MARXIAN SOCIALISM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2793, 4 October 1924, Page 4

MARXIAN SOCIALISM.

• 4 the creed of class warfare.

In a previous article, it was pointed out that, all the schemes of socialism had proved failures. Tue stock socialist argument advanced to explain the failures of all these attempts is that socialism could not succeed in the face of capitalist opposition and competition and that it must become universal in order to prove its efficiency. The truth is, as anyone who cares to read up the question for himself will see, that these "experiments carried out by enthusiastic socialists all eager to prove the soundness of their theories, met with no opposition from the outside world, were given, indeed, every facility to succeed, butfailed simply and solely because the socialist principle itself broke down. In a. word, socialism failed not because it was opposed by capitalism but because it conflicted with human nature. All that capitalism did in the matter was to help the socialists out of the mess they had go into, and that is what capitalism is being asked to do to-day for Rus-

sia. Socialism went out of vogue for a time. Between 1850 and 1880 it was practically non-existent. By whom then, was this obsolete theory revived? By two foreigners—Marx and,Engels. Karl Marx, the son of a Jewish lawyer, was horn in 1818, and had been exiled from Germany when he took refuge in England. His friend, Freidrich Engels, was a German who had derived a considerable fortune from cotton spinning in Lancashire. German Jew and German capitalist were the prophets of the new order of socialism, and row Marx is held up to the workers of all countries as the greatest of scientific thinkers. The three points which distinguish Marxian socialism from other systems that preceded it in France and England were (1)_ That it was to he imposed by force on the whole community; (2) that it: advocated class warfare as a preliminary; (3) that it repudiat'd all forms of religion. The programme put forward by Marx and •higels was published by them under the title of “The Communist Manifests” indicating that social'sm and communism were regarded >• synonymous terms SCIENCE OR HUM BUG. The plea of Marxism adherents ; that whereas previous socialist ystems were founded merely on entiment the doctrine of Karl larx are scientific. This nssumpon is far from being accepted by lose most capable of judging what . science and what is mere intell•dual charlatanry. We have before s the writing of' a New Zealand rofessor of History and Eeonom•s, who says: “Marxianism is not i scientific system of economic (ho glit. For if is based upon certain ssumptions which cannot possibly >• proved or justified. Marxianism - not science, but dogmatism, and i bears much the same relation lo ■eoaomies in the .scientific sense of he term that alchemy once bore to ■bemistry, or as astrology bears to slronomy.” According lo Mr W. .1. Malloek, the Marxian theory is in- greatest intellectual mare’s nest, d' the nineteenth century, and Air : I. <4. Wells is even more outspoken and severe. lie describes “Das -. 'apital” (Marx’s work) as “a cadnee of wearisome volumes about neb phantom unrealities as the 'iourgeoi.se and the proletariat. a took forever meandering away with .edious secondary discussions —a monument, of pretentious pedantry.” No, Marx’s work is far from being a production of pure intellect. If is the same abstract theorising in contradiction of known facts as is indulged in by socialists in general, whilst its mentality finds its enthusiasm from the impulse of passion, ,-lass hatred and prejudice, which are ihe very antithesis of the scientific temper of inquiry. Its practical results are exhibited in Russia. Bolshevism is simply Marxianism in prneliee, and the disastrous results we all know. Indeed, the Bolshevists ■>f Russia themselves three years ago temporarily admitted ihe tailarc of the Marxian theory and by a decree of March l!)2l, made the nticmpl to restore in a limited way the right of private property. But the destruction already worked too great tor any recovery of the country under ihe tyranny of a class wlm mainluiii their right to the application • f Nationalisa-lion at their mvn disi-ietion. In consequence we now i*i ■ •.* the <'oimmiiiisls appealing to : lie capitalist world to help them out of lae chaos in which I hey have he .-oam mvolvid. Exactly as the ex - pel imenlers in ewrv oilier s .chilis I - elienie ha ve had lo do.

PASSION AND W A UFA US. A study "I all socialist sVslcm \vil!i (heir m.my qualifying words such as State Christian Socialism, (juihl Socialism, Marxian Socialism, Ueformisl Socialism. I Revolutionary Socialism, etc. (indicating (licit socialism alone is vague ami unreal) shows that there are three hases on which Ihe socialist i.ica or feeling rests. There is the ground of sentimentality; the ground of philosophic abstraction and the ground of passion and greed. Marxianisui, which using a cover of questionable philosophy, has its dynamic force in the appeal it makes to the passions c£ covetousness and hatred. It calls for class war accentuated by degrees to what Lenin named “hard civil war.’’ lievolutiou by force, bloodshed, devastu • tion and ruin arc the inevitable results to be looked for from Marxian socialism whenever brought into practice. Against this evil society must tight if civilisation is to be preserved. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League).