New-York tribune., 1920-05-23
The Fruits of Radicalism

AN 01AS va A\CAkNSAXlSIh
Suppose a cross-section of man.
kind were made and a supremely
intelligent jury studied the profles
with respect to their wellbeing,
what would the jury report? Be-
yond doubt, other things being equal,
that as the theories and practices
of the new radicalism were rejected
or adopted there was mass pros
perIty or mass misery.
Of tho principal countries the
United States is the least infected
one, Russia the most. Here human
life has the least cause to complain;
there are vast deprivations. Ranged
between are the other national
families. Comparing their several
conditions with those of pre-war
days, it appears that they suffer
in about the proportion they have
turned away from the much-at-
tackled system of capitalism. The
law has few exceptions.
Increased command over the pro-
ductive forces and natural resources
is the mother of higher standards of
living. First, of course, is individual
willingness to toll, for no people
gets far collectively whose members
are slothful.
The next is appreciation of the
value of order and the creation of
a social power able to compel it. To
secure this, to control mans an
archistic tendency to quarrel and to
fight, peoples have consented to
policing despotisms.
The foundation was thus laid for
that diversion of labor which makes
for greater production. Experience
demonstrated that it paid to special
ize and to swap products with other
specialists. Trade began, founded
on order and even more on conf
dence. The sole way to have conf
dence is for all the parties to respect
the sanctity of legal and conven-
tional titles. Property became not
theft, as Proudhon said, but basis
of progress.
About century ago arrived the
great labor-saving inventions. But
to have great machines, to operate
them economically, and to develop
great improvements, large accumu-
lations Of capital were indispensable.
( From a standing start a worker is
unable to fashion or to own alone his
tools. Stores Of purchasing power
/ (capitaD were needed to provide
sustenace for those engaged on bet
tering the productive machinery of
society. The plants were rented and
their income, except when dissipated
through waste, was a fund dedicated
to additional betterments.
But good plants are not enough.
1t is essential to have good manage
ment and likewise sweeping indus
trial cooperation. The leadership
spontaneously fell to the capitalist
manager. He took the risks, agreed
to pay stipulated wages and stipu-
lated rent, with his own income de-
pendent on the zeal and intelligence
of his direction. Thus the power
! full influence of selfshness was en-
listed to develop efficiency.
The capitalist manager was not
only risk carrier but, through the
/ force of competition, sometimes
semi-comatose but always potent
and ready to spring into life, there
was survival of the fttest, and
automatically the poor manager was
/ eliminated. A managers soul may
be black, but he is so enmeshed that
to prosper he must benefit others.
Who, then, is so capable as he to
lead?
Bolshevist philosophy, saying capi-
| talism is vicious, would substitute
elected leaders for those selected
by practical tests. But the compen-
sation of the elected leaders would
be fixed, like other wages. Why
should such trouble themselves? A
fall into slackness and then into
sloth is unavoida ble-not more
among the men than among their
hired bosses.
Even more fatal to the scheme of