The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-13


 the daily consumption of his bale of hay
 we listen, when running is not possible leaving the room or We simply accept oul fate and listen:
 The winter solstice of the recent panlt has passed by and the sun of prosperity is once more in the ascendaney in thi. country-''
 Being so, we might as well take up Mr John Spargos latest, smoothest literar, production, recently published. As hi: publisher, MT B. W. Huebsch of New York city, informs this scribe, that il view of the criticism to which John Spar go has been subjected by reviewers o1 non-socialistic newspapers who regard the opinions he expresses in his "The Sub stance of Socialism and ''The Spiritual Significance of Modern Socialism," as be- ing in opposition to those generally held by socialists, MT. Huebsch calls attention to the fact that MT Spargo has been recently reelected to the national exec utive committee by referendum vote of his party This is the highest position, We are told. that a member can attain and no better evidence seems required that socialists are satisfied with MT. Spar go's interpretation of the movement. Ii is a matter of note that MT. Spargos Karl Marx: His Life and Work, Is said to be in active preparation. and will be published by Mr. Huebsch in the spring, later on.
 In "The Substance of Socialism Mir. Spargo divides his subject into three dis cussions, namely. Part l, The Socialist Hope; Part II. Private Property and Per sonal Liberty in the Socialist state; Part III. The Moral Value of Class Conscious ness.
 As this scribe understands Mr. spargo's present position in the socialist ranks it Is that of one of the smooth men at a race track, for instance, he might be classed with the con men: with possi- ble instructions, say, something like this: Pour it in easy now; lay stress on non essentials but when they have bitten, Ah,"
 In his book MT. Spargo breaches very Interestingly on the moral value of class consciousness In the discussion in which he says it is all wrong for those who have assailed socialists for preaching the doe Urine of class consciousness for those mis- guided people dt seems) doubtless have believed that the socialists deliberately aim to creat class anta agonisms; that they desire to set class against class and there fore strive to engender a spirit of bitter hatred on the part of the wage-workers against the capitalists. To quote MT Spargo: "Of course that would be a mon- strous thing to do a thing to be abhorred by all right-thinking men and women.
 In regard to "The Moral Value of Class Consciousness" this reviewer has only to say. using Mir. Spargo (now) as base to suggest that the next time you meet a dyed-in-the-wool socialist, ask him if he and his party in their class conscious" movement are not positively to do the very things that MT. Spargo says they are not.
 According to MT. Spargo under the so- cialist state there will be hardly any less private ownership of land under social ism than now. Whereas his 1908 platform at Chicago, upon which Debs ran for President of the United States, demanded the ownership of all land under all cir along with telephones, tele- graph and railway lines. You see, MT. Spargo is a good barker
 He proposes under the socialist state much less form of bureaucratic govern ment than we have in this country at the present time. This reviewer was un- able to follow Mir Spargo's reasons on this subject. MT. Spargo also argues that "governmental contest under socialism will be no greater than under our present so-called democratic form of government. Ye gods and little minnows, can you swal- low any of that?
 The fact of the matter is that Mir Spargo in his speeches and writings is the socialist "jollier''-you needn't be both cred much by what MT. Spargo says. par in 'The Substance of Social ism" You needn't be bothered any more than the rabid members of the party are; they all have their fingers down their noses right now!
 In the meanwhile Hon. Thomas E. Wat son, one of the biggest men the south has ever produced; one she has not yet realized the possession or appreciates the of carries the hack of his up-to-the- minute "Watsons Jeffersonian the historian of France, Ma poleon and Jefferson, the following def- mite challenge:
 THEY DARE NOTi
 Why is it that those representative socialists of national reputation refuse to accept my challenge to prepare, sign and publish a statement of the meaning of socialism as to-
 "O The marriage relation. CD private ownership, (3) racial and social equality, (D religion, and (5) the home?
 q claim that the socialists of Europe and of the large American cities make war upon our marriage system and be- lieve in free love; that they oppose the private ownership of land and every other means of production;' that they believe in racial and social equality; that they combat the church and religion, and that 7, know it.
 Here are the men whom I defed to come out in a frank, manly way and tell the people what socialism stands for:
 "Eugene| Debs. Upton Sinclair, Richard Le Gallienne, Robert Hunter, Victor l.. Berger J. A. Wayland. Fred Warren and Joseph Medill Patterson. As Debs and Warren are the noisest rantors that Amer ican socialism can boast, I name them twice.
 And. again.
 "I JUST DARE THEM TO CHIRP.
 They are fooling the people by preach- ng one doctrine in the big cities and an- other in the rural communities.'
 Not having heard from any of the lead CTS mentioned above. MT. Watson adds:
 The national leaders, whom have sn- gled out. prefer to be considered towards rather than be branded as deceivers and hypocrites"
 This reviewer was asked in discussing The Substance of Socialism what Qit- tle) he knew on the subject generally
 You can take it as safe proposition from this scribe, who has labored hard to see the light that it is not really believed for a moment that many people on earth can ever understand just what socialism is'> And it happens like that because you have to be ternpera mentally inclined possibly. and yet not that ex- actly either, for no successfully passed" comrade, to become without his bour- geois condition that he might be privi- legged to rage against the "Capitalistic Class ever worked harder, studied more consistently "to progress. to be in the van'-to be able to sign ones name with a great Your for the Revolution than did this humble reviewer No one book published by the socialists seemed to have the same "principle'' or principles that other books had; a new InternatI-