The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-24
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler of
Columbia University Is Heard
in Significant Address.
PRAISES S0CIALISM'S AIM,
BUT CRITICISES METHODS
Nations Need at Present Is an
AriStocracy of Intellect
and Service.

BERKELEY, Cal, March %
Charter day, the forty-seventh anniver-
saTy Of the foundation of the Univer-
sity of California, was celebrated here
today, Despite the continued rain.
great crowds throngcd Harmon gym.
naium, where exercises were held DR..
Nicholas Murray Butler, president of
the Columbia University, New York,
was The speaker of the day. and his
stirring address on ''Truc and False
Democracy was listened to with great
interest. Exercises began mt O'Clock
and were opened with an invocation by
Rev, Father McSwecny, of Oakland.
President Wheeler Of the University OF
California, reviewed the financial affairs
Of the university, and mentioned those
from whom private benefactions have
been received during the last year He
then introduced Dir, Butler, of New
York, who was greeted with fcrvent
applause. DR.. Butler said:
"The socialist propaganda, never
more seriously or more ably carried on
than now. is an earnest and sincere at.
tempt to escape from conditions that
are burdensome and unhappy, Despite
It's most imperfect interpretations of
the economic significance of history
and its ringing the changes on a mis-
leading theory of class consciousness,
tins propaganda makes an appeal to our
favorite Judgment because It's pro-
claimed motive IS 10 help the mass of
mankind. No Just man can quarrel
with It's aim, but few readers of his
tory or students of human nature can
approve its programme. What is it that
socialism aims to accomplish by restrict
ing liberty in order TO promote economic
equality! IL seeks to accomplish what
1T conccives to be n just, economic and
political condition.
Aim Clearly Defined
AT The bottom and without spe-
cal reference to immediate concrete
proposals, socialism would substitute
for individual initiative the collective
and corporate responsibility IN matters
relating to property and production, IN
the hope of thereby correcting and over
coming the wells which attach to an in
dIviduahsm run wild. But we must not
lose sight Of the'fact that the corporate
or collective responsibility, which il
would substitute for individual Initia-
tive, is only such corporate or collec
tive responsibility as group of these
very same individuals could exercise
Therefore, socialism is primarily an at
tempt TO overcome men S individualism
impcrfections by adding them together,
in the hope that they viii cancel each
other. This is not only bad mathema
ties but worse psychology, In pursu-
ing a formula, socialism fails 10 take ac-
count of the facts. Out of the people
it would constitute a mob, in forget
fulness that the mob, led or uuled, Is
the most serious foe that the people
have ever had to face. The Roman Re
public conquered every enemy but its
own vices. With the warning written
large across the page Of history, what
is the lesson of Rome for America
Need New Aristocracy.
''The United States is in sore need
today of an aristocracy of intellect and
service. Because such an aristocracy
does not exist in the popular concious-
ness, we are bending the knee in wor.
ship to the Golden Calf Of Money. Tho
form Of monarchy and its pomp offer
valuable foil to the worship of
money for its own sake. A Democracy
must provide itself with foil of its
own and none is better or more eifcc-
tive than an aristocracy Of intellect
and service recruited from every part
of our democratic life