The daily sentinel., 1912-01-23

y
gain their ear and appreciation. You
can thus lead them to a state of dis
content and restlessness. Large num-
bers of people will listen to that sort
OF thing and follow such leader
ship without having any fair concep-
ton as to what it all means The
present degree of popularity which
has come to socialism does not mean
that all these people have undergone
an intelligent conversion to the SOC
ialistic scheme but they have been led
To magnify their misfortunes and to
Imagine that there is as hort and SIN
pie way opened to them whereby they
may come quickly into an easy and
afiluent life. This appeals to. them.
Il is what every man wants They
are easily led but such a following
does not signify any radical and
thoroughgoing change in the sub
stratum of the reliable elements of so
ciety. A very large contingent of the
people only wait for the coming OF
the leader who will take advantage
of any unfortunate conditions and
promise relief They are willing to
take this medicine by which it is
promised to make them we'll as we
take most of our medicine from the
doctors, with eyes shut and not hav-
ing thes lightest idea of what is be
ing taken. That man is their friend
who appears to sympathize with them
and is ready to make them large
promises. The only cure for this un-
fortunate condition is in correc-
tion of the misConception through an
advanced intelligent view or by an
experience of disappointment from
failure to realize on the hopes that
have been unwisely held out to them
A very large number of these pople
will only b helped out of their delu-
sion by tn latter process.
Sometimes a slight change in ones
circumstances will cure him of his
Ia ise fancies. To illustrate: Pat
was a socialist He was always talk
ing his hobby If an easy opportuni-
ty did not present itself, he would
mack one. Very suddenly he stop
ped and was silent on his pet theme
party who had known his past very
well and now noted the change, in
quired for the cause. One who SEEM
ed to have discovered the cause said I:
why, don't you understand? Pat
now owns a cow Socialism thrives
on the misfortunes of the people but
loses its hold as they become pros
porous.
Now, hold that socialism ASA the
ory proceeds on certain fundamental
errors. | will now proceed to pay my
respects to some of these
/. lndividualism rather than Collec-
tivisim is the true theory and order
os Society.
In spite of all idealism, 1t sands
forth as very persistent fact that
the unit of society is the individual.
it cnnot even be made the family.
The natural, that is to say, the divine
order of society is individualstc. This
does not prevent individuals from
joining in various forms of compact
in order to more effectually secure
and protect individual rights and n
terests Still, in the last analysis, il
falls on the individual to define, sub
| serve and defend his own rights. AS
individuals, men are responsible. and
they cannot submerge their individ-
uality in the great mass. The prob
lem and the thing that must be dis
covered is how to make the mass rec
ognize the individual and cooperate
with him in securing his rights Col.
lectivism is commune, a combine, a
social trust. AS a system il is open
to many forms of abuse or perversior
thus simply transferring to another
field the struggle to establish right
and justice. With the imperfect peo.
pie who now compose society ano
must for some time to come. it would
early reveal its inherent weakness
and incompetency. 1t would be lack
ing in incentive TO those who are
without ambition or purpose and thus
fcist upon society body of drones OF
barnacles. Systems of checks and
dGebills are but a modified form of
return to the present order. Compul-
sion and competition are not unmixed
evils but rather do possess certain
qualities that under proper regula-
tion and restraint, exercise healthy
/