The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-02-13
MR.. SPARGO TELLS
Of EVOLUTION Of
SOCIAL THEORIES
Continued from Page onej

and traditions of coc:a Democracy
When that happens / feel content to
bear the old title. But at other times
and far too o.ten. let me add-the
trend seems all the otherway. Then
i am obliged to cry out: If this be
Social SIN / rencunce it and will have
none OF it, Tie fact of the matter
is that the war which played so
much havoc with the institutional life
OF the world, played even greater
havoc with intellectual conceptions
and movements founded upon them.
We are still in the midst Of the rumb.
lings o. the great volcanic erupt on.
Not until things have settled down
wi il be possible TO know exactly
Just where we stand or what the out
look for the future is, can only
pray for light to see my path and TIE
courage to tread It to the end of the
day.
"Now. know how indefinite that
must seem to many people; how un-
satisfactory 1t does not matter to
me as much as might be supposed,
because know that for all practical
purposes Socialism can only be an
academic issue during my lifetime.
My old Socialist phi osoTAy teaches
me this. One may hold in ones
heart the ideal of a world advanced
beyond capitalism into state o.
Socialism, knowing well that there
can be real cation OF that ideal
for a long time to come Just exact
Y as one may cherish the plans OF
the house he would like to build
while know ing that he hasn't the
means TO build and is not likely to
have the means. What ! mean Is
this: It is a fundamental part Of the
Socialism of Marx that Socialism
can only come into being as the re.
sult of the fullest development "a
capitalist production, It requires Tor
its basis a highly developed system
of production. That condition does
not now exist. The war destroyed
so much wealth and wealth produc-
ing machinery and organization that
until II can be replaced Socialism is
simply unth nkable, TIE thoughtful
leaders, of the Socialist movement
know this. even though they may not
he willing to make public admission
Of II know quite we'll that II
Socialists we're given full control oil
Tho governmental powers IN any oil
the nations of Europe tomorrow ana
there was not the slightest desire 10
obstruct them in the carrying out o.
their program. It S certain that they
would not make the slightest attempt
IN displace capitalism and inst tute
soc,ali2ation. TNey would not dare
make the attempt They would ma
themselves compelled by the irresist'
ible LOG C of facts to devote their en-
oroies to the stabi izat on OF the
economic system; to increase pro
ducticn and frown down every eN'
neriment which threatened to pre-
yent that Increase; to float bond IS
sues and so on. precisely as capt
talist government must do hlat is
mst what Lenine is trying to do IN
russia The experience OF that un'
hannv country has shown clearly
enough that anything like Socialism
or Communism is quite Impossible
now. II is a matter for the rather
dim and distant future,
"Now, of course, the crisis through
which the world has been passing in
turmoil and agony has modified. and
even radically changed opinions
and theories previously held. The
Socia list ideal may remain intact but
I; Is not possible for any sincere man
OF Intelligence to retain confidence in
the means OF its realization believed
in before the war II ls easy now to
see tlal the difficulties of the task