A WORKING MAN ON SOCIALISM.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13005, 6 January 1908, Page 8

A WORKING MAN ON SOCIALISM.

4 An interesting letter on ism.'' :-igned "Working Man." ap-jH-ars in the London ''.Spectator," Novomber K>th. Tho editor in a footnote certifies 'from personal knowledge' 7 that the writer is a "working man living in the country." It will be seen that the writer is dealing with the Socialism which is making itself very prominent on the Continent, ami to a small extent in England. The letter is as follows :-— '•Sir._l n view of tho increased activity among the advocates «»f Sialism, tlie views of one in who>e interest it is supposed to be designed may not be without interest. That Socialism aims at overthrowing existing institutions and customs is to my mind one of the least weighty objections that can be urged against it. and, 1 must confess, is one with which I urn no; greitlv concerned. 1 am opposed to Socialism 'because, after thinking the matter out to the very best cf my ability, I am fully convinced that as a working man it would inflict grave definite injury upon mc and. my fellows without giving any compensating advantage whatever. Every rightthinking working man is, 1 take it, anxious to stand as high in the estimation of his employer a.s he possibly can ; ho also desires to receive as much in tho shape of wages as his work justly entitles, him to; and he is wishful *to have a fairly good opinion of himself; in other words, ho wants to maintain his self-respect. These aspirations are. T make bold to say, perfectly legitimate and laudable, and aro, moreover, evidence of a healthy state of mind. Under a Socialist regime, however, the.se incentives which influence a man to put whatever abilities ho may possess to the best use possible, would be destroyed, his work would deteriorate in quality, and his personal character become less honourable. The effects of this would soon become apparent in a diminution ot tho total output of labour, in a decrease of the wealth of the country and in tho purchasing power ot money; for if the supply of the necessaries of life bo diminished, it follows that the demand for them will become greater, and more money ho required to buy them. Who, I ask. under such conditions, would be likely to suffer most? That this is what would happen if the Socialist be allowed to havo his way is, I submit, a preposition the truth of which no one mil deny. Human nature being what it is, we all require a motive force in order that we may do all that we are capable of doing." As long as a man can see h definite advantage in doing his best, he will do it; but remove that advantage, give him nothing to strive for, and who can wonder if he declines to do more than he is forced to do? Should the time ever come when honest effort and individual worth will bo less recognised and rewarded than now, when idleness and indifference will be denounced less "vigorously, and when the line which distinguishes between good and bad work will be less distinctly and sharply drawn, then a blow will have been dealt us as an industrious and pains- , taking nation from the baleful effects of which it will be difficult, perhaps impossible, to recover. "For the workman who aims at efficiency, and between whom and his master "there exists uiutu.nl respect, Socialism has few attractions; just a.s for him who takes no pride in his work, and who does not care whether it bo done badly or well, it has no terrors, if investigation be made, it will, I think, be found that they are the most vehement advocates of Socialism who, for reasons which it were best not to give, have failed to hold their own in the battle of lite, and who cherish bitter feelings against all who havo made a better fight than themselves. They, in any case, stand to lose nothing, and may, from their own point of view, gain much. We hear a great deal of tho argument that because working men are instrumental in producing the greater pari of the wealth of the country, they are entitled to a larger share of it, a statement with which "most people will agree. But aro the methods of the Socialists the befit by which this end can be attained? On the contrary, nothing is better calculated to bring about an entirely opposite result, for if the total wealth of the world lie diminished, the working man may expect to get a still smaller proportion than he does now. Tt is a matter of common knowledge that where capital accumulates most freely and in large quantities, the position of tho working man is incomparably better than whero thero is a scarcity; for if capital be plentiful, it stands to reason that workmen of all kinds can hire it more cheaply to assist them in the work ol production than whero there is a deficiency. "How strange it is that so many working men have somehow managed to convinco themselves that capital is their worst enemy, when in reality it is their best friend! By pushing socialistic schemes, by threatening to confiscate private property, they appear to be doing their utmost to make it not worth while to accumulate money, and to force those who have accumulated it to send it out of the country. Socialism, in short, tends to aggravate the very evils which it professedly sets out to cure, and since the basis must, in the nature of the ca.se. be compulsion, it will, instead of giving greater freedom, develop into a dangerous and hateful tyranny. The effect' produced by Socialism upon trade and commerce would be nothing less than disastrous, but more appalling still would be its iniluenco upon morals. It may be suspected that this aspect of the question is one in which working men are not greatly interested : but- if such an impression exists, let mc hasten to correct it. for I say emphatically that to many of them this is what appeals most strongly. There are relationships in life which many working people regard a.s sacred, and they are prepared to make sacrifices in order that these relationship* may remain inviolate. "The attitude of Socialism in certain of its forms, to the family and to marriage, for instance, can only he described as revolting. But we hold that anything which lowers our conceptions as to what is involved in the terms father, mother, husband, and wife, is n national menace, and is to be resisted to the utmost of our power. If it bo said that English people would never allow Socialism to proceed to such lengths, tho very obvious reply is that the best way is to have nothing whatever to do with it; for if it once be allowed to begin its deadly work, the end is beyond human prescience. Personally, I am convinced that it is impossible to build either a sound individual or national character upon a socialistic basis, for it is essentially selfish and dishonest. It ministers to man's lowest nature to the total neglect of his 'finest part. There Vis nothing in it to ennoble or uplift, and everything to degrade. It blurs moral distinction, and its whole tendency is downwards. Under its influence bitterness and hate would be engendered between class and class. What is now regarded as most sacred would be considered of no account, and the standard of morality generally would decline."

"He is ii pood friend that speaks well of us behind our backs.''—Uao Nestles Milk and recommend it your friend. 8