The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-08-25
THE EVENING BANNER
BENNINGTON VERMONT
Wednesday, August rs, 1915.
ENGLAND AND GERMANY
Conflict of Two Methods-Paternal-
ism and Socialism

is OF general interest:
In her allusion to Germany's sue
cess in solving the problem of power
ty, in contrast with the wretched con
dition of England's poor, Mrs. Ather
ton would seem to have put her fing
er upon the sore spot in English civ
ilization. She tells of an English
man who made it his business to &C
daily among the laboring class and
reason with them about their lack OF
patriotism only to receive invariably
the same answer: Let the Germans
come. We don't care. We couldn't
be worse off, and we hear there are
no poor 'uns there"
Is it not possible that such a senti
ment, or its opposite, makes the diff
ference between national success or
national failure? England enjoys
free institutions" her government
is democratic. 1t belives in Hands
oil, Every man his own MASTER
That government is best which gov
erns least" She belives in laissez
faire, and her poor have been "let al
one How have they Jared? Their
own answer is: Let the Germans
come. We couldn't be worse off.
Mrs. Atherton says England has the
most nnsrateful and LATEST poor to
be found in any land" Why are they
unsrateful? Why are they lazy?
England's colossal wealth has
been amassed out of the toll of her
workers. Have they received their
share OF it? Under the name of free.
dom has she not practiced terrific ex.
| ploitation? Is it strange then. that
her poor should look a little longing.
~ toward nation which has shown
now to take care of its children? II
might seem that they are ready tn
barter some of their famous free
DOM (the freedom to drudge on
starvation wages) in exchange for
niue more protection and considera.
tlon. You may tell them that pattern
alism is weakening, that they do not
need to be treated like children
lhey know in their hearts that Won
are wrong, that they are children at
Inc mercy OF the strong. Perhaps
u they had. received the care thew
need they would not now be in the no.
slilon to be called by Mrs. Atherton
me most ungrateful and LATEST poor
10 found in any land" The sodden
misery of the London slums the hor.
rqrs of the black country are no.
where to be found in paternalistic
Germany, while lazy and migrate.
iul are not commonly applied to the |
sturdy children of the fatherand.
Inc two forms OF government are
today on trial. The watchword of de. |
mocracy is freedom The watch. |
word OF paternalism is duty" 7Fol. |
lowed to their conclusions one leads
TO anarchy the other to its opposite.
socialism One tends to deceutralize
government, the other to centralize
IT, one aims at individual irdepend
ence; the othe rat national efficiency
one places the highest value upon
freedom; the other sacrifices FREQ
dom for the sake of order, system.
power, security. Each of us, at heart. II
lhcIlnes temperamentally either to-
ward socialism, or twoard anarchy
ana the antagonism toward Germany
eVinced in America is due to the fact
that most of us here are at heart an
archists and instinctively resent
IDEAS of discipline and control
Gefmany, as an actual going con
Germ, is the most complete exposition
81 State socialism the world has ever
seen 1t is, as such, to be sure. re.
pudlated by orthodox Socialists be.
cause, while the government is thor
'ushly paternalistic and does almost
precisely what they want donc-yet
Is not under popular control They
remand a powerful paternalistic, cen
rallzed, efficient government, yet one
inder democratic control. But This
almost contradiction in terms
ND can never be realized. because
n proportion as we get democratic ]
ontrol we lose in governmental eff
lency. Orthodox socialism is
ream. The nearest approach to the
ocialistic State attainablc is that re.
lized in Germany There society
organized upon the pattern of the
amlly. The government is the faith
I occupying the position of its head
esponsible for the welfare of his
hlldren, welding authority over
lem, devoting his life to caring for
nem to the best of his ability. So
allsm would also regard govern
tent as the father, but faith
subject to the control and CAPRICE
his children 1t seeks to enjoy the
enefts OF paternalism without pay
u the price. State socialism. as
ermany is demonstrating, demands
lie price and then delivers the goods.
1t is undeniable that Germany is
ltting forth amazing power. No
.her nation on earth could make
lch showing. 1t is idle to deny
lat the final test of government is
e degree of vigor, intelligence and
yalty of the people who live under
and we may one day have to ask