to be a doubt of the pro-socialist desires and actions of the
Proletariat. No one disputes that the Capitalist system is breaking
down. With the great mass of the producers receiving bare subsistence
wages the impossibility of disposing of the almost miraculously
stupendous product of modern machines and processes is mathematically
demonstrable. The former paradox of the Socialist agitator, that the
Utopian is the man who believes in the possibility of the continuance of
the present system, has become a platitude. Nor can many be found to
dispute the statement that the centralization of industry in the United
States has reached a point where Socialism is economically entirely
practicable. The doubt of the sceptics is: Will the workers create, in
the language of economics, an effective demand for Socialism? Two
eminent Utopians have voiced this doubt in the recent past. Their names
are George D. Herron and Daniel DeLeon. Both alike forget that the
desires, ideals, and motives of the proletariat cannot but be in harmony
with their economic environment, and I do not think that either of them
would deny that, as we near the downfall of Capitalism, the economic
environment will more and more imperatively drive men to Socialism as
the only avenue of escape from chaos and pessimism. On this point, of
the motives to action of the individual being formed by economic
conditions, Marx wrote in "The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte":
"On the various forms of property, on the conditions of social
existence, there rises an entire superstructure of various and
peculiarly formed sensations, illusions, methods of thought and views of
life. The whole class fashions and moulds them from out of their
material foundations and their corresponding social relations. The
single individual, in whom they converge through tradition and
education, is apt to imagine that they constitute the real determining
causes and the point of departure of his action." (Prof. Seligman's
translation.)
The man who has thoroughly assimilated the doctrine of historical
materialism cannot for a moment doubt the inevitability of Socialism.
The utopianism which evinces itself in this doubt may be depended upon
to betray itself elsewhere in the views of the doubters. We find that
this is signally true in the case of the two illustrious utopian
sceptics I have mentioned. The Natural Rights platform that Professor
Herron wrote and the Socialist Party adopted in 1904 is only less
utopian than Daniel DeLeon's curiously childish conceit that in the
highly factitious, "wheel of fortune" form of organization of the
Industrial Workers of the World[40] we have the precise frame-work of
the coming Co-operative Commonwealth.
It does not seem too much to say that doubt of the inevitability of
Socialism is in all cases a symptom of failure to apprehend clearly the
full implications of the Materialist Conception of History.
The second question, If Socialism is inevitable, why do Socialists work
to bring it about?, would appear to have been answered by implication in
the course of our discussion of the first question. In brief, we work
for it because we know that if we did not it would never come. It is
inevitable simply because Socialists are inevitable. Our activity as
Socialist agitators is a necessary result of the development of
capitalist industry just as much as the Trust is. Again, we work for
Socialism because we know we can get it, and we work all the harder if
we believe it is coming soon. One of the most active of our wealthy
socialists has said: "If I had to be in 'the hundred year, step at a
time, take-what-you-can-get' class, you would find me automobiling my
life away down at Newport with Reggie Vanderbilt instead of editing this
magazine.... As said, I would rather chase down the pike on my Red
Dragon at 'steen hundred miles an hour, terrifying the farmers, than go
in for any 'reform game'." (Gaylord Wilshire in Wilshire Editorials. New
York, 1907. Pages 232, 233.) So we find that in practice the belief in
the inevitability and the proximity of Socialism is the most powerful
stimulus to socialist activity.
We believe that the doctrine of the inevitability of Socialism is
scientifically true, that its proclamation is the most effective weapon
in the arsenal of the Socialist agitator, and that it is the most
powerful incentive to Socialist activity; so that we mean exactly what
the words imply when we address our non-socialist friends in the words
of William Morris:
_"Come, join in the only battle wherein no man can fail,
Where whoso fadeth and dieth, yet his deed shall still prevail."_
FOOTNOTE:
[40] I trust that no one will construe this as an attack on the
Industrial Workers of the World. It is not my intention to express in
this place any opinion as to the merits or demerits of that
organization. It is only mentioned here because mention of it was
necessary to illustrate the most curious case I know of the abnormally
prolonged retention of the utopian tadpole tail.
ADVERTISEMENTS
[Illustration]
Books on Socialism, Modern Science, etc.
STANDARD SOCIALIST SERIES.
This series of books, the first volumes of which were issued in 1901,
contains some of the most important works by the ablest Socialist
writers of Europe and America. The size of page is 63/4 by 41/4 inches,
making a convenient shape either for the pocket or the library shelf.
The books are substantially bound in cloth, stamped with a uniform
design, and are mechanically equal to many of the books sold by other
publishers at a dollar a copy. Our retail price, postage included, is
FIFTY CENTS.
1. +Karl Marx: Biographical Memoirs.+ By Wilhelm Liebknecht, translated by
Ernest Untermann. Cloth, 50 cents.
This personal biography of Marx, by an intimate friend who was
himself one of the foremost Socialists of Germany, gives a new
insight into the beginnings of Socialism. Moreover, it is a
charming book, as interesting as a novel, and will make an
admirable introduction to heavier reading on Socialism.
2. +Collectivism and Industrial Evolution.+ By Emile Vandervelde, member
of the Chamber of Deputies, Belgium. Translated by Charles H. Kerr.
Cloth, 50 cents.
The author is a Socialist member of the Belgian Parliament and is
one of the ablest writers in the international Socialist movement.
This book is, on the whole, the most satisfactory brief summary of
the principles of Socialism that has yet been written. One
distinctive feature of it is that it takes up the difficult
questions of how the machinery of production could be acquired and
how wages could be adjusted under a Socialist administration.
3. +The American Farmer: An Economic and Historical Study.+ By A. M.
Simons. Cloth, 50 cents.
"The American Farmer," in spite of its small size, is the largest
contribution yet given to the agrarian literature of this country.
The author, besides being a student of American social conditions,
is thoroughly conversant with practical farming, and there is
little doubt that the farmer who reads the work will have to admit
that the conclusions are based on a real understanding of the
difficulties of his struggle with the soil, with railroads, trusts
and foreign competitors.--Chicago Tribune.
4. +The Last Days of the Ruskin Co-operative Association.+ By Isaac
Broome. Cloth, illustrated, 50 cents.
Socialism does not mean withdrawing from the class struggle and
trying to set up a paradise on a small scale. If there are those
who still think such a scheme practicable, they will find
interesting facts in this book.
5. +The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State.+ By
Frederick Engels. Translated by Ernest Untermann. Cloth, 50 cents.
This is one of the most important of the author's works, and
although first published in 1884, was never accessible to English
readers until our translation appeared in 1902. It contains
practically everything necessary to the general reader in the
voluminous work of Morgan, and it furthermore gives many additional
facts and a coherent, scientific treatment of the whole subject.
The book is of great propaganda value, in that it shows the folly
of the popular idea that wealth and poverty always have existed and
so may always be expected to continue.
6. +The Social Revolution.+ By Karl Kautsky. Translated by A. M. and May
Wood Simons. Cloth, 50 cents.
Kautsky is the editor of the Neue Zeit, and is universally
recognized as one of the ablest Socialist writers and thinkers in
Europe. This book is in two parts. Part I., Reform and Revolution,
explains the essential difference between the Socialist party and
all reform parties. Part II., The Day After the Revolution, gives
straightforward answers to the questions so often asked about what
the Socialists would do if entrusted with the powers of government.
7. +Socialism, Utopian and Scientific.+ By Frederick Engels. Translated by
Edward Aveling, D.Sc., with a Special Introduction by the Author. Cloth,
50 cents.
This book ranks next to the Communist Manifesto as one of the best
short statements in any language of the fundamental principles of
Socialism. It is an essential part of every Socialist library,
however small.
8. +Feuerbach: The Roots of the Socialist Philosophy.+ By Frederick
Engels. Translated, with Critical Introduction, by Austin Lewis. Cloth,
50 cents.
This book is a criticism on the works of a forgotten philosopher,
but it is still of timely interest, since attempts are still being
made to reintroduce dualist notions into the philosophy of
Socialism. Austin Lewis contributes an interesting historical
introduction.
9. +American Pauperism and the Abolition of Poverty.+ By Isador Ladoff,
with a supplement, "Jesus or Mammon," by J. Felix. Cloth, 50 cents.
A study of the last United States census, bringing out in bold
relief the social contrasts that are purposely left obscure in the
official documents. An arsenal of facts for Socialist writers and
speakers.
10. +Britain for the British (America for the Americans.)+ By Robert
Blatchford, with American Appendix by A. M. Simons. Cloth, 50 cents.
A popular presentation of Socialism, in the same charming and
simple style as the author's "Merrie England," but giving a far
more adequate and scientific account of the subject.
11. +Manifesto of the Communist Party.+ By Karl Marx and Frederick Engels.
Authorized English Translation: Edited and Annotated by Frederick
Engels. Also included in the same volume, +No Compromise: No Political
Trading.+ By Wilhelm Liebknecht. Translated by A. M. Simons and Marcus
Hitch. Cloth, 50 cents.
This manifesto, first published in 1848, is still recognized the
world over as the clearest statement of the principles of the
international Socialist party. It has been translated into the
language of every country where capitalism exists, and it is being
circulated more rapidly to-day than ever before.
12. +The Positive School of Criminology.+ By Enrico Ferri. Translated by
Ernest Untermann. Cloth, 50 cents.
The science of criminology has been revolutionized within one
generation by the Socialist students of Italy, of whom Ferri is the
most prominent living representative. This book is indispensable to
any one desiring reliable information on the modern theory of crime
and its treatment.
13. +The World's Revolutions.+ By Ernest Untermann. Cloth, 50 cents.
A study of the economic causes of the great revolutions of the
world's history in the light of the Socialist principle of
historical materialism.
14. +The Socialists, Who They Are and What They Seek to Accomplish.+ By
John Spargo. Cloth, 50 cents.
Scientific yet readable and easy; written in a style that the man
in the street will understand and the man in the university will
admire. Just the book to start a new reader.
15. +Social and Philosophical Studies.+ By Paul Lafargue. Translated by
Charles H. Kerr. In Preparation.
This book will contain two studies entirely new to American
readers, "Causes of Belief in God," and "The Origin of Abstract
Ideas." It will also contain several studies reprinted from the
International Socialist Review. Lafargue's brilliant style makes
even the most abstract subjects delightful.
LIBRARY OF SCIENCE FOR THE WORKERS.
Modern International Socialism is directly related to modern science. It
is in a sense the evolution theory applied to the facts of society. It,
therefore, follows that for a full understanding of socialism some
general knowledge of the facts of modern science is necessary.
A new series of books has lately appeared in Germany which give in
simple and popular form complete proofs of the evolution theory along
with a clear account of the latest applications of this theory in the
various fields of modern science. We have arranged to translate and
publish some of the best of these, along with such original works in the
same line as are available. They are uniform in size with the Standard
Socialist Series.
1. +The Evolution of Man.+ By Wilhelm Boelsche. Translated by Ernest
Untermann. Cloth, 50 cents.
"The Evolution of Man" tells in full detail, in a clear, simple
style, illustrated by pictures, just how the descent of man can be
traced back through monkeys, marsupials, amphibians, fishes, worms
and lower forms of life, down to the animals composed each of a
single cell. Moreover, it proves that there is no such fixed line
as was formerly thought to exist between the organic and the
inorganic, but that the same life-force molds the crystal that
molds the cell. It is not only simple; it is up-to-date and gives
the latest discoveries in science. It is _the_ book on the subject.
2. +Germs of Mind in Plants.+ By R. H. France. Translated by A. M. Simons.
Cloth, illustrated, 50 cents.
A cardinal point in the philosophical systems favored by the ruling
classes is that the mind of man is something unique in the
universe, governed by laws of its own that have no particular
connection with physical laws. Modern science has proved that not
only animals, but also plants, receive impressions from the outside
world and use the data thus obtained to modify their movements for
their own advantage, exactly as human beings do. These facts are
told in this book in so charming and entertaining a style that the
reader is carried along and does not realize until later the
revolutionary significance of the facts.
3. +The End of the World.+ By Dr. M. Wilhelm Meyer. Translated by Margaret
Wagner. Cloth, illustrated, 50 cents.
This book answers in the light of the discovery of modern science
the questions frequently asked as to the probable end of human life
on this planet. Moreover, it goes a step further in making clear
the relations of man's life to the universe life. We have already
seen that "mind" is but another form of "life." Dr. Meyer shows
that not only animals and plants but even worlds and suns have
their birth, growth, maturity, reproduction, decay and death, and
that death is but the preparation for a new cycle of life.
4. +Science and Revolution: A Historical Study of the Evolution of the
Theory of Evolution.+ By Ernest Untermann. Cloth, 50 cents.
A history of the evolution of the theory of evolution, from the
earliest scientific writings that have been preserved, those of the
Greek philosophers, down to the present time. The author shows how
the ruling classes, living on the labor of others, have always
supported some form of theology or mysticism, while the working
classes have developed the theory of evolution, which is rounded
out to its logical completion by the work of Marx, Engels and
Dietzgen. The author frankly recognizes that no writer can avoid
being influenced by his class environment, and he himself speaks
distinctly as a proletarian and a Socialist. "Science and
Revolution" is an essential link in the chain of evidence proving
that conclusions drawn by Socialists from the facts of science.
5. +The Triumph of Life.+ By Wilhelm Boelsche. Translated by May Wood
Simons. Cloth, 50 cents.
The German critics agree that this book is even more interesting
than "The Evolution of Man," by the same author. It tells of the
struggle of life against its physical environment, and introduces a
wealth of scientific detail charming set forth. The German original
contains no illustrations, but our edition is fully illustrated
with pictures that aid materially in an understanding of the text.
6. +Life and Death, a Chapter from the Science of Life.+ By Dr. E.
Teichmann. Translated by A. M. Simons. Cloth, 50 cents.
A study of how life begins and how it ends. It does not duplicate
any other book in this series, but is a special investigation into
the laws which govern the reproduction of life. It also deals with
the methods by which the life of each separate individual is
brought to an end, and shows that in an overwhelming majority of
cases throughout the whole animal kingdom death is violent rather
than "natural." Even among human beings a really "natural" death is
rare. The author suggests that with improved conditions of living,
most premature deaths may be prevented, and that in that event the
fear of death, which causes so much of the misery of the world, may
disappear.
7. +The Making of the World.+ By Dr. M. Wilhelm Meyer. Translated by
Ernest Untermann. Cloth, 50 cents.
This is a companion volume to "The End of the World," and traces
the processes through which new suns and new worlds come into being
to take the place of those that have grown old and died. It is an
essential link in the chain of evidence proving that the human mind
is not something apart from nature but only another manifestation
of the one force that pervades all "matter." The book has
twenty-four illustrations, for the most part reproductions of
telescopic photographs, which make the truth of the statements in
the book evident to every reader.
THE INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE.
This new library, the first volume of which appeared in January, 1906,
contains in substantial and artistic cloth binding some of the most
important works on socialism and kindred subjects that have ever been
offered in the English language. While our price has been fixed at a
dollar a volume, most of the books in the library are equal to the
sociological books sold by other publishers at from $1.50 to $2.00.
1. +The Changing Order.+ A Study of Democracy. By Oscar Lovell Triggs,
Ph.D. Cloth, $1.00.
Dr. Triggs was a prominent professor in the University of Chicago,
but he taught too much truth for Standard Oil, and is no longer a
professor in the University of Chicago. This book contains some of
the truth that was too revolutionary for Mr. Rockefeller's
institution. It traces the inevitable rise of democracy in
industry, in other words, of a working class movement that will
take industry out of the control of capitalists. It also studies
the necessary effect of this rising democracy on literature and
art, on work and play, on education and religion.
For description of other books in this library, and a large variety of
other Socialistic literature, see catalog; mailed free on request.
Address
CHARLES H. KERR & CO.
264 East Kinzie Street
CHICAGO