The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-02-13
MR.. s. RG0 TELLS
lF [ 0LUTI0N or
i9fi fiIAL THEORIES
sstrated In Part from His Own
Life Experience
RADICAL EXTREMES FAIL
But All Honest, Sincere People
Are Socialists In Seeking to
Better Social Conditions
sstrated In Part from His Own
Life Experience
RADICAL EXTREMES FAIL

John Spargo was the spaker at the
Forum Sunday evening and was Gag.
erly listened to by large and an.
preciatiye audience at the Baptist
church.
Rev w. G. Towart presided.
prayer was offered by Rev. John A.
Mccall Of Pownal and after singing
and scripture reading the speaker
was introduced by Rev. George S.
Mills.
Mr.. Mills, in behalf OF the Forum
iaudiences, expressed his thanks to
Mr.. Spargo whose generosity has
helped greatly in making the Forum
a success. Not only has Mr.. Spargo
given his own services each year
here at home but he has also Sc.
cured one other Of the leading speak
ers by means of exchange. In this
way the income has enabled the pro.
curement Of better speakers for the
remainder OF the gatherings.
/ Mr.. Spargos address was of par.
ticuiar interest in that he spoke
somewhat OF his own personal expert
ence and particularly OF his separa.
tlon from former associates during
the war and his recession from some
of his former theories as to the pres
ent day availability Of the radical
idoctr.nes Of political Socialists in re-
lation to government.
Mr.. Spargo began his address by
observing that he had rarely spoken
to any audience under such a sense
of embarrassment He realized, he
said, that something in the nature
Of a personal confession was expect.
ed from h m; that on account of his
longtime service in the Socia 81
movement and the manner OF hj
leaving IT, many would expect sons
sort of statement of his present at
t'tude toward Socialism and the rea-
sons which had led him to assume
! that attitude. Frankly, | find 1t far
from easy to discuss this personal
I exper' enee." Mr.. SpaTgo continued.
There is a form Of extreme egotism
which takes the guise OF self-depreci-
alton and mock modesty that is en-.
tirely insincere. do not deny that
my intellectual evolution is an ex-
ceedingly interesting subject-to me.
am an important person, and most
interesting one-to myself. Frank
ly do not know any subject which
exercises greater fascination over
me. In that world Of introspection
and self-communion to which with.
draw when contemplation Of
myself provides me with ample ma
ter!als for wonder for dreams and
for philosophy. But the fairies who
presided over my birth endowed me
with just enough Of whimsical humor
to restrain me from the folly Of ever
supposing that this study Of myself
which | find SO important and so fas.
cinatIng matters much to anybody
else
1T is only because ! cannot speak
en- the great theme which ! have been
asked to discuss without making
something in the nature of person
al confession of faith, to serve as a
background of mutual understanding,
that / refer at all to my own expert
ences' continued Mr.. Spal so For
quarter of a century and more |
was active in the Socialist move
ment, giving to 1t all that was best
in me, all the strength OF body, mind
and soul that was mine. Though the
tine came when 1t was necessary for
me to part from those VITA whom |
had fought as a comrade-at-arms. and
to renounce their ways. ! do not AZ
all regret that long period of my life
given to the struggle for a new SOC
ial order. Still less do apologize
for it. Neither shall | permit myself
to fall into the evil, common enough
TO those who forsake old faiths and
ways. that of denouncing with the
bitterness of apostasy the men and
women with whom | once held fel.
lowship. On the contrary, am
proud of those years and proud to
remember with grateful affection the
fine comradeship Of the men and
women, named and unnamed with
whom It was my privilege to uphold
an unpopu ar cause against all the
rest o. the world.
Sometimes | am referred to as an
ex-Social ST. Sometimes, to-, peo'
pie who seek to hatter me--or per-
haps only to give honest praise-say
what they intend to be kind things
about my having abandoned my so
cialist views These things give me
only pain. And the reason is that
am not conscious of having lband'
oned anything essential of taJ faith
and the ideals so long held was
a Socialists am not conscious that
have lost any of my old love for
the ideal of better social state.
Therefore, still call myself a Social
list, though many OF my old associ-
ates Indignantly deny my right to tho
name Perhaps they are right; per
haps there is more Of the force of
habit than I realize in my clinging to
the old word as the most approx
mately correct description of my In.
tellectual attitude How long | shall
continue to cling to the old designa'
ton 1t is impossible for me to say:
It does not rest with mo. II rests
much more with the organized SO.
cial st movement. Sometimes | think
| perceive signs Of return move
ment to the Cd ideals, conceptions
Continued on Page Three