Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-11-30
AGGRESSION WHAT
|. IS SOCIALISM, J il L. | N |
Rev. H. I. Haywood Discusses Sub
ject Before Interested Audience
Sunday Night at Universal
Z ist Church.
EXPLAINS THE MOVEMENT N
Strongest in Germany and France,
Where Culture and Civilization
Is Highest
PLAINS THE MOVEMENT F: NJ

| Rev. H. L.. Haywood took for hi:
subject What is Socialism," al
1.-THE Universalist church Sunda,
might. A laree audience was pres
ent to hear the discussion. Fol.
lowing is an excerpt, from Rev
Haywood's able address:
'In the study Of socialism de
not intend to attack or to defend
| the theory; my purpose is to ex-
plain it. If it appears through the
course Of what follows that / an
speaking too much on the pro side
that is because I shall use the
method of elimination, that is, ex-
plain what Socialism is by explain
/ ing what it is not.
L Socialism is not q movement
made up Of down-and-outs, bar
room buns and roustabouts, who
have nothing themselves and pant
for a share in what others have,
This is popular notion that is ut
|terly groundless as lis proved by the
fact that the movement has recruit
led very largely from the 'aristoc-
lracy of labor" (the better paid
classes Of labor) and from the mid
die class. The propaganda is strong
est in Germany and France, the
countries in which the level of cul-
ture and civilization is highest.
During the past two or three de-
cades 1t has drawn to itself a great
number Of the best known men OF
the modern world. Prob ably q ma
jority Of the Russians who figure
most conspicuously in the larger life
OF the great empire are Socialists.
In England such names as Ruskin,
Morris, Robertson, Kingsley, Wells
and Shaw must be numbered among
them. In Belgium there is Maeter.
linck, in France there is Anatole
France, in America there are John
Spargo and Vida Scudder, while In
Germany too many great names be-
long for us to number here. Be
sides these such scientists as Alfred
Russell Wallace, Sir Oliver Lodge,
and Camille Flammerion belong to
the ranks.
The presence OF such names in the
Socialist cause also disproves again
another popular superstition, name
ly, that Socialists are anarchists
and seek to destroy society in order
to compel return to unspoiled ma
|ture. This notion is so ludicrous to
one who knows, anything at all
about the movement that 1t hardly
seems worth replying to, neverthe-
less it is somewhat prevalent. The
sufficient reply is this, that where
as the Socialists are fighting to ex-
tend the power of government, anar-
chists are seeing to destroy the
power of government. 1t would be
impossible to imagine anything more
exactly opposed. Il
It is also a popular superstition
that Socialists seek to destroy the
home. On the contrary one Of their
great slogans is, Save the Home.
They hold that the present capital
list regime is destroying the home,
as the increase of divorce, the de-
crease of the birth rate, and the
tendency toward living In flats,
tenements and apartment houses,
(the tenements of the well-to-do)
would seem to indicate.
Akin to that is the sister concep-
ton which holds that Socialists be-
lieve in free love. can only think
of one Socialist who teaches this.
the Englishman, Bax, bat I can
think OF a number of Republicans
and Democrats who practice 1t. II
any Socialist believes in sexual go
it is private opinion
that has nothing to do with Social
ism. The Socialists believe that
love should be free but that is
matter. At present, so he
holds, women are economic slaves.
and must often marry, not for love
but in order to get a home. Such
marrying in the eye of Socialist
Is only another name for licensed
he hopes to establish
4 system wherein women will be as
Independent as men
and consequently as free to give or
love. This is as far
rom the scented slime of some of
,ur popular magazines as the SHOWS
If the arctic from the bogs of the
equator.
Another misconception, better say
.aricature. very much bepreached.