THE NEW CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 233, 11 January 1898, Page 4

THE NEW CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM.

—#> Lokd Bbamwell is reported to have said that if wc were all as honest and us industrious as bees socialism would le possible. What his Lordship meant is plain enough, for he saw that the success of socialistic projects depends on the virtues of the people concerned in them, but he might have drawn a further moral from his own illustration, and one which closely concerned all who hare projects for the industrial amelioration of mankind. As a matter of fact, bees are not all honest, nor are they all industrious. There are such depraved characters us " robber bees," which decline to woik themselves, but seek to live by appropriating the honey which the virtuous and industrious bees have accumulated in their hives. The commonwealth deals with these roving spiiits in a very decided and summary manner, for it stings them to death and drops them outside the hive, whereby hangs a talc and a moral. For we see in this summary process of the bees an example of what must happen in the great human world if wc assume that there is an industrial commonwealth like unto that of the bets, in which the general work is done by all, and the proceeds shared by all those who work, always excepting the drones, which arc killed when they have served their purpose. The way in which these robber bees arc disposed of illustrates, however, one phase of socialistic arrangements of which we hear nothing, which is that when the state—whatever may be meant by this very indefinite term—undertakes to support the workers, it also undertakes to regulate them, if its business is to last for more than a fewnr.onthsat best. This means,what socialistic writers donot tell us, that a socialistic system signifies a state tyranny, which deals with every portion of the lives of the woikers, so that they have to do what they are told, not by any means what they like. If we take one hive of bees, which in a way may bo regarded as a socialistic success, we shall find that all things proceed on a settled plan—a plan so settled that anyone who deviates from it is immediately put to death without mercy. This is the inevitable consequence of the arrangement. As the prosperity of the settlement depends on the cooperation of all, the ODe who ceases to co-operate has to die, and he is incontinently killed off accordingly. In a socialistic state precisely the same condition of efljirs must arise. The whole society depends on the co-operation of the parts, so that no part can be allowed to neglect or cease from its duties, and there is no room for anyone who is not prepared to fully and fairly accept and fulfil the part assigned to tiim. And here we have one more illustration fiom the bees. If bets arc given alcohol in any form they become idle and dissipated, they cease to work early and late at replenishing the . common stock, and loaf around and live on the stock which the virtuous bees have accumulated from every opening flower. The consequence is that they arc put to death with absolute impartiality and admirable promptitude, so that the work may go on and the virtuous ones be enabled to increase their 3tore by labouring hard. Now, if we consider human beings, wc shall see that the example of the bees will have to be largely followed, and that he who will not work shall not only starve but shall be promptly put to death. But this implies some supreme powsr which shall be practically irresistible, aided by trained soldiers ready to execute its behests, in which is centred the power ot life and death. So that when we come to consider the whole case carefully wc find that we get back to those pure tyrannies which existed in the ancient days, under which a supreme head regulated the lires of the people ami had the power to consign them to the gallows whenever they stood in the way of his desires.

These considerations are important at the present time, because there is to be a revival "f Christian Socialism. What Charles Kingsley, Professor Maurice, Lord Ripon, and others attempted half a century ago is to be tried again, but, wo aie told, in a more determined manner. Mr Hall Caiuc has begun a Christian-socialistic novel, and sets out by declaring that Christian Socialism is the problem of the age. Wc incline to the opiniou that on this subject a great deal of mischievous nonsense is talked, because the speakers do not sec the whole of the case, and set down to man what belongs to nature. In any case, however, the aim is to ameliorate the condition of the workers by some new arrangement of work. And, thus wc come back to the original priucipal, which is that work can only be successful under .certain conditions, no matter whether it be carried on by co-operative parties or by individual exertion. The one fact to bear in mind is that the conditions are always tlic sumc. Success depends on certain factors and no others whatever, and unless those factors can be secured there is uo hope for any scheme, no matter what the degree of benevolence or the amount of money that may be put into it. This much was learned by the old Christian Socialists after the sxpenditurc of much money, energy, benevolence, and organisation, just as Robert Owen found out before them. Was it not written seme thousands of years ago, "Secst thou a man diligent iu his business ? He shall stand before kings ; lie shall not stand before mean men.'' Thus we shall find that Christian socialism, or any other socialism whatever, not only means benevolence and help, but the power to direct and en force direction, if it is to be a success. It means, indeed, a great deal more than this, for it carries with it the absolute light to direct and shape the lives of the workers, so that they shall not imperil an organisation by their recklessness, their idleness, or their wani of obedience to rules. Do the new Chr"stiau Socialists understand this? Do they think that they can save the world by mere philanthropy, by the civing of gifts, or even by the finding of work? If tluy do—and Ave fear that they do—they arc but re peating the old error, and are providing no remedy for the evils which they deplore, but may only intensify them by helping to widen the area ot population to be dealt with. So far as wc can see they only recognise the fact that they have to deal with poverty and want of work, whereas they have really to deal with crime, recklessness, idleness, incompetency, and that spiiit which begins to rebel as soon as it ceases to suffer the pressure of want. Thus the great problem of providing against poverty means—assuming that it can bu solved at all—not only help and work, but direction and coercion, and thus we come back to Carlyle's famous saying that those that will not obey shall be shot, ftcd there is an"end to them. Without some Biich power as this it seems idle to talk of Christian Socialistic or other organisations, except such as the workers create for themselves and learn to work wisely for their own industrial salvation. —Australasian.