The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-08

Nobility " ~ aims AMI puFpnaNa ~
%Weakhess liea IN ~ assumption That
mon ran ~ tufnrd lnta aalnis ~ lenis-
lnfirn. that indivtttal areed sHd amir
fi0a e1R ~ eeHveftei ihto qltrtaH ~
%sis'u'rsr iqWt ~ efruf daNasg lles
Nv No. lHfefrHoe dfsvN w ne ueiHeritt
cont fspm M MISCELLANEOUS pfrpseandal
tlH' hHth wrnih rnd nHverty may ~
rla1l4hef Nv lra lttivq enacimeHt and
ihs' universal happiness VII cr'ue
through ihc destruction NJ individual
ambition anil ne fempval NJ incentives
Nv indtvtiunl artivitv
whether ~ = temporary ~ a a f~fs
manehf fofre tha Transformation int
cs'rd Wv Professor suaaaRf 10 Just nv
In fairly aciive operation Pfncesdih6
vim ~ comment tho faie ReeisW mites
'hm f1ri II admits tho limited humrf.
ical strength ~ any national suclaIlat
rrfty hW sees nm Increasing AMI ao'nes
what fofmiiable Socialist Activity IN city
and state elections aud In tho maaa "
sucialistio l~tera'nre nov In circulation.
The movement Ia ho longer conhned ~
the rfoletafiat. A North AmsSirdH Re-
tiew article IN which ~ commented q
fow dnya ngu and tho Presidents 'muck
rake speech arc quito In line With tho
Socialist programme NJ to-day and The
platform NJ tho Socialist party In the
campaign NJ 1904 In their moro ~ less
direct Advocacy of impuaing q limitation
upon individual wealth by means Of
graduated inheritance, income and prop
crtv taxes. Tho Socialist programme,
~ outlined by Mr.. SLApB In the June
number ~ tho arena, calls for 'morc
thorough Government inspection of bust
ncss establishments.
Tho Yale Reriew sees a close parallel
between tho Socialist temper of to-day
and the Abolitionist temper Of half a
century ago. Both aim at attacking an
evil by destroying it Very much N
does * in the North American Rerisr
article, this writer regards the lEsue as
largely dependent upon the attitude Of
the capitalist classes upon the use
made OF surplus wealth by those who
have a surplus. Az n matter Of fact,
very few indeed Of u multi-lnillionaires
can rightly be charged with gross mis-
Use of their wealth: but the ostenta-
tious parade and the abuse Of wealth by
the few obscures the benefactions Of the
many who in innumerable ways use
their riches wisely and helpfully.
Socialism claims that capital docs not
create wealth, that 1t only absorbs the
wealth created by labor, which is its
rightful possessor. This Is disputed. II
not utterly d%isproved, by the fact that
where there is limited capital there Is
limited production, and where there Is
limited production there is dire and
general poverty. 1t is assumed that
there is in the world a certain amount
of wealth, and that if this were not held
by the few it would be more equitably
lis tributed among the many. The
greater probability is that II there were
none who had too much there would be
far more than there now are Of those
who had far too little.
The problem Ia one OF repairs and not
OF construction. 1t involves the ques-
tons, which are incidental rather than
fundamental, Of how best to prevent
unlawful or immoral acquisition of SUR
plus wealth." and how best to take their
surplus from those who misuse it, with
out placing a barrier upon the accumu-
lations Of those whose possessions are
made q helpful force in the life Of the
world.
If Professor SoMBART and those who
accept his views are correct, and the
foodgates Of Socialism are about to be
raised, the most serious question Of the
day concerns the best methods for oon-
trolling a current which without proper
control threatens the destruction Of our
social and industrial structure.
is only too much evidence that
the gates are being raised and that pro-
posals for an indiscriminate limitation
of individual possessions are only some
of the 1otsam Of the initial tide. How
far the gates will be lifted and how far
the food will be destructive or benefloent
will depend upon the wisdom OF the
possessors of surplus wealth and upon
the level headedness Of the American