The Irish standard., 1905-05-27
The Manner in Which the Modern Socialist
Proposes to Cure Evils Of Society
Analysed and Examined.
Human Energy Would Become Stagnant Fol-
lowing the Abolition of Private Own
ership as Means of Production.

The first Christians evidently be-
lieved in a form of communism. They
went further; they put their belief
into practice. And with what excel.
lent results these words of the Acts
of the Apostles set forth. They sue
ceeded in abolishing poverty among
their own members. There was not a
single needy or poor person in the
whole community. For from the
common treasury made up of the
sales of the lands and houses of the
rich the poor were cared for, says
Rev. M. M. Sheedy in Prosperity
Magazine for April.
1t was an ideal government, and it
seemed to work with perfect salts
faction. There was, however, nota-
BILE exception, the case of Ananias and
his wife, who were not prepared to
make full returns OF their property
and suffered accordingly the severest
penalty, that of death, for the viola
tion of the rules of the society.
Outside Of certain religious orders
in the church and few communities
like the late Economic Society, this
form of socialism no longer exists In
the case of the religious communities
1t works admirably for the reason
that the members are inspired with
the same motives as were the first
Christians; wherever else it has been
tried it has resulted in failure.
! No one dreams today of applying
the theory and practice to society at
large as a means of redressing its
evils and inequalities. Far different
remedies are proposed. To cure the
evils Of modern society the Socialist
would do away with the cause private
ownership in the means of produc-
tion; private property should be abol-
ished and individual possessions
should become the common property
of the state.
Now 1t is worth while to examine
briefly this theory of socialism. Let
me call attention to few plain prin.
ciples. They will help to set us right.
Here is one: Man has a natural right
to life and to the means by which his
life and that Of his posterity may be
preserved. This right is in-alienable
and goes before any right which the
state may claim over him. The family
of which man is the head is in itself
a perfect society, and forms the or.
ganized unit of which civil society is
composed. But land and the means
Of production form the chief natural
means by which man preserves his
life and transmits living to his pos
terity Hence, man has a perfect ma
tural right to land and the means Of
production-the land which he has
cultivated and the instrument which
he has made become as it were iden-
titled with himself He has a right to
possess them securely, to exclude
others and to hand them down to his
children. But this is private owner.
ship of the means of production; and
hence man has right to private own
ership In the means of production.
1t will not do to say that the earth
and the fulness thereof have been
given to the whole human race, and,
therefore, he who owns part robs all
the rest. The earth, it is true, has
been given to the whole human race,
but individual ownership depends
upon occupancy, intention to use, cul-
tivation, work. and such other human
actions as make for rational division.
If private ownership in the means
of production were once abolished the
worlds order and thrift would vanish.
Mans strongest incentive to work is
selfishness. He puts forth his best
energies only to increase for him.
self and family his private store
of wealth. happiness or glory. With
!. the abolition of private ownership
in the means of production the
opportunity of producing for private