The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-17
DEFFNCE OF SOCIALISM.
Another Attempt TO Tell what the Term
Means,

Means.
To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sir: In THE
SUN OF October ~ Goodwin Smith attempted
to give a clear definition of socialism for the
benefit OF some OF your correspondents, whose
ideas on the subject seem to be rather hazy.
Any serious contribution to this vexed dues-
ton should be heartily welcomed. especially
when coming from a man Of MIR. smiths wide
reputation. But IL is all the more disappoint-
ing to find that even he has failed to compass
within a short definition the essential points
of the Socialist philosophy.
lie has correctly differentiated between the
utoplan socialism OF Plato and Sir Thomas
More and the modern political or scientific
socialism: he Is also right in Withholding the
term sOcialistic from the municipal owner
ship programme of MIR. Hearst. for example.
and from the mere government ownership
of sO-called public utilities. 1t is true that
this Is an age Of universal ferments and that
the class which has the most votes Is becom-
ing conscious OF the power which the universal
suffrage has placed In lis grasp to better It's
economic conditions.
But socialism is not the offspring OF "A
growing dislike for manual labor and thirst
for enjoyment. " and II does not propose TO
transfer the wealth Of one or more classes
to another class. when MIR. smith writes in
that style he is no more illuminating than
the numerous correspondents who attribute
the growth of socialism TO the eagerness OF the
idle and vicious TO divide w the possessions
Cf the well to do.
In this country we have bad practically
universal tmaleD suffrage for more than a
hundred years. yet socialism only began to
take root here at a particular stare In our
economic development. And IL Mr.. Smith
will point out a single epoch in human his
tory when work-manual work-has been
loved for It's own sake he will furnish some
ground for his assertion that IL is less loved
to-day than IL was yesterday. Or, the con-
trary. II would seem that the further away
We get from the age when work was looked
upon a. a badge OF social inferiority and
degradation the more apt we are to appre-
ciate the true dignity OF labor. And as a
matter Of fact have not Socialists OF the Will
iam Morris type been the leaders in the great
movement TO recognize the true value Of work
- a factor in individual development and
artistic self-expressiOn?
An ordinary lay writer might be forgiven
for interpreting a vital part. Of the. Socialist
programme as the transferring of the wealth
Of other classes to the proletsrist. but 9
terms. IL is not wealth that socialism pro-
poees TO transfer, but capital; there is a
is not proposed TO transfer even capital to
one class, but TO secure to society "a a whole
the right TO the use OF those things which are
necessary to maintain life.
II a man Of Mr.. Smiths nttainments has
30 little comprehended the significance Of the
Socialist movement IL is not to be wondered
divergence Of opinions. Pardon me. there
fore. il In all humility ! offer a very concise
definition which l recently heard In the course
OF a lecture at the Rand School of Social
Science. II Ia as follows:
Socialism Is the modern working class movement.
ship in the social means OF production and the in
StitutlOn instead OF q system Of Industry collectively
Q; all anu '"'
A careful study Of this definition will we'll
repay any one really DESTROYS OF understand
Socialism is essentially a modern move
ment because 1t Ia a protest against the results
OF capitalism, capitalism itself being that
system OF industry which has grown up a. a
result OF the substitution OF the factory sys-
TEN and machine production for the old
methods of hand production. The results
of capitalism have been threefold, Through
division of labor and the use OF expensive
aud complicated machinery u has made IL
tools, and thus has made him dependent upon
whoever owned the capital through which he
between the productive power OF labor under
the new system and its wages has created a
large unemployed class, whose competition
prevents the increase I'm wages from keeping
pace with the increase in production. The
growth of the factory system has gathered
the workers into great cities. where their
poverty and economic insecurity compel a
major portion OF them 10. herd into unsani-
tary tenements in a word, creates the hor-
rible slums of our large cities.
Socialism is a working class movement
because. while it may Incidentally benefit
other classes, ~ voices primarily the protest
of these dependent wage workers who have
been divorced from the ownership OF their
own Jobs.
IL advocates the abolition OF private own
ershiD in the social means of production be-
cause IL Is inevitable under such ownership
that the fruits OF all material and Industrial
progress should inure TO the owners of land
and capital, while the wages of labor are
automatically kept at the subsistence level by
the competition of the workers for a chance
TO work at all. Socialism insists on the dem
ocrAtic management of collectively owned
industry because the experience of European
countries has shown the futility of the mere
extension OF government ownership while the
competitive system prevails.
Socialism Is international 10 it's scope and
arises in all countries where the capitalist
system has developed to the point OF becom-
ing oppressive-as a recent example, Japan.
Its weapon being the ballot. it presupposes
sufficient Intellectual development on the
part OF the proletariat. 70 enable them to
understand the unity OF their interests az a
class. and a reasonable liberty OF speech and
the right to organize.
Lastly, the programme OF socialism IL
nothing less than the total abolition of unneo-
essary poverty and enforced idleness. II il
the only political party to-day which dares
analyZe the causes of these phenomena and
advocate a cure no a palliative or an evasion.
MIR. Smith would do well to revise his
definition. WILLIAM G. LIGHTBowN.
NEW YORK. October 10.