The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-06

paternal care of the poor under the influence
OF Christian charity. State charity is not
socialism.
1t is, therefore, part of the programme
of tn lecturer to teach people The differ
ence between philosophic socialism and
State charity. He has surveyed the field
until be believes socialism is coming If
not in this generation, partly so. He ran
for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Massachusetts
on the Labor party ticket some years ago.
vet he does not indorse half the propa-
ganda they subscribe to and have faith in.
Speaking Of the growth OF the doctrine
of coIIectiVism yesterday, Mr.. Bliss said ::
Socialism is coming. In Germany the So
eiaIist vote is i, S00,OOo; in France II is at
least 100000; in Belgium, Austria, Switzer-
land aud Italy ii is the growing party. In
England socialism has not cast large direct
vote, simply because 1t has so largely entered
all parties In the United States it is present
in the South and West in the 1900, 900 votes
or the Peoples party and in the Eas IN tiIe
growing Socialist Labor party, and still more
In the growing sentiment OF many who are not
connected with any socialist party. New Zea-
land, the most progressive country OF the
world, Is almost socialist commonwealth
Socialism is spreading to-day. In factory ana
in university, in church and in State, IN hu-
man IDEAS and in practical politics. Even
spencer, who, through m1sJaklng It's nature,
considers socialism slavery, calls 1t "the COM
ing slavery"
While thus believing in its power and
foretelling its coming, Mr.. Bliss does not
think government ought 10 force II. he
says:
The first thing that socialists aim to do is to
convert other people 10 socialism. socialism
must spring from the people. Government
Will not, can not and should not attempt to
force soeielistic measures on the community.
You cannot have socialism until you have
socialists. Therefore, as Robert BIatchtord
saws, 1.-The first Thing 10 do 10 spread socialism
is 10 make socialists" But as socialists gain
influence how would they strive to Introduce
their ideas? In many ways. There IS no one
programme for all countries and all places.
There IS no royal road 10 freedom. Eacn com
munIty must study its own needs and lis own
/ CIrcums tances.
Yet there are certain measures that socialists
everywhere Immediately strive for. They
strive to make government democratic To-
day in America We do not have popular gov
eminent, but machine government Who
rules in New York City-the people or the
corporations and their Tools, the politicians?
Who rules in Congress-the people or the
monopolies and trusts? Therefore socialists
tive ana the referendum. When laws are
referred to the people legislators cannot
readily sell legislation.
The secretary of the Church Union
speaks boldly about what he thinks ought
to be done under the new regime. He
says:
But when government has been made demo-
three lines OF reform that must be followed
more or less simultaneously, reforms concern
ing land, capital and labor. These are the
three factors which enter into all production,
and no one of which can be ignored. We need
land reform. Eighty per cent of the popula-
ton of New York City live in tenements, while
only 50 per cent of all the families OF the
United States own their home free from debt.
Many socialists would com mence meeting this
evil by taxing the land held Tor speculation as
fully as land in use and by gradually raising
the taxation on all land values (ineluding
mines and all natural opportunitlesl. thus
they would gradually absorb the value OF all
land for the people.
In recent tract entitled What Social
ism Is" Mr.. Bliss says:
But socialists would not do this alone. They
would gradually develop the municipal and
National ownership and operation OF capital
in industry substituting this for industry
ruled by great private corporations and mo-
nopolies. The Nation should own and ope-
rate the railroads, the telegraph, etc. Many
nations already do this Every where 1t is
successful We must own them in the United
States, or the railroads win wholly own us, as
they partly do to-day.
After treating as herein indicated on
general questions, the author says OF the
Christian Socialist programme:
It would aid the eight-hour movement. 1t
would reduce the hours of labor in factory
and in shop, that men may have longer hours