104
-PEEILS.
SOCIALISM-
the distribution of wealth which most people will agree are among the elements of our social instability." "Unequal as is the distribution of wealth already in this country (England), the tendency of in-
on the supposition that the present industrial classes is maintained between separation is toward an inequality greater still. The rich will be growing the richer, and the poor at least relatively dustrial progress
poorer."* Professor Henry Carter Adams says that " the benefits of the present civilization are not imand that the laborer of to-day, distributed, partially as
compared with the non-laboring
classes,
holds a
rel-
atively inferior position to that maintained in former times. The laborer himself interprets this to mean
that the principle of distribution, which modern society has adopted, is unfair to him."t Is it strange that working men should agree with such conclusions of political economists
1
Many wage-workers have come to feel that the capitalist is their natural enemy, and that he is always ready, when opportunity offers, to sacrifice them and their families to his selfish gains. This does the greatest injustice to some employers, who, in times of depression, run their factories for months at a daily loss to themselves, rather than throw their workmen out of
But such capitalists are as rare as they More do not hesitate to enter into combinations powerful enough to command the trade, and then stop work for weeks and months in order to inemployment.
are noble.
already fair. In November, 1883, the Association of Nail-makers ordered a suspension in order to raise prices and for five weeks 8,000 workmen were flate prices,
;
*
Political
t Quote-i
Economy. by Washington Gladden, LL.D.,
ber, 1884, p. 906.
in Century Magazine for Octo*