The sun., 1919-04-20

problems OF reconstruction and of ad-
vance rs we pass from war conditions
to the normal times of peace. Is whether
We shall go forward by preserving those
American principles and American ira
ditions that have already served us so
well, or whether we shall abandon those
principles and traditions and substitute
tor them a state built not upon the
civil liberty OF the individual but upon
the pienary power OF organized gov
eminent.
Those whose eyes are turned toward
a government Of the latter type are des-
tEnated In general way as socialists
The words socialism and socialist.
though less than a century old, have
lately become very common among us
and are so loosely and SO variously
used as to make 1t difficult to think
clearly regarding the ideas for which
they stand. Socialism, in the large,
general and vague sense of the word,
means simply social reform. In that
sense, every intelligent and forward
stepping man or woman is a socialist.
All OF us who are In our right minds
are anxious to improve social conditions,
to better the public health, to decrease
the hours and the severity of labor, to
Increase the rewards and to add to the
satisfactions Of those who do the hard
manual work Of the world, to increase
and make secure provision against Ill
ness, unemployment and INDECENT old
age. to use the power Of public taxation
to build roads. to multiply schoolhouses.
to aid with information and guidance
those who farm and those who mine.
to bring together collections of books,
Of objects OF beauty and of art for
the information and the pleasure of the
great body Of the people. to improve
the conditions OF housing In large cities.
and to see to II that such essentials of
life as water, light and transportation
are furnished of the best quality and at
the lowest practicable cost. II by So
cialism be meant that the Individual
must not live for himself alone, but
must use his powers. his capacities. and
his gains for the benefit OF his commu-
nifty and his fellows. then every Ameri-
can and every Christian Is a socialist,
for these are fundamental to American
life and to Christian teaching. All
this, however, is social re sorm, not so
cialism.
False Traits in Socialism.
Socialism, in the strict and scientific
sense of the word. is however, some
thing quite different from this. Social
ism involves not social reform but polit-
icai and social revolution. 1t Ia the
name for definite public policy which
rests upon certain historical and eco
nomic assumptions. all of which have
been proved to be false, and It pro-
ceeds to very drastic and far-reachins
conclusions. all of which are in fiat
contradiction to American policy and
American faith. The assumptions of
socialism are these:
First. that all of mans efforts, both
past and present, are TO be interpreted
and explained in terms of his desire
for wealth and of, the processes which
lead TO the satisfaction OF that desire
This assumption excludes at once all
moral. religious. and unselhsh consid-
erations from history and from life
and makes OF man nothing but a gain
seeking animal preying upon his kind
wherever he can lay hands upon him.
There have been. and there doubtless
are. many individuals Of this type;
but to suppose that the whole human
race can be brought under such a de-
scrtption Is an outrageous travesty on
history. on morals and on religion. This
assumption would reduce all human
history TO the product of blind gain
seeking forces and would exclude from
~ ooth HloTdi ciiOTt anu moral purpose.
Under such a theory no man would
make any sacrifice for liberty or for
love. but only for gain. All human
experience contradicts so cruel and so
heartless an assumption.
Second, that in the struggle for
wealth men are divided into permanent
who eE.ploy and those
who labor-and that between these
classes there is and should be a class
struggle or class war to be carried on to
the liter end.
Assets OF Democracy.
ut is the extreme form of the doc
trines of Karl Marx which Lenine and
Trotzky have been applying in Russia
for a year and a half past with such
terrible results. In consequence, that
once great country of boundless possi-
bilities Is now as helpless as a child.
and 1t lies. for the moment. in social.
economic and moral ruin. and is relaps-
ing into barbarism Its reorganized
schools now devote part Of each day to
In atheism and to removing