New-York tribune., 1902-05-11
THE SOCIALISTIC IDEAL.
A PROTEST AGAINST THE ASSUMPTION
THAT TT CALLS FOR AN EQUAL AL
LOTMENT OF WEALTH
To the Editor Of The Tribune

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: From your issue OF the 25th I CLEAN that
Bishop Potter in his lecture at Yale "spent q
considerable part Of his lecture In contending
against the adoption of a socialistic theory by
which every man would receive an equal allotment
OF wealth. This he regarded as impracticable and
useless if attempted" Where and from whom may
l ask did this hOnOred leader in my Church and in
our c. A. l. l. Society get the idea that socialists
of any standing or brains were planning such
utopian scheme advocating such an inpracticable
project? Surely We find no such thing in New
Zealand. and there state socialism has made great
progress. and rulers the collective wealth to
better the lot of the OF the people Pro
fessor Schafie says. Socialism does not wish 10
abolish private property accumulation of
wealth but it aims to displace the present system
Of private capital by system Of collective cap
ital. which would introduce a unified organization
Of national labor Bishop Huntington. the well be-
loved head Of society of 9 A l. L.. refers TO the
socialists ideal society of liberty OF Justice
Of equal rights-not of faculties or possessions
or oul-and-out fairness, OF thorough goodwin;
this. and no other, is the social condition the so
cialist Of brains and OF spiritual insight is work
ing for to-day.
There so many sorts Of socialists that the
Bishop would have done well make his state
nent Ti less sweeping OF have specified the par
James Russell Lowell says. in his famous ad
tion, d community of interests ana sympa thies;
chrsany 70 G e and has It the Secrei Of % G5
66ddGsTy ana benign reconstruction' This would
per cent OF the population OF these United states
make "dvvy up of all treir possessions sn%fS with
the other 81 per cent that is the working class
who now own less than per cent of the cOuntry's
wealth No for such a claim would be useless and
or course, inequalities must exist and naturally
SO, for all men are unequal by birth, abilities and
stand on an equality as to natural rights and
sibiV even an opp6rtunitv To- seciIra or nor; pos
does owe to each and every person within it's
opportunities afforded BY nature to all And when
Resources are Wr6npfuII, ,nferfered Uit oi natural
and INSCRIPTIONS monopoIies the State is obliged
by the Law OF policy as well as humanity to inter
pose for his protection. Because poverty and the
lhGGSsant ssrind for bread rohs our country of
system gives the advantage of opportunities NOT
it is needful tnat We should carefully consider this
our powers of productivity have multiplied twen-
tyfold within fifty years; why: then should our
fort or at least 20 per cent less Of haTd toll % fR fRan
they had IN the Gays or our tathers Alas, that the
march OF our industries!
racy is to be based largely upon the factory hand
and the industrial workman. we must afford pros
mocracy cannot endure
Bishop Potter said some months ago. y Pfvats IGT qs
grfed iGF B%1e e gam @ is s6ca the AmerGan madness
and threatening situation"
Most people, Intentionally or unintentonalIy mis-
GhGfrStahu soc SoGlaHsm ISM ttha1 rs, socialism ot inc
b as Proess6r s I2T y pu IT naa f no utopia
capitalization Of human society on principirs Of
equality of rights, Of social justice and lnivers,i
benevolence. and offers the only reasonable
conception Of future deveopment that has yer
been presented TO the human mind. Bshon Potter
is broad minded and so fully alive to the rights
and needs OF our great wage earning class thar 7
cannot believe he would refuse a generous
and. if need be, a forhearng sympathy with those
movements and measures often called Socialists
which the products OF the labor problem for
he knows they not political insurrecttons or
communistc fantasies, as Archbishop Corrigan
would have us believe. and they do possess an in
herent vitality and at least plausible reason for
existing, which deserves the patient considera ion
of not only the Civic Federation, but OF every bisb
op in the Episcopal Church.
New-York. April 80. 1902. ILL