The Irish standard., 1913-11-29

Sor GEccaSS IN the accumulation OF
wealth is calculated to keep from him
the highest purpose and the noble
persuits of the best life. Then If he
combines with great. greed the ex.
ceptional powers he must possess he
becomes metalized, suffers a deterior.
alton Of spirit, loss the power of
sympathy and has no pity.
Old Relationship Passes.
'The introduction of the machine
was either the instrument or at least
its introduction was coincident with
the beginnings of great fortunes, and
it introduced into the world new
type of man, one devoid of property
and dependent almost entirely upon
the chance earnings of his natural
faculties. He lost that relationship
which existed between the lord and
his servant in happier, If older days,
and was forced into the field of acute
competition where the one less for
tunate was destined to suffer and
the whole uniiss~succeeded.
"The race moved ON through the
latter half of the eighteenth and the
beginning of the nineteenth centuries
with the classes divided, the poor be.
coming poorer, more helpless day by
day, the wealthy accumulating still
greater power and the great influence
over government legislation, unfortu-
nately not to the credit of the best
wisdom SO much as to the advance
in education in economic appetite.
In the tendency to organization
wealth was challenged in its instru.
mentation and the challenge inaugu.
rated better thoughts and through
the later generations we have been
moving from such unfortunate con-
ditions to better and more hopeful
ones.
Labor Sensitive. "
Labor, through education and
study, became more sensitive for its
cry is becoming more articulate, Its
demand more vehement and inenac.
ing and we are still moving toward
happier conditions, we are demanding
little better compensation, a. little
more comfort, bit better security
Of life and little shade of hope to
bequeath to posterity. This calls for
more humane division of the earnings
of the forces that are at work so that
the problem Is not wealth but loss
|pfz1re sfenis Men are
still saying where is the remedy ?"
am aware that the multitudes have
little sympathy with extreme de.
mands. They are looking, not for
revolution, but for more bread and
socialism tells the listening multi
tudes that it has the solution and the
remedy. The world is largely con.
fluent, the facilities of communica-
tion makes the workers one in the
common cause and the perfect reali.
cation Of the worth of economic i'm.
provements, SO that no body Of labor.
ers stands apart, the world Of labor Is
unified.
Socialism is not representative
of any single community but of the
world, and consequently it is import
ant that every man who is interested
in the betterment of conditions
should listen patiently to its proposal.
"It would transfer the possession
of all property and instruments Of
gain from the hands of private owner
ship to the control of the state.
Would Effect Millennium.
ut would superintend the distri.
button Of all product and so bring
about q millennium where men would
be equal and rejoice in that perfect
satisfaction of mind and appetite
which is now, in Its disturbed cond-
ition, source of uneasiness. But is
Socialism workable? It first has an
insuperable difficulty - to secure
possession of property now in the
keeping, rightfully, of private owner.
ship. Private property Is an indivis.
ible right, It Is an instrument and a
means Of inspiration Of personality.
every man has right to live his
cwn life, exercise his own faculties
and powers and he has the right to
the exclusive production and the ex.
elusive disposition Of some of the
direct product of these activities and
powers. It is not social creation
1t existed before society, for man
came into the world with his needs
and nature supplies the wherewith
to satisfy them. In that condition he
had right to property and in order
that he might own with justice and
equity he had the right to exclude
others, not from participation In the
wealth of the world but In the reason.
able accumulations of his own judg-
ment, wisdom and energy.
Deprecates Unjust Criticism.
II have no patience with the In.
discriminate denunciation Of wealth.
no sympathy with the man or philo-
sopher who says that all wealth Is
robbery. Our country offered very ex-
ceptional opportunities to great ge-
MUS. The economic conditions en-
ebled man to remain perfectly with.
in his rights when he exploited those
opportunities to his own advantage
and so became personally wealthy
and venture to state and those who
read carefully the history of our
country's growth will agree with me,