The Irish standard., 1914-05-16
SUCCESSORS TO
SOCIALIST PARTY
Present Program Of Party and
and Teachings Doomed
to Failure.
Destructive Propaganda Not
Making Progress''-Radica-
ism Dangerous.
Party Will Change Tactics
Writes Henry Somerville
in Catholic World.

Writes Henry Somerville
in Catholic World.
Until very recently Socialism ap-
/; peared to be quite formidable force
! in the world. There appeared to be
more than possibility of Socialist
party gaining power in some OF the
more advanced democratic countries,
and attempting to rule in accordance
with Socialistic principles. At the
present day the prospects of a NOM
inally Socialist party gaining office
| are not less bright than they form
erly were; but there is no prospect
of Socialist party In power attempt
ing to pursue "a Socialist policy.
The nearer Socialists advance to OBJ
tanning the powers of government,
the more carefully do they contine
themselves to the furtherance of
moderate reforms that leave the
, structure of capitalism undisturbed.
' In England, France, Belgium, and
Germany the observation of this phe-
' nomena is commonplace. In coun-
, tries like the United States and Ire
land. where Socialism is very weak
politically, where Socialists have
neither the opportunity nor the re-
sponsibility of acting according to
their principles. thesAistoric shibbo O.
leths of Socialism can be reiterated
with entire sincerity and some plaus-
ibility. But when the movement
passes from the stage Of irresponsi-
BILE propaganda to the stage of re-
+, sponsible participation in govern
ment. a considerable modification is
necessitated. In short, it becomes
evident that the mere possession of
political power avails nothing
towards the establishment of Social
ism. Civil war might conceivably
end in the desired goal being
reached; but the Socialist politicians
have little liking for such desperate
measures, and they therefore content
themselves with the regulation of
capitalism instead of attempting its
abolition.
I The impossibility Of estab fishing
Socialism by political methods is now
generally recognized; but this is not
all. Many Of those people who form
erly placed their whole faith and
. trust in Socialism are beginning not
merely to despair of its possibility.
but also doubt its advantages If 1t
could be established. They are COM
ing round to the view that Socialism
in action might prove not a blessing,
but curse. am here using the
word Socialism to mean the State
,, ownership of the means of produc-
tion. distribution and exchange. It
is true that the original meaning of
+, the term Socialism did not necessar-
lily imply State ownership; and the
term is still sometimes used to de-
scribe economic schemes other than
state management of industry! But
nevertheless the only sense in which
Socialism has represented any def
mite proposal and made any wide
4 spread appeal, is the sense in which
it means that the State should have
the control of industry and the owo-
ership of the means of productivism.
This is. repeat. the only form of
Socialism that has had any consid-
cradle following in any country.
Now it is precisely this form of So
cialism that is at present losing its
attractions. "Collectivism has
burst" Mr.. Hilaire Belloc told a re-
cent meeting at Dublin; and the die
tum could be confirmed by many ut
terances of Socialists themselves.
For instance. there is Mr.. H. G..
Wells writing on remedies for the
prevailing labor unrest. and making
the following confession: "In the
ory. I am Socialist and were
theorizing about some nation in the
air. would say that all the great
productive activities and all the
means Of production and all the
means of communication should be
national concerns, and should be run
as national services. But our state
is peculiarly incapable of these func-
tions; at the present time it cannot
even produce q postage stamp that
will stick; and the type of official
that it would probably evolve for in
dustrial organization. slowly but un-
surely. would be maddeaing COM