The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1908-10-01
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISTS.

The 161 we'll meaning clergymen
who have signed an address COM
mending Christian socialism to the
country are very strong on evils and
very weak on remedies; very eloquent
in theories and constantly refuted by
facts. In view of the progress that
has so far been made in advancing
human rights and comfort 1t sxcitcs
surprise that so many preachers of
the Gospel despair of improvement
by making men better and insist on
complete revolution of the only eco
nomic system the world has made
progress under.
1t is not difficult to imagine, whether
as novelist or as a champion Of So
cialism, a world in which there would
be no rich or poor and in which pro-
duction would be adequate and would
interest. But there has never been any
indication of how that state Of things
was to be created, and all rejecting
socialists admit that their system in
wolves a measure of morality, self-re-
straint and altruism with which we
are wholly unacquainted. But IL we
had them morally, self-restraint and
altruism necessary to make socialism
successful We could get along very
we'll even under the present economic
organization. The moral problem
is like the economic problem. Social
ism can succeed only under conditions
that would render it unnecessary. All
pictures of the socialist state assume
an enormous increase of production
without suggesting how that increase
is to be brought about. Hertzka as
sunes a-ten-fold increase in the fer
tility Of the soil If production could
be increased ten-fold there would bt
enough for everybody even under tns
present system Of distribution. The
problem Of improving the condition o.
mankind is primarily one of produc.
ton: the socialists think it is one O
distribution, and wherever thei
schemes have been tried production
has declined and, of course, the en-
terprise has failed, except in a few
instances where individual liberty ha
failed, the whole community passing
under the control of one dominatini
personality. sfs 4. +s.
/ Because this Improvement in oth
condition. of mankind is so largely
matter OF morals one would expec
the 161 clergymen to look more hope
fully upon moral efforts and to be les
insistent upon economic revolution
There is one consideration that ough
to give pause to the amateur socialists
clerical and lay, and that is the init
mate connection OF the private fami
ly and private property. Socialism
does not necessarily involve commu
nism, hut it reduces the field of pri
vate ownership to very little NOR
than the clothes one has on and hi
private tooth brush. With the sub
stsntial abolition of private propert
goes the virtual abolition of the pr
vate family, says the New Yor
Journal of Commerce. william MOI
ris admitted that rather gingerl
George Bernard Shaw proclaims
through megaphone and H. @. wei
throws but thin disguise over it, +
also admits that the socialist commt
nifty must be tyrannical in its regl
lation Of individuals, and the on
means Of averting its oppression
would be to preserve the private own
ership OF the press.
As long as ambition, ability. acqu
aitiveness and the desire to provi'
for family are bestowed upon hums
beings in varying degrees, equality
the returns OF labor will be impossib
These desires, or driving forces, a
wrought deep in human nature, al
no system of socialism has yet be
devised which can overcome the
Their eradication would spell nothi
but dreary monotony and degener
tlon.
= There has been no lack Of sxpe
ce ments la corporation. There IL
long list OF socialistic communit
which have invariably resulted eitl
= = in benevolent despotism or econor
m failpri. one of the auaintest deser