The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-10-31
WHITE TALKS
ON WATSON'S
FABIAN FIND
Publicist Points Out That
Fabian Socialist is Mild Ex-
ponent of Better Govern
ment-Harmless.
DISCUSSES PROBLEM
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
Senator James Watson of Indiana,


recently read into the record of con-
gress a list of the socialists employed
in the Federal Trade commission.
The list was long and to persons
excited by the word socialist, one ex-
preston used by Mr.. Watson to
characterize an employe OF the Fed
eral Trade commission was the epithet
Fabian; he called certain employe a
Fabion socialist.
To the unthinking, the word fabian
probably appeared as a particularly
venomous and deadly type Of socialist,
and those who knew nothing about the
jargon OF socialism probably lost much
sleep worrying at nights over the fact
that Fabian socialist was doing SEN
try duty on the outposts OF the repub-
lie
Now it so happens that Fabian
socialist is a mild, gentle creature,
who believes in the evolutionary prln-
ciples Of government and economics,
gradually working toward higher hui
manty, living in more and more ap-
proximately just relations.
The program of former President
Roosevelt was essentially Fabian; the
program of President Wilson for the
last eight years has been the program
OF the Fabian socialist. America dur
ing the last two decades has been
practically going the path outlined by
the Fabian socialists Of the nineties.
The Bull Moosers were essentially
Fabian socialists.
They believed in d strongly cen
tralized government which should as
sumo more and more functions that
formerly were performed by private
individuals until gradually the govern
ment would be in two or three thous-
and years the repository Of most Of
the ordinary organized activities OF
life.
Any IdeaIist Is Fabian.
Any man who dreams of a better
world in which as human beings are
able to endure honest politics, which
by the way they cant endure now and
who hopes to see time when honest
government shall perform services
that are now performed for profit, is
a Fabian socialist, though he may be
astounded to know it.
However, there is something in
Senator Watson's contention that
socialism is becoming conspicuously
prevalent in the government bureaus
at Washington. The reason for this is
, two-fold, first, because secondary
places in the government are filled
more and more frequently from Amer
lean colleges.
American colleges are turning out
young men who aspire to make this a
better world in which to live. They
want to change it: they want to tinker
with order that is, and the only grour
or party in American politics that is
frankly given over to the joyous busi
ness Of tinkering with the order as il
is, happens to be the socialist party
The Democrats like to tinker but
they do it more or less in secret, anc
on the plea that it is establishing
necessary change One faction Of the
Republicans are Heaven-born tinkers
but they call themselves progressives
or liberals. or insurgents, or what not
They are not frank about their tinker
ing They call their tinkering evolu
ton.
But the socialists ave tinEers anC
proud Of it. And out OF American col
lcgcs every year are coming earnest
if not eager. young souls, hammer il
hand. who are forever tapping tn,
nots and bolts and cams. and springs
and cylinders OF civilization, to SEQ i
something is not rattling. or iamming
or cumming. that may be tinkered in
10 better shape.
And when these young souls wan
to ally themselves to political party
they call themselves socialists. The.
are not particularly dangerous. The,
do not want to overthrow the govern
nent. They merely want to iulprov
IL Probabl they have a dozen amend
monts 10 the constitution, and prob
ably in time six or eight Of thcs
amendments will be passed, but thes
eager souls have no desire to over
throw the constitution.
They are not wild-eyed revolution
lists. but are eentle-voiced American
who are scouts and pioneers ahca
of the main body OF the troops in tn
social forward march.
Turn to Cove rnrent.
And it is they and their kind chief!
that Senator Watson has found in n
Federal Trade Commission. The SCI
Ond reason why these socialists ar
found in the government departme ut
ard in the government service genel
ally. arises from the fact that when
ycung man. either from college o
r!cm high school or from the shop:
or the stores. or the offices Of tn
world. sees aything wrong with tn
government. he turns to the govern
ment naturally to correct it.
Hence he gets into government Sc
vice and if Senator Watson had take
the tariff commission or the suprem
count or the bureau of animal indus
try, or the council Of national r
search, he would have found about
ten to fifteen per cent of the persol
mel composed Of socialists; that is I
say, men who would not particular
worry if they were called socialist
and who from his point of view are il
deed dissatisfied with the present o
der of things and eager for some sol
Of change.
Generally in nine cases out Of te
they want evolutionary changes an
in a few wild exceptional cases the
desire revolutionary changes But ii
revoiutionaries are negligible. Tt
evolutionists are real forces and mus
be reckoned with, call them what yo
may, socialists, liberals, progressive
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