Evening journal., 1919-04-23

Piles and American traditions that have
already served us so well. or whether
we shall abandon th.se principles and
traditions and substitute for them a
state built not upon the civil liberty
OF the individual but upon the plenary
power OF organized government.
"Those whose eyes are turned TO-
ward a government OF the latter type
are designated In a general way as So
cialists. The words socialism and so
cialist though less than a century old'
have lately become very common
among us and are so loosely and 80
variously used as 10 make IL dlnicult
20 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 for-
ward-stepping man or woman is So
cialist.
All OF us who are In our right minds
are anxious 10 improve social eondl-
flons. 10 better the public health, TO
decrease the hours and the severity OF
labor Ia increase the rewards and TO
add 10 the satlsfacilons OF those VINO
do the hard manual work OF the world
10 Increase and make secure provision
AGAINST illness, unemployment ana IN
digent old age. TO use the power OF
public taxation TO build roads, to null
ilplv sehoolhouses, TO aid with infor-
nation 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 I'm large cities, and TO see
10 a that such essentials OF life as
water. llght and transportation are fur-
nished OF the best quality and at the
lowest practicable cost. II by social
ism he meant that the individual must
moi live for himself alone, but must
use his powers, his capacities, ana MS
gains for the benefit Of his community
and his fellows, then every American
and every Christian Is a socialist for
these arc fundamental TO American
life and TO Christian teaching. All tnis'
however, Is social reform, not social
ism.
socialism. In the strict and scien-
tifc sense OF the word, ls' however
something quite different from tn 3
Socialism involves not social reform
bui polItlcal and social resolution II
he tho name for a definite puzzle pei
lev witch rests upon cs"tl'n b st'rl'al
and economic assumptions all OF when
have been proved TO be false, ana IL
proceeds TO very drastic and tar-reacn-
ING conclusions, all Of wh!ch are IN
1at contradiction TO Amer can policy
and American faith The assumptions
OF Socialism are these:
"First. that all Of mans enorts'
both past and present, are to be inter
preted and explained In terms OF MS
desire for wealth and OF the processes
which lead 10 the satisfaction OF that
desire. tn assumption excludes al
once all moral, religious and uusel'ish
from history and from
life and makes Of man noshlEs but
animal preying upon his
kind wherever he can lay hands on
him There have been, and there
doubtless are, many ndlv duals OF this
tyne: but to suppose that the whole
human race can be brought under such
a description Is ain outrageous travesty
on history. on morals and on religion
This assumption would reduce all
human history 10 the product Of blind
sain-seeklng forces and would exclude
from IT, both moral effort and moral
purpose. Under such theory no man