The herald., 1897-06-17
THE GROWTH Of SOCIALISM

! tSAi VI COinpCtltiOu anu ludt IL IhuSt SOoi
result in some form of socialism. Peopl
point to the rapid pace of the world II
other respects. to the way venerable sys
TENS of other kinds have gone by thu
board in a few years, and to the genera
! disposition to smash some cherished lido
in governmental science mainly becaus
| it is an idol. They say the movement wi.
be so swift and strong when it does COM
that the cobwebs of ancient notions can
not holdit. and it will sweep all before 1t
| If it would sweep all before it ther'
would'be few to object, for about all tha
is needed to make a perfect success o
socialism is perfect unanimity. Th'
trouble Is that the converse of the prop
osition comes too near being true ant
that without almost perfect unanimit!
in the plans and the methods of execu
tion nothing would result except th'
confusion and speedy failure that have
so far attended the worlds attempt:
in that line.
For great many socialism would be
better by far than the competitive sys
item. The writer has strong idea thai
under such a system he would be better
appreciated and rewarded. Under a per-
feet system every one would be bette!
off Even those who today seem the
fortunate would be happier in freedom
from the wear and tear, insomnia ans
and dyspepsia that are now the prict
of the enjoyment of what society allows
them. The present is an awful grind
and everyone admits it, 1t is no wonde.
that the socialists increase in numbers
and that their ranks embrace thousands
nftt
The socialist is in no sense an enemy
of society, although there are some who
are more anarchists than anything else
The weak spot IN his anatomy is like
that in many other reformers. He
quietly ignores little thing called HUI
man nature. This is mere trihe, a
thing worthy only of the contempt OF
the great. Consequently the great re-
former generally lays his plans without
consulting it. We have some great po-
litical reformers who do the same. Most
of the principles of populism are quite
unexceptionable in the abstract. All
they need is a change in human nature.
We disagree only when the populist
tells us that the United States of Amer
lea is great enough to DO this by sheer
force of words in book called law.
Probably four -fifths of the community
believe that prohibition would be good
thing. But three-f1fths cannot enforce
it practically if one-fifth does not think
SO, and another fifth think it good only
in the abstract, and proposes to take a
drink as long as any one else does. There
are other laws, such as that against the
social evil which every one approves,
q nd oh n VT 1nI 4 dicc IT,
votes in the legislature. But further ac-
ton is reserved for some gross viola zion
of public decency.
Taking human nature as we find 1t, and
as it is likely to continue, how much of a
majority would it take to enforce social
ism, for instance, in a community like
that of Southern California. No one will
claim that bare majority could do it.
Would three-fourths, or even five-sixths,
be enough if the minority consisted of
the highest intelligence and business
capacity of the country? Suppose the
majority were five-sixths, but o-sixths
lacked the public spirit to enforce the
law, while another sixth believed in
slowing away little pickings on the side
to have handy for rainy day in case the
experiment should be a failure? Sup
pose, too, the officials had some doubts
about the permanency of the system or
about where they were to land in case Of
failure, and ndulged in a little rake
off" here and there, such as giving some
one more wages for a little gratuity, or
giving him less work, how much energy
would it require in the majority to catch
and punish them, and how small a minor
ity of powerful friends interested on the
inside could thwart the investigation?
And if the system should be failure, in
what condition would it leave matters?
come to being as bad as a total one?
Many a question like the above must
be answered before we can see and hope
for relief from the dreadful struggle We
are now in. The experiment made so far
in the line of socialism, and there have
been many of them in the worlds history,
all point one way. They all prove man a
rascal or a crank, losing no opportunity
to demonstrate it when the pressure Of
law is removed. The honest and sensible
give up the struggle with the audacity
of the one and the absurdities of the
other. There is no reason to believe it
will be otherwise until an overwhelming
majority, comprising nearly all the in
telligence and property of the state, not
only concludes that socialism would be
better than the present system, but de-
termines that it shall pe enforced. And
then it must remain in that determina
ton.
The prospects Of such a majority or
anything like it becoming sufficiently
determined seem a little remote. The
world is little old and thousands beside
US have been disgusted with the compet-
itive system. 1t is not because they have
not wanted something better or have not
been able to get it that they have not
had it. Even monarchies are not sus-
tanned, as is commonly supposed, by the
power of the sword, but by the greater
power of the property owners who sec
in it the only safety for property. The
world will take to socialism quickly
enough when it sees the way clear to
carry it out. In the meantime the prop
agandists are merely making themselves
and wasting energy in cru
sade that could be far better done with
the hoe in a corn field. For the grass
will be green over many a now active
jawbone before there will be any such
as would be necessary to make
socialism a success. T. s. VAN DYKE.
Knew Her Business
"Poor papa" she said, "ie feeling
"Indeed?" he returned, becoming sud-