The Irish standard., 1913-04-12

the social revolution come to nought.
what will be the new torder of things
in the Socialist commonwealth? This
is a legitimate question ito which nc
satisfactory answer is given. Ask the
Socialist leaders, ask their literature
ask their programs! Everywhere the
answers are most indefinite. Private
ownership Of the means Of production
they say, will be done away with and
socialized; that is, all factories and
lands, machinery and other improve.
rnents. The wage system and the
difference of class. all distinctions and
Inequalities will be abandoned and
everyone will choose his own work,
Every man (shall work. according to
his ability, and every man (shall en-
joy himself) according to his needs
A{Carl Marx, The New Era. 9th VOL,
566-567.)
A System of Childish Dreams.
Where could the men be found to
people so ideal state? They arc not
in existence today. not even in the
ranks OF the comrades. If Socialism
were to como into possession tomor-
row, the scramble for patronage
would upset the best laid plans.
Kautsky admits that it would not be
enough simply to disown capitalists
by a stroke Of the pen. The new So
ciety would not be able to live by
confiscation alone; there would have
to be work and production. 1t is an
illusion OF Socialists to imagine that
the force of habit" and "the dlscip-
line Of the proletariat" will inspire
the workers to 30 back to their places
revolution. This problem is so difh-
cult that Kautsky pleads for con-
tinuation Of the wage system. at least
temporarily: he proposes to pay
higher wages for the more Disagree
able and dinlcult work, and to redudJ
the wages for the easier classes Of
work. But is not this q return to the
present system? Bernstein. at the
head of tho revisionist wing. actually
abandons the teaching that all priv
Ate enterprises are to be taken over
Dy the commonwealth. He IL satisfied
to permit the wages-wealth and profit
system to continue. This being the
case, what will distinguish the new
Socialist system from tho present sys-
tenn under which We live? VIII there
be al, essential difference?
Will Socialism Create . New Type Of
Mani
In order to realize the Socialist
ideal of time when there shall be
no more misery and poverty; when all
men shall be glad. contented and I'M
selfish, it will be necessary to bring
about a complete inner change of the
normal, everyday man as we find him
With us. How can it be brought
about? Conrade Kautsky, however,
prophesiesg ('"The Day After the Social
Revolution" p. 49, that we may as
sumo, under the changed condition,
that a new type OF man will arise, q
man who shall surpass the highest
types heretofore produced. He. the
new "overman." shall not be the ex-
ception, but the rule. We confess that
at this time there is no evidence Of
the growth Of the Socialist 'overman''
type; on the contrary Socialists on
trial show themselves to be as human
as the most human among US.
In 1905 the Socialists. for instance.
came into electoral control Of the Eng
fish parish Of Westham. 1t did not
take the Socialist electorate very long
to regard their majority non-respon-
,sfble to the community. and to make
it the. instrument merely of their own
private interests. Tho workers made
such demands upon the party in pow
CI tA0L LILO ClV1C 00IVlC0 was 8OOH u1S.
organized. and public debt created
which has become we'll nigh unbear-
able to the country. (sanders. So
cialist, '.rhe English Labour Move
11ent." 1869
'a5 The Socialist Laufkoetter very sob
erly remarks: 'The Utopians among
us seem to have no misgiyings. They
readily conjure from their imagina-
ton q charmed world. and never a mo-
fmeut stop to ask themselves the
question. how it can be realized. 1t is
q fantastic assumption to believe that
1.-The Socialist commonwealth of the fu-
@ture will create ideal social conditions.
In those days, too. water will still be
used for cooking, and men will not be
angels. They will have the same
weaknesses and limitations as men
have always had"
The Bird in the Hand 10 Worth Two