The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-19
SOCIALISM in PRACTICE
RECENT EXPERIMENTS PROVE THE
THEORY IMPRACTICABLE.
PrOht-Sharing Enterprises Not Social
istic-Co-operative Undertakings
Have Been Numerous.
Gunton's Magazine.

of their theory During the last half CEN
fury there has been no lack of socialistic
experiments both in Europe and this coun-
try and either total failure, or a substan-
tial return to the old system has been the
uniform outcome Recent attempts in this
direction have been no more successful
than were the early communistic expert
ments inspired by Fourier and Robert
Owen, or the cooperative factory move
ment inaugurated later on by George ia
cob Holyoake. Nowhere has it yet been
proved possible to successfully conduct
system of social and industrial organiza-
ton which dispenses with the Unborn and
vital sentiment of self-interest-a senti-
ment which need never be associated with
the terms selfshness Or greed, and need
never imply that advancement is to
be gained at the expense of others. The
law of self-interest, rightly understood and
acted upon finally results in the largest
benefit to mankind but to cut off the OPP
GRAFTON of that law is to remove the in
centive to human progress and introduce
regime of stagnation, if not of positive de-
generation.
Most of the so-called cooperative enter
prises in France and Germany which are
often referred to as successful examples
of practical socialism, are in reality not
of socialistic nature at ALL but definitely
retain the principle of ultimate capitalist
Management and the wage system for en-
pIoyes. Where profit-sharing exists it is,
in fact, only as another method of paying
wages, and the various concessions In the
way Of pensions, insurance, free public
conveniences, assistance in home building,
ETC., have been adopted and maintained
solely as a part of the policy of the man
agement in it's relations with labor. This
method of liberal dealing with labor will
be found illustrated in different ways in
scores of purely capitalistic enterprises
here in the United States, but In no case
is any essential tenet of socialism recog-
nZed or put in practice. The chief COM
plants of the Socialists are that profits
represent robbery of labor and that the
wages system is slavery. Since both these
features are maintained in tull FORCE IN all
the class of experiments referred to, there
can be little encoura cement in any of them
for the Socialist cause. Indeed, their very
hated capitalist and wage system, should
be a cause of special grievance from the
Socialist standpoint. TO be thoroughly
enterprise Of this character as a mere
capltalistic device for perpetuating the
present system just as they now oppose
the efforts of trade unions as tending to
ameliorate an industrial order which ought
to be utterly overthrown.
BELGIAN COMMUNITY.
There is a cooperative establishment at
Client, In Belgium, operated ostensibly
upon the socialfstic plan, which has not
yet collapsed, but the methods whereby it
has been kept going are of a highly sug-
gestive character. This concern is known
as the vooruit, and was founded some
years ago by a Socialist leader named Ed
ward Anseele who still retains control of
it's affairs The business appears to be
mainly distributive rather than productive,
as it consists of bakery, several drug
stores and shops for the sale of such COM
modities as clothing, haberdashery, tobac-
CO, coal, etc. AS these are among the sim
plest and least complicated branches of
industry, 1t would be reasonable to sup
pose that a sOcialStic experiment, il sue
cesSful anywhere, would be so under 6uch
exceptionally favorable conditions. Yet it
appears that even though free from capt.
talist management and nominally under
democratic control, AnSeele is practically
dictator, ana, according to statement re-
Gently made by one of the former subordi-
nate directors, rules with rod of iron.
Belgian laws forbid the filming of employees
for delinquencieS, yet In the Vooruit, it is
claimed, fines are so numerous as often
to consume one-ffth of the mems wages.
Instead of realizing the socialiStic promise
of an eight-hour day, many of the 1900
employees of this concern work twelve and
fourteen hours while none work less than
ten, and wages vary between 50 and ~
cents a day, the latter always the maxi
mum. According to the same authority,
any employe who raises his voice in self
defense or against any of Anseele's meth
DDS is instantly discharged. AS a matter
of fact, If the concern were left to purely
democratic control it would very proba-
bly, go into bankruptcy like most of its
predecessors. AS it is, this successful So
cialistic experiment is really operated UNI
der an arbitrary dictatorship, with fewer
advantages accruing to labor than in or
n iT1oV wv "a nit a a
Another interesting experiment of recent
date was that made by the Socialists at
Carmaux, France. The following descrip-
ton of the Carmaux scheme is from an
article on Labor Against Labor by Mr..
A. B. Salon. in the Iron Industry Gazette:
zone of the industries of that town Gear
maux) is glassmaking, which gives en-
ployment to many skilled workmen.
Among these workmen the demagogues
along so-called "socialistic' lines, all the
time preaching the gospel of hatred of la
Dor for capital, and gradually developing
a collective sentiment ready to make eX-
periments or to engage in open conflicts.
Fortunately, that sentiment was turned
into the channel of experimenting. The
socialistic workmen entere> into dispute
with their employers. They made demands
for certain changes, which the employers
could not or would not grant. The situa-
ton was not considered sufficiently serious
to call for a strike, as the demands We're
in themselves trivial. although involving
important principles. which threatened
trouble for the near future when coupled
with other possible demands under other
conditions. Although the crisis passed
without the usual strike and strife, the
socialstic sentiment of hatred remained
and became at once active.
UNWISE VENTURE.
Conscious of having made false move
and of having been forced to retreat, the
socialistic laborers concocted and carried
out scheme of revenge. They remained
at work, and they conceived the idea that
the best way to revenge themselves on
their victorious employers was to provide
for g. competitive establishment whose
products would come into direct COMPETE
ton with the products of the factories in
which they were employed. This brilliant
idea fascinated the Socialists Their en-
ployers pointed out to them that a rival
establishment most certainly could not
help them to pay better wages or to grant
better conditions to the laborers, but the
laborers would not listen to them. Their
social site enthusiasm was aroused, and
their dash and energy, which in a strike
were turned into another channel of ruin
for their employers and themselves. In
the neighboring town, Abb they secured
site for a glass factory. They threw their
boards into the enterprise. They spent
their spare hours in making collections
TO establish the new enterprise Socialists
and benevolent persons of means contrib
uted literally, and the factory was started.
Those who contributed money imagined
that they were doing a noble and philan-
thropic deed in wrecxing established indus
tries, never stopping to think that with the
Wreckage of the Carmaux industries was
involved the loss of work. wages and sub
sistence to all the Socialists who labored