The record-union., 1898-03-02

it is remembered that there has been
wonderful softening of character
throughout civilization during the nine
tenth century, as evidenced by the
erection of vast numbers of homes ana
asylun1s and hospitals and infirmaries
for the benefit of the sick, the destitute,
the orphaned and the unfortunate, there
is much to be hoped for; and the altru-
lst and socialist have good grounds
upon which to base still greater hopes
for the future. But yet, when We look
about and see the vast amount of sell
flshneSS and heartleSsTeSS and brutal
ity; the utter indifference with which
untold numbers look upon the sorrows
and the sufferings of millions Of their
fellow creatures; when we realize the
| tremendous amount of ignorance and
illiteracy that still exists throughout
civilization, We cannot but feel that
universal altruisln and the doctrine of
the brotherhood of man are yet things
OF the remote future.
That complete socialism is likely to be
| realized is not to be looked for. That
the bend and trend of modern civiliza-
ton is in the direction of much that So
| c1allsm advocates is, however, not to
be denied That the twentieth GEN.
fury will show as marked a progress in
the direction Of the doctrines of social
ism as the nineteenth century has
shown in the direction of capitalism, l
believe is not difficult to prove. That
agriculture, industry and commerce
are likely to be controlled and managed
under the collective system, is not
probable, and seems hardly possible.
That the absorption on the part CT the
| people as a whole of all natural mo-
nopolies is likely TO be one of the i'm
| portant outcomes of the next genera
ton or two is, however, quite probable.
1t is in this direction that socialism
may look for its greatest successes.
! Conservative England has set the pace,
and other countries are likely to follow.
The answer to this lies in the fact
that While it is possible to create pri-
vate monopolies in the directions above
indicated, it is utterly impossible to Gre
ate agricultural, Industrial or CONNER
| cial monopoies. II becomes a phys
4 zeal impossibility for any individual or
body of private individuals. however
great or powerful, to control the agri-
cultural, the industry or the commerce
of any nation. Competition in these
undertakings between individuals and
! between nations is inevitable and as a
result it must bring about the great
est good to the greatest number. In
other words, as a result of competition
the cost to the consumer of the products
of agriculture or industry must be
brought to a minimum
But it may be held that while monop-
ely is an admitted evil competition is
| likewise a serious evil; that COMPETE
! ton not alone reduces the cost to the
consumer, but it likewise reduces the
wages of the worker; that it brings
down to a minimum the earnings Of the
I farm laborer, the factory hand and the
army Of employees engaged in mercan-
tilism. While it is true, and Its pity
It's true that the tendency of COM
petition is to reduce the wage standard
to minimum yet the evils in this d.
rection are largely exaggerated That
wages in many instances are too low
to comfortably support the wage Garner
and those dependent upon him is not to
! be denied. That there is much suffer-
! ing and misery among the masses is
also TO be admitted. That there is much
room for improvement in this direction
! is cheerfully granted But on the
other hand it must be admitted that
there has been vast improvement since
capitalism became a potent factor in
| lettering the condition of the masses
throughout civilization. That the wage
of the worker has not been reduced to
the limit of a bare subsistence, as
many maintain, is made evident by in
| disputable facts Benjamin Kidd, who
is in perfect sympathy with the mass
4 IL
luton" presents their side of the story
with great power and eloquence, in
touching upon social evolution, speaks
as follows:
There can be no doubt that. allow
ing for all disappointments and draw
| backs, the social progress. moral and
material. which the mass of the people
have made since the process com
menced, has been great and has been,
although interrupted at times. practi-
| cally continuous 1t must be remem-
bered that at the period at which we
/ took up the process. the lower mass Of
the people amongst the present Euro
pean nations possessed scarcely any So
cial or political rights, great numbers
of them lived continually on the brink
Of starvation, military force was almost
J
stinct which led men to prey upon each
| other was scarcely more restrained
than among the lower animals.
No glamour can hide the Indebtedness
of the masses of the people throughout
the early stages of the history of the
present European peoples The
worse than animal conditions to which
| they were subject. the unwholesome
food on which they Jared and the state
| of general restitution in which they
lived must, in all probability. be held
| to be associated with the general pre-
valence in Europe late into the Middle
Ages of widely prevalent diseases that
have since become extinct. The ter
| rible plague epidemics periodically de-
vastated Europe on a scale and to an
| extent which the modern world has no
experience of. and which we can only
very imperfectly realize"
In a very striking comparison of the
present and the past in France, by Al
fred Naymarck, which appeared in a
French journal, some very important
facts are recorded:
| During the last centuries" says the
author. famine which we now only
know by name, and of which we have
no practical experience, was. in some
sort. a permanent institution on the
fertile soil of France In the twelfth
! century it made its appearance over
fifty times; under Louis " in 1868, and
in 1890 and in 1890. whole populations
We're absolutely dying Of hunger A
! century go the peasant in France sur
fered continual privation: such a con-