF all this. he confesses
that the spirit OF socialism is growing
as evidenced by the amazing advances
made during the last quarter of cen
fury on the Continent. and in England
as well, in militarism and in the CORES
ponding disposition of the government TO
interpose more and more in the details
Of civil and industrial life.
He goes at length into the military