The herald., 1897-07-13
WHAT is SOCIALISM
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of some essentially socialistic measure
through the pages of our leading maya
zines, while in the columns of the daily
papers we are constantly being served
with a more or less incomplete idea oil
the scope and meaning of the term
Some of these accounts, as, for instance
one in the Providence Journal of a few
weeks back, with a long and gloomy
array of melancholy proofs bearing on
| the fact that Socialism, if not already
here, is in reality close at hand, are liz
tie short of ridiculous. Giving but the
remotest idea of the truths of Socialism
all that such articles need is a wide
black border to transfer them into a
| first-class funeral procession of words
and IDEAS
Leaving, then, the melodramatic
treatment of the subject aside, let us
ask ourselves for the sake of informa-
ton, What is Socialism? and to what
extent should we ourselves go towards
becoming Socialists or social reform
ers?" Answ ering the latter question
| first, we may say broadly that whoever
feels satisfied to believe that our pres
ent postoffice system is better managed
| and affords us fairer service under the
control of government than it would
| if it were run by Messrs. Hunting gton,
Rockefeller, Carnegie or Gould, is al
| ready a Socialist On this one point
| then we find all parties united as COM
mon Socialists; and from the post
| office to government control of railroads,
| telegrsphs. telephones, parcels delivery
| systems, life insurance and land, is but
| a step-one which has already been
| taken in older countries where the pres
sure of population within limited area
| has forced these various measures Of
social reform to the 'front.' and where
they are now tending to alleviate con-
ditions that would otherwise long ago
have become intolerable.
So that, to begin with, we see that So
cialism is simply Industrial evolution
not revolution. Hence it is we observe
that Socialists have their eyes turned
forward and not backward. Today, for
instance, in all this antitrust and anti
department store agitation, we see no
Socialists taking a hand in trying to
undo that which they believe has been
simply growth out of individualisr
into collectivism. That the business Of
the town, the city, the world is now run
and controlled by a handful of men in
stead of by countless thousands, is to
the Socialist a matter for congratula-
ton, not anmosity because by virtue
of this evolutionary process he can dis
tinctly see the time when the few indi-
viduals who are now at the head and
control of individualism shall them
selves be displaced, appropriated and
the government alone be at the head.
Does such seem like a dream, mere
fantasy? Then all We need to do is to
open our eyes, and 10! the proof is right
before US. Twenty years ago govern
ment railroads were called socialistic
in Germany; they are not so spoken of
today More recently the idea of gov
ernment life insurance was hooted at
and derided. 1t has now been found to
be the only wise and perfect plan for
insurance both in Germany and Austria
lasia What would have been thought
a few years ago of municipality that
presumed to run its own water, light
ing and street car systems? The word
anarchy would hardly have been
strong enough to condemn such addle-
pated reformers twentyjyears ago. Yet
today there is scarcely a municipality
in this country-save Los Angeles-that
has not taken decided and permanent
steps in this direction, to the great re-
lief of the citizens at large and to the
chagrin and CONSERVATION of the mill
lionaire manufacturer and stock-Jobber.
So much, then, for the common ex-
amples of Socialism that we can all wit
ness without stopping to take thought,
and from this out of this, the Socialism
of the future is to gradually or rapidly
evolve according to whether you lend
hand and work with this force, or, on
the contrary, place yourself blindly but
stolidly against it. But the general re-
suit will be the same in either case, there
being scarcely philosopher to be found
today who denies the fact of Socialism
being inevitable.
So far, then, we have needed no argu-
ment to show that Socialism is already
here, save the proof of our eyes-its in
evitableness proved by everyday illus
trations. There is, however, an eco
nomic as we'll as a moral basis for its
support and continuance that thoughtful
people should love to look into. Whether
or not we can accept the position held by
Socialists. however, will depend largely
upon our ability to free the mind from
prejudices consequent on years of Gus
tom and habit, to generously bear in
mind the fact that that which seemed to
be right in the dim light of yesterday
and centuries ago, may possibly now
reveal itself in the light of the present
day as harmful, wicked and inimical to
all progress ana prosperity.
The economic basis of Socialism,
therefore, rests entirely upon the law
that all natural sources of wealth should
be held in common ownership. This
seems a reasonable enough proposition,
considering that no man can have any
rightful claim to anything not created
by his own la Dor or the labor of others.
Now, no mans labor ever made the land
any more than it made the air or the
sea. By denying the human race it's
common right to the soil we are deny
ing it its right to earn living just as
surely as though, owning the air, we
should deny or tax it for its right to
breathe. Now, this is no new-fangled
theory of single takers or Socialists, but
and latter-day land monopolists have
never been al BILE to completely squelch.
But neither is it true that land has al
ways been owned and monopolized in
this manner, for in the past numerous
races have recognized the fact of having
munity interest.
|