The Adair County news., 1905-07-12
SOCIALISM.
Neodesha, Kans., Route No 2.
June 25th, 1905.

DR.. U. L. Taylor,
Columbia, KY.
My Dear Uncle:
J Your kind letter ask
ing me to define socialism to hand
The word Socialism" is from the
latin ''Socius''- companionship
fellowship, thinking, feeling anC
acting in harmony, of b e i n 6
agreed upon some main principle
of social action.
A socialist community would be
one where the people were living
and working in harmony instead
of contending with and seeking
to getsthe better of each other.
1t would mean peace instead OF
war and conflict. Universal OF
international socialism would
mean the disarmament Of armies,
the cessation of grevious taxation
to build battleships, construct
fortresses, cast cannonS, make
rifles, swords, and all the dead
panoply of home.
A high court of arbitration
would settle all cases of national
dispute, if any occurred, which
would be very doubtful as the
common welfare would be seen
to be the welfare of every part
of the international Republic.
Production and distribution of the
necessaries of life would be the
principal employment of the peo-
pie, and, as this would require
only abortion Of the time, the
rest would be devoted to recre-
alton, education and the method
of education will be very largely
recreation, and not the tiresome
and exhaustive process as it is
now.
But,ssleaving these generalities,
let us discuss the specialties of
socialism, as the majority of peo-
pie have a very confused idea of
what it really is. And the ut
terances of some protesting So
cialists, instead of explaining,
have added to the general con-
fusion. This happens because
these teachers have only grasped
some of the incidentals instead
of the essentials of the doctrine.
True socialism will be found in
perfect accord with human ma
ture in its essential elements, and
also with the great law of evolu-
ton. Hence, it has taken long
periods of time to work out and
applyits principles in the intellect
ual consciousness Of man. Its
progressive unfoldment through
the vast periods of human evolu-
ton, is a most interesting study,
but l have not the time or space
to follow it out as | have a more
specific phrase of the question to
consider and illustrate.
The basis impulsion of social
ism is the same as that of all an
imal eXistance of every kind. 1t
is Selfism; that is the potential
impulsion of the brute and the
angel. In it's manifestation it is
wise or unwise. In it's unwise
form of action it is termed self
ishness. The difference between
the wise and the unwise phase is
this: The unwise manifestation
Injuries another in it's action; it is
self-regardless of others rights or
welfare, and often with direct
purpose to injure another. On
the other hand, wise selfsm is as
careful of all interests as of its
own; it knows that AN injury to
one is the concern of all" because
all are harmed if one is injured.
Wise selfism is identical with al.
truism because it knows that each
person is a unit factor of the hui.
man Wilderness, and that whole.
ness is permeated with a common
life, the same as the severa
members of the human body
Therefore, the integrity Of one
member depends upon the integ
rity of the entire body, and con
sequently the perfection of thu
81 IL