The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-16
Mr.. Taft and Socialism.

MIR. Taft and Socialism.
To the Editor OF The Times-Dispatch
Dear sir--Will you kindly grant
me space In your next sunday issue
for the following comment on.the late
assertion of President Taft appear
ing in your paper). to the effect that
the Republican party is alone capable
of successfully stemming or turning
the rising tide OF Socialism in this
country?
First. II has always been extremely
bewilderinS TO the average Socialis;
tliit & man of any intellectual endow-
ment whatever could so misinterpret
the trend OF the times. or could arrive
at such erroneous conclusions regard
Ing the nature and significance OF the
Socialist movement as does Mr.. Taft
and others OF his school
If You should remark 10 some one.
Two and two make four and that
some one should blandIy and pityIngly
inform you in correction that two
and two make seven" you--if you
should have such an experience
would quite naturally conclude that
the good soul was. in big stick Ian
guage, either a liar, Joker or 2 fool
At the very best, in your estimation.
he would be either intentionally mis-
leading. amusing himself, or somewha,
unluIofmeu IN me science or maine
mates.
When the average Socialist--who, in
the light of historical fact. views the
steady development OF cooperation in
the affairs OF men as being but the
legitimate result of the laws of socio-
| industrial evolution and human pro-
gress--when this average Socialist
hears any one talking about success
fully heading off Socialism, t. e.. the
I IL, W.
views the speaker very much as you
would look upon that some one who
might tell you Two and two are sew
en-
To the average Socialist one might
as we'll talk of arrestiug the action OF
mental and physical growth In child
with happy results to follow the
I process--as to speak of turning the
! tide Of Socialism without absolute
/, harm TO the progress of civilizations;
and further. one might as well think
; 1t possible to stamp out all life on
: this planet as to do the same with
I the cooperative novement--with So
I cialism, which is but the public con-
/ scious expression of that growth and
! development which the natural laws
| of human evolution and progress de-
/ cree to humanity when organized as
! regular social body,
since first the human atoms of social
| chaos began--ln obedience to the law
of their being--their slow drift toward
each other. 1t has ever since been
/ the fashion to heartily and confident
| ~ damn and discredit every individ-
/ ual who dared to think outside the
cut and dried thought channels OF the
4 time, or to proclaim a new fact not
yet recorded in the annals of the tribe.
Such has, of course. been the time
!, honored treatment accorded the So
Ecialists: and such. presume, Is what
| President Taft meant when he spoke
of stemming tho tide of Socialism in
| this country.
! The utterly strange fact about such
/ cock sure confidence is that President
! Taft and all others Of like feather are
seemingly unable to realize that they
are attempting to combat not ideas
and theories of disgruntled individu-
Z ais, but the natural results of the
i laws of socio-industrial evolution. They
fail to see that it is not the Socialists
j who are responsible for the co-opera-
i tive movement, but that the evolution
/ and progress and development of in
dustry and Industrial factors has pro-
4 d,ced the Socialist, one who Is sim
A ply directing public attention to the
A working out of Industrial evolution,
4 and endeavoring TO prepare the people
/ Through organization and education,
1 to intelligently meet the problems
4 which such Industrial evolution and
1 development is rendering absolutely
! Unnecessary. 10 stem tho rising tide
|of Socialism literally means toattempt
the destruction of progressive civiliza-
/ ton. The hanging of a few or many
i Socialists will not do this. che de-
4 struction Of political franchise willno
do IT. any attempt to beneyolently
4 feudalize tho nation will be abortive.
and all because humanity has pro-
\ crossed too far to make such courses
4 effective. And I am very much afraid
that the Job Mr., Taft has picked out
for himself and his Republican organ
/ ization is a little heyond his and his
i partys strength, In fact. it Is beyond
the strength Of any human power to
stay the march Of humanity along the
path decreed by It's very life law. Re-.
actionaries may hinder. and obstruot,
may murder and destroy, may brow
beat and buy, but since the dawn az
the first social order, mankind has
been slowlySand painfully working out
his destiny according TO the law of
his life. and all tho Tafts OF all tho
ages of the world have been unable to
STAY the movement,
i Yorily, Mr., Taft has much to learn
or else some peculiar things to UNI.
4 learn, GEO, NJ. NORRIS.
| Richmond. luna s, 1910.
A It u \ =