The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-11-18
BY lsador Ladoff

DJ iSduOT IduOII
Why does capitalism flourish in our
midst like venomous fungoid? Why
did the greatest achievements of the
human genius in the conquest of dead
matter result in the actual return to
barbarism? Simply because our phil.
osophy of life is behind our progress
in the domain of purely material or
industrial activity. Simply because
the modern methods of production
and distribution of wealth are far
more advanced than our ideals and
conceptions about right and wrong.
Our methods of economic activity are
incorporating (although incompletely)
the progressive principle of socializa-
ton, while our philosophy of life, our
moral ideals, remain still individual
istic or anarchistic.
In this incongruity, in this contra
diction between our conceptions of
human inter-relations on one hand
and actual material conditions on the
other, is concealed the center of gray
ity of all social problems of the day.
This incongruity and contradiction is
felt instinctively by everybody. Very
few, however have clear vision of
the hidden causes of these phenome-
ma. Deep is the general unrest, broad
is the general nervousness of the peo-
pie, obvious are the symptoms of our
social abnormalities, absurdities and
crimes, but very few penetrate be-
meath the mere surface of things.
Dissatisfaction permeates every
class of the people, and many are the
remedies proposed and advocated by
all kinds of so-called reformers whose
name is legion. The middle class ere
formers" of the mocratic-populistic
stamp, those blind leaders of the
blind, preach reaction, return to semi
medieval individualism, as a means of
escaping the perplexities of our mod
ern industrial conditions. Their
watchword is: Backward, backward,
Don Rodrigo" Another variety of
| half-hearted, oneidea reformers try
to concentrate all their attention on
some single panacea, bound to save
humanity in twenty-four hours after
! it's Inauguration. Such are the pro
lhibitionists, single-taxers, etc. All
these would-be saviors of humanity
| lack historic sense and philosophic
training of mind. They are delight
fully puerile in their utopian faith in
the miraculous power of legislation
on paper, and do not see the forest,
| because stubbornly insisting on look
ing at one tree only. They imagine
themselves to be Joshuas, command
ing the sun of industrial evolution to
stop at the Aialon of dwarfed capital
! ism.
Socialism has another more sensi-
BILE and cheering message for human
| ity. It's watchword is forward! For
ward!" 1t recognizes the absurdity
of all the attempts to turn the wheel
of historical development backward,
| it considers as insane the advice to
undo all the marvellous achievements
of science applied to arts. II is pri-
marlIy an educational movement. Its
task consists In teaching people to
conform their philosophy of life, their
social ideals and moral principles to
the new industrial conditions.
The economic structure of our mod
ern society is clearly drifting towards
the specialization of industry, and So
cialism is preparing the people for
this revolutionary change. The time
is near when the tools of production
and raw material will be turned over
to the people engaged in production,
when production will be carried on,