SOCIALISM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13602, 22 November 1907, Page 9

SOCIALISM.

VIEWS, OF CORRESPONDENTS. «« following letters on the above subM *?? baT6 been received by the editor: — _Your correspondent, Mr. W. H. Chouse, said on the 11th hist. : -What is there ia socu " lsm *° destroy jfawrcby. and every religious system!" " 1*1) US M> first as regards monarchy; socialists ire not only trying to set up a social de- * ocracy that will be a government of the ! SK>, by the people, for the people, /thout class distinctions, but the Social jLnocratic Federation (the oldest English jSrt body) has, as its very first plank v/its political platform: "Abolition of the Monarchy." Then it has: Abolition o {the House of Lords" . . . and "HeRation of the National Debt." Ag»i n > Lawrence Grunland, a recognised Socialist. authority, says, in regard to the president of the United States: "We say, farther, the new order will have no use to presidents and governors, who, for fljiir term of office, are masters of the ittuation." Then, referring to the King of Brazil) ho says: "The new order will fcaow nothing of such an office." That ought to satisfy Mr. Waterhouse and the jjjly persons who say, "We arc all social? jjts now." Turning to the next question, about socialist overthrowing every religious system, we find K. B. Has., in the Keii- } 0 n of Socialism." pages 52-55. says: "In I what' sense socialism is not religious will \, v now clear. It utterly despises the 'other world,' with all its stage properties— is. the present objects of relieion. In what, sense it is not irreligious till 'be also, I think, tolerably clear. It V brings back religion from heaven to earth, which, as we have sought to show, was it* original sphere. It looks beyond the prejent 'moment., or the present, individual life, though not, indeed, to another world, but, to another and higher social life in this world. . - . 'lie socialist, whose social creed is his only religion, requires ,'j no'travesty of Christian rights to aid him iii keeping his ideal before him."' Mr. Wilson Wilson, in "Sidelights of ]l Socialism," page 19, says:"Socialists, as such, have no religion. . . . Socialism is" hostile, not to religion but superstition. . ■ • Evolution proves the Jiio.icd record of creation to be inaccurate. !• There is no religion higher than truth. Socialism is after truth. The ethics r.f socialism and Christianity are not identical." Bertram! Russell, in "German Social Democracy,' pages 92 and 95, says:—"At the annual Congress of 1872 a resolution was passed desiring all members of the party to withdraw trom religious organisations, and from this time on the attitude of the. party has been avowedly hostile to all existing* religions. . . ."For it denies wholly and unreservedly any ' other world,' any spiritual purpose iu the universe. . . .'

In Kaufoiann's " Socialism and Modern Thought/' page 137, L<? Uomte de Mini, who, "in the face of the flames of the Paris Commune, vowed to become an apostle of Labour;";'said: "Socialism is the negation of Divine authority. . . .'■ In "The Ten Commandments of Socialism," published. the Vera Roma of October 22. 1906, and quoted by the Liberty Review in December, 1906. we read: "God is the enemy, God is the He." (Belgian LVuutv Anseefe, st. the .;Soci(iT»st Congress of Ghent, 1897). "Our whole system is atheist, and* cannot swerve trom the goal" (Deputy Ferni, Italy, March 10, 1900). "Socialism ought, to' be atheist as well in form as in snbftance"; (Deputy Turati, in Social Critic, February. 1894). "We cannot direct to God. anything but our curses, and labour to ridthe world of His loathsome government" (Lc Peuple, socialist organ, Brus-

•Lawrence Grunland, in his book, "Our I Destiny." ignoring the revelation of God in Christ, in Holy Scripture, Nature, and past ! history, thinks another revelation in hu_manity is necessary, and that the adoption .of:socialism is also necessary. before men grwrally can' believe in Him as the Su- ; preme Reality.. 'Inasmuch- «soctalisnt'wiH' prtfViHii,'"flri-" , rate persons from'receiving rent of land, intereat-on money, profits on trade, and |J3f**'J or labour, it seems hard to see how jocialiKM would either benefit mankind or /l«|d.to a more loving trust jn God than industrial freedom will.. Socialism involves • the destruction, not only of industrialism, out risks the loss of civil and religious free- *»>'■■ F. G. Ewington.

Sir,— people, I think, will denv that Christianity, as lived out by the best of Wm> is still far from being*what it ought to be. But surely no one oil that account *'wild denounce Christianity itself. Why then, as regards true-socialism, should men •be. found writing in the following unqualified njanner, viz. : "With the socialist dis.regard of revealed religion would go the cultivation of the moral sentiment." - A wore anti-Scriptural statement could not be advanced. It vrao only when individualism began to secretly assert itself by keep'back a part of the money, which rightrally belonged to the general fund, that true socialism and true religion alike fell together. And just so truly as the first result of the outpouring of the Spirit - was wue.socialism, so truly will socialism be the immediate result of that vet future •glorious outpouring of the Spirit on a mitml scale, when true religion and true socialism will become tire guiding principles 3 Mrawruty. True enlightenment looks to ™;tma! issues of socialism and Christianity alike, and not merely to the crude condition of either during development. Socialist.

Sir,—Of late there has appeared in the '&£•?■ cathlD S denunciations relative to the attitude of the socialists in relation to the Whlical theories of a supernatural God. *i»u ,r M C . hared with Propagating atheism '. Mb all its hellish devastating evils. As socialists we deny in toto these gross and :«>ward v char ' The science of socialism •, ju ly outsifJc the pale of Churchanitv ana the supernaturalism of antiquated be- "{?' socialism, like science, has to deal ?S\ V acts (not «tion and senti'"ii;, such, for instance, as social, moral, »w economic conditions by which Glu:':mes are governed and existence made posimtL i ße, , , « ,0n ' therefore, has little or .lowing to do with socialistic propaganda, "must investigate, and not merely speeu- ££♦«* Ko s i '} ,ists we aim to secure the tllll °? d J? the latest number, and Si fui y , those P°w lineal ' i gs if, Cl,rist taught his ■■oaWiSn*!.. tlie mountain tops, Sfi that to P rofeM to 'we God whilst Si" * ! ,assi ™ attitude toward?, the ; fo7rS§ m]] ' on * docs not implv any love !».» , For centuries the Church has fa2,f , ? slj ' guilt of Pandering to the ; -i£lwT. c octopuew who thrive upon the ntck of humanity generally. They have, ' SS." op j Gore emphatically declares, bM. scandalous neglect towards the miserZ'.-- m ? p w ' r - who han g ]ikc a m'!l--»ne -around our slums and dens of vile S' V ; It has bee left for us, the S *' to awake ». sympathy in the wis of good men and women, and render "Ojge not on to the Eternal Father, but ikikk i , human raw universally. The nioboleths of an antiquated and barbarous '■■-. ,ti!> are ' "w»lji but surely, being swept 'joe, arid m their lac « must inevitably ;.S a truer conception of Christ's hn■*m ?' and possibly His divinity. It is m known that to-day there is no such 0K.. 8 1 as enuj ne Christianity in any r Kh , extant. - Too much * formalism S/S ored tlle Precepts of Christ void. j,3• Cntirchanity a .v still exist, and does, ,- «* that is a quite different matter, and tit! Do place "> the sublime teachings of '• great socialist, Jesus Christ. Then, ■hS/It a^ Uscd of attempting to disinteg. ffif.r Holy Word. We need not trouiS» • 1 V this char 8«- Church prelates • wrf , Pl r V dnil, « for us this piece of good 'St W ! fu ! Pdeutific sifting. With the »d----mL °, a - m ° re tolerant age, men will no M - "extent to believe the Almighty ■'£nU Ve « P *t* en sui,ty ' as the Biblical'rc1'L *'" the Old 'It-htamcnt represent him. atvn ' crit '* ;is,u has done much in its -,rL* ay to "weep aside the crude ideas i *n ignovinit and barbarous, and withal " -ariW- 1 people. We are becoming isflki k ; niilit,if ' mirl Vhis to the welfare ' raa!? M t n,l * v generally. With the nd- - ** of evolution mu«t come a great "/ W)'/ ' . .1 #-?&.#.■'•*';■•'• • ■■' - ■■• '

change in the present mode of applying Christum truths, and the sooner the Church . recognises this fact the better ,it will be. for itself. If we are to have Christian churches, let us have them; but it is the height of follv and phansaical cant to preach a doctrine promulgated 2000 years ago and make no attempt to live up to what we preach. Such conduct merits the severest censure, and is blasphemy worse than ever was uttered by a Voltaire, Ingcrsoll, or Tom lame. Such cant deceives no one. It only betrays the real soullessttess of the Pharisaical mind and dishonours cverv precept taught by Christ. _ As we advance into the ages we must be guided bv public requirements and their needs. To say one particular dogma or doctrine is infallible is to assert that man can never become wiser than his predecessors were. All we can do is to admit that in manv things they were mistaken, while honestlv acting as they believed for the best. This generation is far in advance of any previous one. Its successors will be" wiser still, and so on, until the human race tiedines, or ultimately falls into everlasting darkness. Our object should be to make the mosf'of the existing grandeur of the race, and to utilise to the utmost the great heritage we possess. Batu Posits.