The Change From Individualism.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 44, 21 February 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Change From Individualism.

The benefibs of such a change as this are so obvious to all excepting the existing private proprietors and their parasites, that ib is very necessary to insist on bhe impossibiliby of effecting ib suddenly. The young Socialisb is (says G. Bernard Shaw, in 'Fabian Essays in Socialism,') apt to be catastrophic in his views—to plan the revolutionary programme as an affair of twenty-four lively hours, with Individualism in full swing on Monday morning, a tidal wave of the insurgent prolebariab on Monday afternoon, and Socialism in complete working order on Tuesday. A man who believes that such a happy despatch is possible, will naburally bhink ib absurd and even inhuman bo stick at bloodshed in bringing it aboub. He can prove that the continuance of the present system for a year costs more suffering bhan could be crammed into any Monday afternoon, however sanguinary. This is the phase of conviction in which are delivered those Socialisb speeches which make whab the newspapers call ' good copy,' and which are the only ones they as yeb report. Such speeches are encouraged by the hasty opposition they evoke from thoughtless persons, who begin by tacitly admitting that a sudden change is feasible, and go on to protest that it would be wicked. The experienced Social Democrat converts his too ardent follower by firsb admitting that if the change could be naado catastrophically it would be well worth making, and then proceeding to point oub that as it would involve a readjustment of productive industry to meet the demand by an entirely new distribution of purchasing power, ib would also involve, in bhe application of labour and industrial machinery, alterations which no afternoon's work could effect. You cannot convince any man thab ib is impossible bo bear down a government in a day; bub everybody is convinced already bhab you cannob converb first and third-class carriages into comfortable dwellings; and jewellers and dressmakers into bakers and builders by merely singing the * Marseillaise.' No judicious person, however deeply, persuaded that the work of the court dressmaker has no true social utility, would greatly care to quarter her idly on the genuinely productive workers pending the preparabion of a place for her in their ranks. For though she ia to all intents and purpoess quartered on them at present, yeb she ab least escapes the demoralisation of idleness. Until her new place is ready, it is better tiiab her pabrons should find dressmaking lor her hands to do, than that Satan should find mischief. Demolishing a Bastillo with seven prisoners in it is one thing ; demolishing one with fourteen million prisoners is quite another. I need .not enlarge on the point; the necessity for cautious and gradual change musb be obvious to everyone here, and could be made obvious to everyone elsewhere, if only tha catatrophists were courageously and sensibly doalb with in discussion.