The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-05
A Big SOCIAL TANGLR.
Professor SnalI's Views as 10 Pres.
emit Conditions.
CAPITALIZATION THE SPIRIT THAT
DESTROYS THE JOY OF WORK.

Menace Since the Huns. Descended.
upon Western Civiltzatton-Yet
there Is Good I'm some of the Ideas
Back ofthe Trusts.
Professor AL 5ion. W. Small. head OF
the department of Sociology In the Uni
versity OF Chi cago, and formerly pre,i-
dent Of Colby College in this state. has
attracted much attention by his denuncia-
ton OF trusts. In recent isspe of the
Chicago Times Herald he has signed
article on the social 81 tuation. Us follows:
In the FIST place there is not ressiui'-
tic note in the whole gamut of my social
philosophy. believe that the world is
hei ng pushed onward and upward by
forces that nothing can stay. / believe
that tigger and better men are bred TODAY
in the United States. England and Ger
many at least than were ever before horn
In any such proportional numbers any
where in the world. l believe that as
mems work today requires more brains in
planning and leading than ever before,
our complex life produces aIso more hixh-
ly developed consciences and mora lofty
and thorough standards Of morality. l
believe that the heaviest human tasks are
ahead OF us, not behind, and that IA
bsneucent evolution is making us size up
to the standard of fitness that will keep
on taking care of one human task after
another so long rs tho world lasts. The
critics who have labeled my opinions
To-. - hava adopted n vary roupd.
about way of oontessing that they cannot
or will not see the relations OF the things
that have said.
2. am not socialist, uDle3s that
term is made to stand for the everything
and hingsst rt.of wi.tfulnessthat simply
wants, if posi- lille. to get for every body a
better deal in life. ithout any definite
notion how. In that sens, We are all
more or less socialists, / suppose. But If
by "sot isiists'' you mean any Of those
various bodies OF 5innocents who have ~
programme that would eliminate prob
lens from human life, or make things
that are not equal to the came I'd ing equal
to each other, i mus be counted very
far out
5 am not denouncer Of capital
hconomio takers iell the people that
capital is not essenli Il to production,
because savages prodncs food by di - ing
roots aud piss ing wild fruit, wi no
help from CAPITA. The hi III of prod nc
ton that savages carry on does no. require
apital, IL Eis true; but the inference
which henry George and Mari Marx be
(, 10 him drew from the fact Is draft on
an overdrawn deposit 1t is inhuman to
make honest people believe that civilized
proa ucti0n can go on without capital.
The more civilized we get. the more init
mate i s our Der endence on capital. That
does not necessarily mean that capital
must increase in amount in direct pro
portion with advance If civilization; 1t
means that the more advanced we are in
the arts OF Iife, the more we need to Use
accum ulated wealth in further produc-
ton.
4. / am not among those who say, "Oh
yes, capital is all right but the capitalists
have no business TO eXist." To he sure 1t
il too late in the day to pretend that the
socialistic conceuti IN of society is I'M
thinkab!e. 1he idea of making all wealth
n sed in production the undivided patri
mony of NIL the producers, or of all the
Is by no means self EVIL
dent contradiction of the nature of things
Regardless of the technical obstacles to
such a REIMBURSEMENT and surprising the
change accom- olishei, human life might
90 on Indefinitely under socialistic or
relations When oeclino TO adopt the
socialistic programme, therefore, IL is
not because L pretend to consider IL I'M
thinkable. In addition to the decisive
fact thSt the majority OF people at pres
snt do not want IL, l simply do not con
sidsr it the condition Of human relations
which would be likely in the long run to
bring out the test in humen nature. For
that reason it does not seem to me the
best mark for US to aim at when we are
trying 10 set up standards OF improved
society. The capitalist that does his
proper work earns his wage. IL l wanted
an easy job, ! should look long time in
the ranks of labor rather than take up
the burden of most OF the capitalists
My personal view is that in the best or
dered society which men car ever ar
range there will lie a very much larger
number of independent caDi
talists than there are today, together with
q very much larger aggregate amourt OF
public capital, operated not In tie interest
Of individuals but for that Of the people
as a whole. AS on abstract principle, |
should say that the capitalist begins to
be a mere preteGder in the place OF the
performer OF function at the point where
he ceases to be the personal manager of
his capital, and therefore personally re-
sponsible for the poilos OF management
So soon rs that point Is passed, the capt.
talist begins 10 be an incubus and a
5. am not depouncar of trusts. |
Since steam was harnesstd 10 N IA" hineiy, |
no discovery that l can name has added |
IS much to human resources ms the ois-
,ovely of the posi- hilities and advantages
Of iudustIi al organization. Instinct had
Taught us these advantages already ia
oilitics. Modern constitutional states |
are gigantic political trusts, in place OF
earlier anarchy and of lntsr feudalism.
The United States ESCAPED Civic suicide
BY merging thi, teen petty. Jealous, COM
petiug corporations into Ia federal trnst
hat has successfully managed "a zone of
The continent. When we get human in
iustries into the best working order that
am able to imagine, very important eie-
meats in the arrangement will be adap-
.ations OF the trust idea.
g. Assuming that these NEGATIVES
guard me sufficiently against the various
iorts of charges that one Is likely to meet
4 he ventures to express doubt that
what is altogether right. venture to
.estify my opinion that capitalism Is the
most soul destroying fetish that human
beings have ever worlhipred, ard II is
.~pttaIic,p m which we are all having