The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-09-01
PRESIDENT WOOLWORTH ALARMED

President Woolworth of the American
Bar association, in his address at Cleve-
land last week, sounded a note of alarm
In regard to socialism. He expressed the
belief that this country was in grave dam
ger from the spread of the sociaistic pro-
paganda, evidence of which is found in the
fact that the books socialism in the
public libraries are being read extensively
by laborers and mechanics He thus
sketches the doctrine which he thinks is
finding favor among that class:
The explanation of society, according to the
new lights, is question of economics; and
In this narrow field the theory and postuate is
that manual labor is alone deserving; that value
Is what labor adds to physical substances, to
which the laborer is the only one entitled,
VINO employs iaborers' paying them wages, and
appropriates the value of their labor over and
above what he allows them, robs them of the
product that is not his own
President Woolwcrth things that when
the great body of the working people be-
come saturated with this doctrine, then
we may prepare for trouble.
Mr.. Woolworth is right in saying that
socialistic books, such as Bellamy's
Equality" being eagerly read by
great many people; but he is wrong in
supposing that their perusal is confined
largely to laborers and mechanics. They
are read by all classes of people, and
perhaps by the literally educated more
extensively than by the class he mentions.
In fact, socialistic speculative theories
may be said to be a sort of an intel
lectual fad just now. But we believe that
the majority of people who are reading
such books perusng them more as
they would interesting romances for the
pleasure derived, more than from any
notion that a rea.4zation of the theories
advanced is feasible. Most men and
women are fond of framing Utopas-in
the minds eye-and Bellamy's picture Of
twentieth century existence force an at
tractive background for riot of the i'm
agination over ideal conditions.
MI. Woolworth is mistaken in saying
that the pOstulate of the socialists is
that manual labor is alone deserving. Bel
lamy places great stress the value of
intellectual and artistic labor, but con-
tends that in condition of economic
equality all workers must receive equal
compensation, regardless of the character
OF his work, because if each one does his
best that is all that the community can
expect of him, and that the capacity of
one to accomplish more than another is
an accident or a gift of nature which does
not entitle him to superior compensation.
These are sublima ted theories which will
=. take little hold on such common sense
people as sturdy mechanics and working
men. The skilled worker who is able to
earn five dollars day or more would
not relish the idea of having his wages
leveled down to that of the street shoveleI
or the scrub-wOman. or one leveled I'D and
the other down until they meet on a COM
mon plane. Such doctrines would prove far
more attractive to the 6illetante and the
intellectual theorizer.
In our opinion the issue which the coun-
result of the present activity in socialis-
tic literature is not d demand for ,le
confiscation of the profits of the employer
as Mr.. Woolworth seems to fear but a
demand for the naturalization of the
industries which require the granting OF
franchise for their operation-such, fol
instance, as the railroads, the telegraphs
the mines, etc. 1t is argued that any
enterprise which requires the exercise o.
the right of eminent domain should be
carried on by the municipality, the state
the nation, and this will be the frs
point of attack of the practical socialistit
agitators. THE TRIBUNE has hereto