SOCIALISM.

VIII.

What movement is acting in both old and new worlds that declares it has the cure for trusts?

Socialism.

What is socialism?

"Socialism is that contemplated system of industrial society which proposes the abolition of private property in the great material instruments of production, and the substitution therefor of collective property; and advocates the collective management of production, together with the distribution of social income by society, and private property in the larger proportion of this social income."-PROF. RICHARD T. ELY.

What then would socialism establish?

Collective ownership in such great instruments of production as telegraphs, railways, forests, arable lands and large manufac

One of the most efficient agencies for the spread, phenomenal, indeed, of socialism in England is the so-called Fabian Society. It was formed in 1833. Its American cousin was formed in Boston in 1895 by the Rev. W. D. P. Bliss. The English society includes such well known people as George Bernard Shaw, Sidney Webb, Wm. Clarke, S. Olivier, Graham Wallas, Anne Besant and Hubart Bland. The society has made strong literary hits in its many tracts and essays. Politically it has done comparative wonders. In 1889, when London elected its first county council, the Progressive majority, to the surprise of everybody, proved socialist in all its leading ideas. In 1892 the Progressives won a second overwhelming victory. In national politics the Fabian Society has not accomplished much.

By the name "Fabian" this is meant: "For the right moment you must wait, as Fabius did, most patiently, when warring against Hannibal, though many censured his delays; but when the time comes you must strike hard, as Fabius did, or your waiting will be in vain and fruitless."-Condensed from "The Encyclopedia of Social Reform."

"Not all the natural advantages of this country, not all the inventive genius and restless activity of our people, can affect the advantages of other countries through low wages and technical instruction, if legislation interferes with normal and legitimate industrial evolution, if we deviate from the wholesome principle of that maxim, honored in law and tradition,

turing plants. Society, not the individual, would own the important tools of wealth. The design is to abolish private rent and interest.

What next would socialism do?

It would have production managed by the people for the people, each person being assigned to useful work, and no person sharing in the common income without work. The greater the production, the greater satisfaction of common wants. The common authority would distribute the income of society, called the national dividend.

What may be called the chief purpose of socialism?

The just distribution of the social income. One scheme would call for equality in quantity and kind. Another would reward according to capacity; another according to needs, every person working in proportion of bodily and mental strength; and another would fix income on the basis of equality of value.

Would socialism really abolish private property?

No, it would extend it for the sake of individual independence, more things than now being used in common.

What part does competition play in the economy of socialism? No part. It does away with individual capital, which strives to satisfy public wants under the law of supply and demand. It would substitute production by the state according to plans based upon the demands of consumers. Private industry has no place

in socialism.

Would socialists abolish the political state?

The social democrats of Germany object to the state as representing a class that keeps other classes under; but moderate

which insures to every man the right to do with his own what he may choose so long as he shall not thereby injure his neighbor.”—Charles R. Flint.

"The labor movements on the continent of Europe are political rather than economical in their character. Their leaders are far more occupied with the overthrow of oligarchic institutions than with the improvement of industrial conditions. The 'social democrat' is a democrat first and a socialist afterward. Much of the odium and misunderstanding attaching to the name 'socialist' is due to the fact that it has in practice been appropriated by revolutionists of every shade of economic belief. Working side by side and under a common banner, we find (1) true socialists, whose programme contemplates an increase of the powers of the general governments; (2) economists, who wish the local governments to do nearly everything, reducing to a minimum the powers of both the general government and the individual; (3) anarchists, who distrust all governments, local as well as national, and wish their powers reduced to a minimum; (4) nihilists, whose objections to the existing government are so great that they do not think it worth while to delay over the discussion of a constructive programme in times when destructive work is all important."-From "Economics," by Arthur T. Hadley.

English and American socialists need the state as their agent of reform. The institutions of Switzerland find favor with social

ists. It has the initiative and referendum. Another popular socialistic reform is proportional representation in legislative elections. All socialists are working for decentralization, the state possessing too much and too strong central government, and not enough local or municipal power. But, indeed, they find too much government, though demanding in their socialistic. reorganization enough to produce and distribute the common wealth. Outside of certain spheres, education, for instance, they want non-interference (laissez faire).*

Does socialism propose an equal division of existing property? No. It proposes to concentrate the production of future wealth, and it is not a scheme of criminals for theft and robbery.

Has it any direct connection with any given religious doctrine? No. Socialism is a system for the production and distribution of wealth, wherein it finds the problem of human happiness. Out of what has socialism come?

Out of machinery, out of large scale production, out of the revolution of modern industry.

*Henry D. Lloyd in "Wealth Against Commonwealth": "The true laissez-faire is, let the individual do what the individual can do best, and let the community do what the community can do best."

The socialist may be an individualist, in the socialist's sense of the word, but the individualist is no socialist, so this is a good place to define an individualist, though he is common enough, for, indeed, he is the average American who calls no man master. Individualism is defined by "The Encyclopedia of Social Reform," 1897, as follows:

"The terms individualism, as used in social science, has been defined as 'the theory of government which favors the non-interference of the state in the affairs of individuals' (Century Dictionary). It is, however, more commonly and much more correctly used for the tendency to oppose state interference in the affairs of the individual rather than for any cut-anddried throng of the function or lack of function of the state. When a man says he is an individualist he usually means not that he holds, any exact a priori theory as to what the state should or should not do, but that he inclines to oppose state interference, unless it be very clearly proven that it is necessary. The presumption with him is against interference. He inclines to resist socialistic legislation, even in small matters, lest they lead to a general state socialism. He believes that we must finally decide from experience and history what in each particular case is wise."

The philosophy of individualism is thus defined by Arthur T. Hadley in "Economics":

"Constitutional liberty in politics, rational altruism in morals and modern business methods in production and distribution of wealth have been the outcome of the great individualistic movement of the nineteenth century. The individualist has taught people not to confound public morality with a state church, public security with police activity or public wealth with government property. He has taught men that, as society develops, the interests of its members become more and more harmonious; in other words, that rational egoism and rational altruism tend to coincide."

What turned the wheels of this revolution?

Great mechanical inventions. Kay's fly shuttle, 1738; Watt's steam engine, 1769; John Hargreave's spinning jenny, 1770; Richard Arkwright's water frame, 1769; Samuel Crompton's mule, 1779; Edward Cartwright's power loom, 1787; Eli Whitney's cotton-gin, 1793. These were the fathers of modern socialism.

Why?

Machinery stimulated manufacture and transportation. Great cities grew. The profits of capital enormously increased. Overproduction caused irregularity in prices and wages, and labor, least fitted to endure it, bore the burden of the distress. Poverty and wealth became more and more contrasted. The unemployed demanded that something be done. Many asked themselves why the ownership of capital, a "material instrument" of production, should not be equalized, for had not labor made the tool productive? So the theory of a society without competition; administered for everybody by a benevolent and democratic government, became formulated into the ideal called socialism or collectivism.

Is socialism to come by violence and confiscation?

It is not expected to be abruptly established, but expected that it will come gradually, indeed it is held it is coming. In the change from the individual to the state, from competition to concentration, from the small producer to the universal co-operative commonwealth, there may be compensation allowed. Generally speaking, the English socialists least of all expect the transformation to be made with anything like civil war.

What is meant by state socialism?

It is a German expression, and means social reform by any kind

"The socialism of the present day is not of a religious origin. On the contrary, there is some truth in the remark of a distinguished economist, M. Paul Leroy-Beaulieu, that the prevalence of socialistic ideas is largely due to the decline of religious faith among the working classes. If there is only one life, they feel they must realize their ideal here and realize it quickly, or they never will realize it at all. However this may be, the fact is certain that most contemporary socialists have turned their backs on religion. They sometimes speak of it with a kind of suppressed bitterness, as of a friend that has proved faithless, 'We are not atheists, we have simply done with God.' The church has therefore, as a rule, looked upon the whole movement with a natural and justifiable suspicion, and has, for the most part, dispensed to it an indiscriminate condemnation. On the question of the duty of the church with regard to the social amelioration of the people, there are everywhere two opposite tendencies of opinion. One says there is no specific Christian social politics, and that the church can never have a specific social political programme. On the other hand, there are those who hold that there is a specific Christian social politics; that there is a distinct social and political system, either directly enjoined

of existing government, though not radical changes in that government. Social democracy means the abolition of all classes.

What has been the growth of social democracy in Germany? In 1887 the social democrats of Germany polled for the imperial parliament 664,195 votes. In 1890 they polled 1,427,323. In 1893 they polled 1,786,000, and in 1898 they polled 2,120,000, something like a quarter of the entire vote of the empire. In the reichstag, Oct. 1, 1899, the political forces of the empire were in part divided as follows: Social Democrat, 57; German Conservatice, 52; National Liberal, 48; German Freethinking, 28; Central, 102; Imperial Liberal Conservative, 22.

How does socialism show itself in the United States?

We have it without knowing it in many public benefits, and we hear its advocates proclaim it in party platforms and campaigns.

What is nationalism?

It may be called the American species of socialism, a moderate, conservative socialism. Nationalism appeals to all classes, so

cialism to the wage-earning class.

by Holy Writ, or inferentially resulting from it, so as to be truly a system of divine right.

"Among Protestants what is called Christian socialism is little more than a vagrant opinion in any country, but among Catholics it has grown into a considerable international movement, and has in several states, especially in Austria, left its mark on legislation.

"The Catholic socialist movement shows no disposition to coquette with revolutionary socialism. They are under no mistake about the nature or bearing of socialist doctrines. Our Christian socialists in London accept the doctrines of Marx, and hold the laborer's right to the full product of his labor to be a requirement of Christian ethics, and the orators at English church congresses often speak of socialism as if it were a higher perfection of Christianity. But Catholic socialists understand their Christianity and their socialism better."-"Contemporary Socialism," by John Rae.

The editor thinks it may not be improper to classify Arnold Toynbee as a Christian socialist, and to rank with him his American followers, those that grow gardens in waste places, those that point the way to the science of social economics in such beneficent institutions as Hull House, Chicago Commons, and their four-score like. The following is from a sketch of Arnold Toynbee, by the famous Jouett, master of Baliol College, Oxford. It is from the preface from Toynbee's lectures on "The Industrial Revolution in England in the 18th Century," and other themes:

"The secret of his influence was his transparent sincerity. No one could find in him any trace of vanity or ambition. Whether he received money or not, if he could only supply his moderate wants, was a matter of indifference to him. He was equally indifferent to the opinions of others, and probably never in his life said anything for the sake of being appreciated. He seemed incapable of entertaining a personal dislike to any one, and it may be doubted whether he ever had an enemy. He was