Widnes Examiner. — 1894-06-09 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SOUL-11.13Ni.  Sir,—Oee is sometimes uncertain whether it v.-ere best to laugh with the " laeghine philrsopher " at tile billies feeiees of our kind.er o regard theta moreserieusly with the other one, who was dubbed the " crying philosopher." Wtherte, when regarding the Sacialiar, delusion. I have followed Deinecritus, and laughed abundantly at the vanities end vagaries of the faddists who would almost persuade us that the adoption if their panacea would transform the very face of nature. Certainly there is one nature that must be transformed ere Socialism can be a success ; human nature must be radically changed before that takes place. nut now, although still inclined to treat the matter as would Democritus. still our quondam fellow ,townf,man " comes in such a questionable sliepe," and, assumes so grave an air over the matter, that I will endeavour to keep my face straight and reply to the only bit of his letter which secres tO me to call for an answer. Mr. Ayteteaen says," Lot us ask Mr. Peers a qeeetion suggested by his own writines. Will he kindly tell us what nthereaUSPS outeide of "individualism and competition " is "largely con•ributive to the serious evils we see around us.?" The doctrine I have to preach is an old one, but a much—too much—neglected one; it is as rid • at least as Malthus. Over breeding is the cause—the main cause—of the serious evils we see around us. Go to Nature, 0 Socialist. study her ways and be wise. " Our universal mother, Neure," has a very effieient mode of settine this evil right when it occurs among her uncivilised children. When the mouths get too mane for the food available she reduces the number of mouths to the proper eaopoition for the available fowl. And at the same time and by the same means she prevents the too rapid increase of mere mouths ; iii ()niter words she limits the " output." Now man is an animal, and is largely subject to the same natural laws as the rest of animated nature.. But, by artificial means, man has placed 'himself beyond the operation of seine of the natural remedies for the evil of over-production 9ur:h as the medical preservation of (naturally) uselees lives. &e., fec..aed alerts artificial facilities towards superabundant antheecially)useless breeding. Now I am minded to think that it is a crime of scarcely less degree than murder to brig into the world children for whom there is no apparent place—eo quate means of suppoit. N:•xt to the taking of life, soeiery should set its face against this undue duplication of life to leave a bad world is surely not so ill a fate as to be unduly thrust into one in which you are not wanted and in wbicil you have to endure " the stings and arrows of outrageous fortune" for a weary liretime ! But the adoption of tho obvious preventative of this evil, aid progenitive of evik woullrequire the exerci,e of sell-restraint and self-sacrifice, on the part of the workers ; and mankind is ever readieet to seek the cause of evils outside themselves when in fact it is personal and peculiar to themselves. We should never have heard of 80<iia119ta1, had trade kept good and men had net felt the pinch ef the effects of their own neglect of above ieentioned salutary restraint. But no sooner is this - pinch felt than there arises the old outcry. •` 0 parliament help lie l" and let us divide the goods and gains of othere in order to maintain the fruits exceemet. Stich in effct is the So eialist demand. The salutary self-restraint which is the remedy for the evils sought to he cured by Serialism is very unpopular, but the planting of the Secialistic mistletoe upon the Individualietic oak is quite agreeable to those who wish to follow to the full teeir natural instincts, while at the same time demurring to the punishment Nature inf Vets open them ter the indulgence, a big war—a pestdenee—or- this self-control would soon take t pith the Secialistin cry ; but the return of peep, city would again se men 'fereetting the cause of their re;eery, and laying the foundation for more.— Tonle Ac.,