The Republican journal., 1921-12-29
Socialism

BIVmUleI OIL tuo mdu WnOy uuVluG seen
one or more evils, refuses to see anything
else in life. But he never has any prac-
tical proposal for the elimination Of hard
times. The old-time socialist thought
that he had one. He said: LET US be
socialists of the right sort, living to-
aether in socialistic communities like
brothers," And the old-time socialists
tried the plan, but the plan didn't work.
The socialists who tried to live like So
cialists, in CO operative colonies, did not
become richer; they became poorer. They
had to abandon the plan, because, if they
hadn't, they W -uld have all starved to
death. One of the latest of these socialist
named Lane, who had emierated to Aus
tralia. For years he preached to the
proletariat of Australia how they might
be rich. Well, he founded his colony un-
der the most favorable auspices conceive
able. The Spanish-Amercan government
gave the colonists some of the finest laud
for grazing and agricultural purposes, and
there was an abundance of splendid tim
Der. But tho colony went the way of all
socialist colonies and, in the end, poor
Lane himself, clothed in rags and without
a cent, was forced to accept the charity
that was offered him, and he went back
to Australia and took job on some news
paper.
The modern socialist has no practical
scheme of any sort for the elimination of
poverty. He has nothing but visionary
theory. He knows nothing of manufac-
turing or farming or finance, yet he as
sures those who listen to him that he has
theory which will make everybody
well-to do. No doubt he believes his
theory. But what reason has he for be-
lieving it7 What has he discovered in
human nature, what has he ascertained
of economic law, to warrant his implicit
belief7 If Christopher Columbus had
started on his first voyage with no more
evidence of the existence of land to the
westward than a socialist has for his be-
lief that socialism is practical, we should
declare today that Columbus was insane,
in spite of the fact that he discovered
America.
Socialists proudly tell us that they, and
they alone, have remedy for hard times.
Well, there have been quacks innumer-
able who have told the world that they,
and they alone, had remedy for this or
that disease. And it was admitted by the
real physicians that they had discovered
no genuine specific, that they could only
labor empirically. Nevertheless, the
remedies of the quacks always failed to
cure, while eventually the medical pro-
fession discovered specific of greater or
lesser potency. The panacea of socialism
is economic quackery. 1t would not cure
one of our social diseases; it would not
abolish hard times. Perhaps there are
some social diseases which will prove
forever incurable, perhaps there will al
wsys be possibility of hard times, when
some go hungry and shelterless until they
apply for the aid of charity. l fear that
such is the case. But l am sure that if
any remedy is ever discovered for these
economic ills, it will come from thinkers
of school far removed from socialism.
The socialist rejoices in every conflict
between labor and capital, and he looks
forward to the day when there shall be
an armed conflict and war to the death
between them. Karl Marx taught that
the establishment OF socialism would
mean bloody revolution in most coun-
tries, and that has been the teachings of
every orthodox socialist when he has felt
free to express himself without restraint