New Ulm review., 1913-09-17
Editor Sees Some GOOd In So.
.-...a cialism.

the Bowman, IN. d., Citizen to u
shows so fair and generous spiri
on the part of an editor, G. A. Totten
who has studied the subject ant
looked deeper in the problem thar
the average Socialist does that w
reprint it here as guide to those
who are inclined to rail at the So
cialists. This man does not believe
in their belief but he does see the
good in them and feels that the So.
cialist step may be the next one
which must be taken in order to get
farther.
We had the pleasure last Satur-
day night of listening to an address
by a Socialist speaker and organizer.
To those who are familiar with the
tenets of Socialism there was moth
ing new in what he said, but at least
he said it in a lucid, understandable
way that captured and held the at
tention of his audience throughout.
The picture which he drew of So
cial conditions as they exist today
was true to life, and to this extent
his diagnosis was correct. This
diagnosis will be accepted by the
majority of thinking men and wo-
men, as we'll as by the political par
ties who aim to reform existing
abuses. Even the Bull Moosers, or
as the speaker humorously termed
them, the Bull Dozers, would object
to little of what he said when de-
scribing the disorders which afflict
society today under what the speak
er was pleased to term, the capital
istic regime.
But it does not necessarily follow
that physician who is correct dag
nostician is always able to prescribe
the proper remedy. And right here
seems to be the real weakness of the
society doctors who bear the Social
ist label. They assume that because
they have laid their finger upon the
seat of the trouble, of necessity they
must know how to remedy it. This
does not follow. In fact, when they
offer as a prescription a modified
form of the very thing, which from
their own presentment of the case,
causes the disease, then they arouse
a suspicion in the minds of their
hearers that they do not fully under
stand what they are talking about.
The great trouble with the human
mind is it's tendency to "arrive."
Eureka. We have found it.! cry the
would-be philosophers, and then they
expect a waiting world to accept |
their philosophy as "the last word"
in economics, or science or religion,
as the case may be.
That there can possibly be any
thing beyond Socialism no dyed-in
the-wool Socialist would admit, for
having given correct diagnosis of
the disease ought his remedy not to
be accepted?
"Get back to causes" said the |
speaker, "do not mistake effects for
and yet his whole philoso-
ply is based upon the error Of mis-
taking an effect for a primary cause.
But one cannot help but admire
the wonderful faith of the Socialist
in his power to take something that
has, according to him, always been a
institution, and make of it a
beneficent thing. The fact that gov
under democracy and mon
archy and aristocracy has always |
been more or less corrupt-generally |
more-does not discourage him. He
admits that it has been so but it
will be so no more if the voters of !
the country will only entrust him
with the power. 1t would be anus
ing if it were not so pathetic, this
sublime faith in new political party
which is to supplant all other parties
and usher in the millennium.
"Why, don't you know" he con-
tinues, "that every elected Socialist
representative is pledged, under pen
atty of the forfeiture of his office, to |
do the bidding of his "1ocal?" What |
does this mean except that we would |
have government by Socialist |
locals" if that party had majority |
in the legislature. And this, for
sooth, is government of "the peo-
ple'-"a government in which all the
people are to have part"
But in spite of all this let no men,
Der of either Of the old parties sneer
at these men who are making their
fellows dissatisfied with existing con-
ditions. They are doing their best
with the limited knowledge at their