The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-02-13


were greatly minim sed; II is easy
to see that the transformation Of the
economic systems Of the world can
only be made cautiously, by degrees,
II disaster is 10 be averted Person.
ally. ! con ess that | have reached
the conclusion that governmental
fayors mean very little; that any
thing like a Socialist commonwealth
can only come into beng as the flow
ering OF the socialized consciousness
and conduct Of the human beings who
constitute society Enact what laws
we may, institute what mechanism OF
statecraft we may. men and women
will never be really free un ess and
until they have tie graces and the
discipl nes Of freedom in their own
souls; there will never be a Socialist
state until individual regeneration
and publication have made the ind.
y dual units in the body polite I'M
selfish and loyal to the social we'll
being / Socialism Isl TO make any
Roadway at ali its advocates must
pay much more attent on to Clarac-
te- and less b institutions and ma
ohinery."
Speaking OF some OF the common
misconceptions regarding the great
soc al and radical movements OF the
time Mr. Spargo observed that these
are OF two kinds; there are the mis-
conceptions OF these movements by
their advocates and ad1erents and
There are the misconceptions of
those outside, the critica ly minded
and the hostile The former take
themselves too seriously; they attach
too muCA importance TO their act.vi-
tics. they overrate their own
strength and under.rate the strength
of the system they would change.
Moreover they are often intolerant
and inclined to attribute evil mo-
tiyes to all who do not see eye to eye
with tlem. These thingks are not
peculiar to radicals. however but are
the common .railties and failings OF
our human kind On the other hand,
the critics and enemies Of the radi.
ca S are equally intolerant and ready
to Judge harshly wlat they do not un-
delstand. Most Of us believe most
easily the things II pleases us most
TO believe" said the speaker. 1T
is easier for Judge Gary to believe
that trade union leaders are selfish
and corrupt than that they are men
lust like h mself Woo chance TO be
viewing lifes problems from a differ
ent angle. 1t is easier for the radi'
cal labor leader to believe thar Judge
Gary is a cold, selfish, heartless and
arrogant man than it is to believe
the simple .act that he is man
very like himself who sees the whoie
problem Of industry from another
angle
"There are too many people who
look upon the holding Of a be lei m
a new social order as evidence. oil
either ignorance or visciousness, or
both II a man or woman coniesses
that the shortcomings OF the exist
ing social order have led to a pas
sionate desire Tor a better social or
der. 1t is too common to hnd men
and women of Intelligence ana pos
sessing the best intentions III the
world raising an cutlery OF protest
and denunciation. AS matter OF
fact no person or intelligence and
decent moral ideals can be content
with the existing socia order Ger
ta'nly no Christian can be. If his re-
liz on is a living faith and not
mere formula Of elaborate selt-defep-
lion the Christian must helievq N q
social order wholly di ferent from
that which now eX SITS If you pray
for the realization OF Gods Kingdom
here upon the earth, and really mean
ANYTHING at al by the prayer, 1t wiI
he we'll to cross examine your own
soul. SO to speak. and to ask wlat
Won are really praying for in what
would the Kingdom OF God differ
from the present state OF thingsY
Personally. have never yet known
any man or woman who could do
that and resist the conclusion that
the longed for Kingdom Of God on
Earth is practically the same thing
MS the Socialists ideal OF a cooper
alive commonwea tn Just because
the goal of the Socialist seems to be
far off. and one generation seems
not perceptbly nearer to II than an
other. Il I'll becomes the Christian to