Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-02-16
The Advance Of Socialism.
[From the San Francisco Argonautl

IRON the san francisco ArSOndul.l
1t is easy to understand the triumph
of socialism in Germany, but it is not
so easy to explain its progress elsewhere
and in countries where democracy is al
ready the rule. The man who pays
taxes, who is forced to enter the army.
but who is not allowed to vote either
for taxes or for army, has a grievance
that cannot be gainsaid, and he cannot
be blamed for rectifying that grievance
in any lawful way. But it is hard to
understand how any democratic COM
munity, how any community in which
every man has a vote, can complain of
misgovernment except disagreement by
its own follies and passions. The uni
versal vote is the last possible word in
political liberty. There are no theories
of freedom that can go further than
this. Thenceforth governor and govern
ed no longer exist apart and there can
be no abuses or expressions except those
that are self-devised and self-imposed.
The democratic country that complains
of disagreement is avowing its own
incompetence. 1t is inviting a despotsm.
And yet socialism Is advancing in
America and everywhere else. We may
blink the fact, We may call 1t transit
tory vagary, but the fact remains. 1t is
the most aggressive fact of modern
times, and the most dsquieting. Upon
every hand we hear denunciations of our
government that would be eXtravagant
If applied to the government of Spain,
denunciations based upon the amazing
theory that the whole administrative
machinery is an oppressive one, invented
and applied for the exploitation of the
masses; Whether our government is bad
or good is not the question. Bad
good the fact remains that we made 1t
ourselves 1t was not imposed upon US
by some superior power 1t does not
come from an irresponsible caste or
class. Every nut and every bolt in that
machinery was fashioned and put in
place by a community in which every
man has a vote, in which every vote Is
of the same value; and every nut and
every bolt could be thrown out by the
same process. And yet stranger might
we'll suppose from a socialist address
that America is governed as Poland is
governed by Russia, or China by the
Manchus.
If the government is so bad as the
socialist would have us believe 1t would
be interesting to hear his remedy. OF
mere economic theories we have had
enough and to spare. They do not touch
the question at all, which Is this: If a
system so hopelessly bad has been built
up by a community enjoying the utmost
possible rights of self government what
guaranty have We of better days by ask
ing that same self-governing community
to drag up the old system by the roots
and to build a new one2 There can be no
further extension of political rights.
since these can go no further than ''one
man, one vote and lone vote. one val
ue." Nor can we suppose that there
has been any vast extension of popular
wisdom when we see how the vote is
still neglected or msused. Then what
basis have we for the supposition that
we can turn, foolish voters into wise
hxr thn 1nha inn 81
economic theory for another? In the
last resort every democratic system de-
Ponds upon the wise use of the indvid-
ual vote. Almost any system will work
well II the individual voter be wise. Nc
system will work well II he be foolish.