Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-28

No system of State coercion could fill
the place of high rewards. Even with
special pay, efficiency would suffer. Tho
reason is fundamental. Choice by So
ciety is too unwieldy for business af-
fairs. The inability Of our cities to Sc
cure good business men for office is
notorious. New enterprise would lag
because no society could select the man
best fitted to develop that enterprise;
success in new ventures can come only
from strong private incentive. No So
ciety ever could have directed Column
bus to discover a new world Sid
ney Webb, the English Socialist, says
that men of great talent will recognize
that their special ability resulting from
the struggle for existence by their an
cestors, is an 'unearned increment and
due to society" For this reason he
thinks efficiency will not suffer. But on
this very same ground we may say
that laziness and dishonesty are due to
society. And one Of these lazy or dis
honest men may, just as deeply as the
mar Of great talent, feel his debt to
society. One mans vote is as good a.
anothers', and we shall be indeed for
tunate to succeed always in passing
by the lazy and dishonest for the man
of special ability. But Oh, how often
we have failed to do just that thing.
Aristotle was right when he said that
eyerybody'S business is nobodys bust
ness. For the Socialist to argue private
efficiency in his plea is really to use Il
basket without a bottom.
\ first phase of the mistake in So
cialism is that ii cannot support itself.
Its advocates say they will gain their
ends by voting majoritieS; they hop.
thereby to make better public morals
Now the will of the people. eXerted in
the right direction is a mighty force;
but the dangers of pure democracy are
indeed great. Democracy in our coun-
try needs medicine, and it is doubtful
If the cure is more democracy. Collect
i've human nature is still far from
honest The Socialist must recognize
that there can be no art of public pol
icy higher than public morals. To at
tempt to secure those morals by So
citlism. which before it is launched
must be w1dsed up by them, is rather
like perpetual motion.
There is always at hand one Judas
more often two.
An Italian duke, a few years ago
impressed with Bebers Socialism gath
cred 1871 peasants all favorably mind
cd, onto a Socialistic estate. Conditions
for success We're ideal. a few months
ago this company disbanded. The tim
Der CT the estate had been destroyed
Tho n re b11
majority could not rule. Human nature
showed itself in unequal property and
unfair treatment. The experiment
failed there and must fail elsewhere
for the lack of that normal equilibri-
um'' which, in human nature, does not
exist.
We do not need Socialism. There is a
better, safer remedy. Reform must be
slow. II lies, not in revolution, but in
regulation. Education and public Opin-
ion are its soldiers. Rate regulation
the public utilities bill, the public
opinion bill; $42,0D0,000. given to col
leges; Charles Fl. Schwab's offer Il
educate 1000 boys: the social settlement
movement are positive steps in the
right direction. Inequalities in taxa
ton. labor and private enterprise may
sometimes tread on justice but to a
large extent the" are the price of com
munity life wher" INEQUALITIES in hui
man nature introduce varying stand
ards. Wherever unfairnesS exists, the
people may outlaw it if they will. Let
the vast majority of the people once
thoroughly repudiate and disown these
inequalities and then robbery and cor
rurtion. ignorance and the Slums
shall fold their tents like the Arab
And :.S Silently St.al aW.IN''