The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-02
are cengratulating the city on tho es-
cape from the Inconvenience and losses
due TO q tle-up.
SENTIMENTAL SOCIALISM.
Progress ofTbcsc Theories Within the
Working Glasses = Wrong Ideas
E,ntcrtnincd G


Entertained.
New York Journal OF Commerce
Within the working classes the progress
OF sociallstic theories Is obviously due tc
the idea that the workers income could
be increased II the employers profit
were taken from him and divided
among the employees. Among politi.
clans, there Is a strong tendency to ad.
vocate socialistic ideas because OF theii
supposed popularity. The wage-earners
cast an immense vote. No practical
politician needs to have this fact eS.
planned to him, and as he Is apt to be
deceived BY noise he probably overesti-
mates the popularity OF socialism
among the wage-earners. Among i'm
migrants from continental countries, go.
clolism of various grades is common;
among English and American working
men 1t Is not common, though English
trades unions appear to be weakening
In their resistance to 1t.
But. In certain quarters, there Is q
disposition to yield 10 the theor!glng OF
the socialists which Is not TO be ex-
planned by any personal or class self
interest. 1t Is due to the extension OF
sympathy uncorrected by knowledge
Immense as have been the strides Of
material progress In this century. and
wonderful as have been the additions to
human knowledge and 10 human power
over nature, It Is doubtful II any other
change OF the century Is more marked
than the increase OF sympathy between
man and man. Poverty and suffering
are as old as the race; but acute and
widespread sympathy with them are re-
cent. AID have been SO far expanded
that conditions are now regarded as pit
iful which a century ago would moi
have been supposed to involve even
hardship. Poverty has been relatively
II not absolutely decreased. and vel
there is so much more sympathy, with
poverty. and with conditions that are
far removed from poverty, but seem
like poverty In contrast with grea,
wealth, that one might easily get the
impression that poverty was increasing
! and though it is utterly without excuse
the statement that the poor are grow
ing poorer Is really believed by persons
who have the means OF knowing better
One Of the most prominent ministers
of the ives. said recently to his conGre-
| CATION that he had become q believer In
socialism. He had struggled against It
he !said., but the voice of duty. love oil
| country, of man and God. called nc
down. We pass over the incxcusable
slang to point out that socialism IS q
matter of economics, and only a study
OF economies can afford the foundation
for an Intelligent opinion upon it. But
the clergyman makes no profession OF
having studied the matter economical.
ly: he admits frankly that various sen.
timental considerations inclined him ii
| socialism. In his opinion the trusts had
destroyed competition. honest toilers
are thrown out of work. and there are
more ranps than Wellington had IN his
| army"
The monopoiies are endeavorins tc
suppress competition, but It is still I'M
certain how far they will succeed, and
the movement toward combination In
itself due to the extreme sharpness o!
competition at present. AS to the work.
ers. the facts are easily accessible &c
any Intelligent man who seeks to H.
form himself instead OF communine
wages has been going on for half 4
century Throughout the commercial
world. The increased comfort OF the
wage.earner has increased in n still
greater ratio, for his. dollar, or his shiii-
ing, or his mark, will buy very much
more Of almost everything except shell
ter now than It did fifty years ago. II Is
so far untrue lin this country at least
that labor is finding It difficult 10 get
employment, that the number OF per-
sons engaged In mining and mechanical
Industries In the United States increas-
ed 65 per cent between 1850 and 1890
during which the population increased
IS PEI cent. and yet wages increased
much more rapidly than the number OF
employees, and there was decrease In
the employment OF children.
or the Immense recent increase IN the
production Of wealth. the workmen have
secured n substantial share. II Is said
not their full share. Who Is 10 deter
| mine what their full share Is? The fac,
Is that they have proilted largely by the
Increase OF wealth which has resulted
from the present organization OF Indus
try. and the socialists desire to substi-
tute for this organization a different
one OF which little Is known. but which
wherever tried, has resulted in rcduc-
ing the amount OF production and there
fore the amoupt to be distributed
among the producers.
1t IS n very dangerous sentimental
ism that misrcprents the Industrial de-
velopment Of the last fifty or seventy
five years. and 1t Is still more dangerous
when It would reduce the amount OF
| productions because In It's Judgment q
part OF the producers do not get enough
now.
lDEELECTIONS OLE q BACHELOR