A SOCIALIST ROMANCE.*
THIS is an excellent bit of work which we heartily recommend to those interested in the Socialist controversy. No Socialist experiment in real life has ever lasted more than a few months, and it is necessary for critics to construct for themselves Utopias based on that principle. This mixing of economics and romance presents many difficulties, and the product reminds us, maitatis niutandis, of the fine old Elizabethan methods of controversy in which Martin Marprelate was answered in
his own vein by " Pappe with an Hatchet or a countrie cuffe for the idiot-Martin to hold his peace."
In the present day romance takes the place of the "Hatchet," and a scholarly and judicial fairness is substituted for the " cuffe." The indolent will not read economics, so they must be cajoled by "Pappe " or a pleasant tale, and Mr. Herbert has done his work as well as such work can be done. The economies are better than the romance, but that was inevitable.
Frank Ledingham, an amiable and foolish young gentleman from the University, has taken up Socialism, and the first part eensists of "The Discussion" between Frank and his father, a sensible and successful man of business, and a very excellent debate it is. We need only quote one sentence, as it indicates the line which the story is to follow :—
. " One bit of advice I would give toall of you," says the father. "Leave off discussing Capitalism and turn your attention to a subject to which you appear to have devoted very little thought and attention so far—I mean the subject of Socialism. You will find it contains possibilities you never dreamed of."
The father dies, and being a gentleman of cynical humour, leaves a large fortune to his son in trust to carry out an experiment in Socialism, with a view of bringing the "possi- bilities ", to light. The second part is called "The Prepara- tions." • Frank takes into counsel Walter Sinclair, a young man quite as amiable and almost as foolish as himself, and Newaera a SocialWA Romance. By Edward G. Herbert, B.Sc. London: P. S. Sing and Son. [Oa. net.]
they set to work to select the population of their Socialist State. Selection is necessary, for, as Frank remembered, his father used aphoristically to say that "if you introduced Socialism among the angels in heaven, and called on them two years later, you would think you had come to the wrong place." It would be well, therefore, Frank determined, to exclude all but archangels.
The third part of the story is called "Realisation." Equality of wages and the "right to work" are established, with all the other Socialist panaceas. Joe, an industrious labourer, complains that his mate is lazy, and therefore gets more than his share "of the product of my labour. The only way I can get even with him is by being lazy too." Corruptio optimi pessitna. Socialism is a creed which recom- mends itself to persons who, on the whole, are perhaps more virtuous than their neighbours, but there is a self-destructive element in it. "A man," says one of the characters, "has to be a good deal better than most human beings if he can live in a community which is practically offering rewards for doing wrong, and punishments for doing right, and not be the worse for it." And so it becomes necessary, if industry is to be carried on, to appoint committees and overseers and, finally, police armed with whips. "What was happening was this," said Walter Sinclair (who by this time had relapsed a little towards economic sanity, and who, in consequence, had been estranged from the still enthusiastic Frank), "about a third of the workers were at the town hall [i.e., the bosses] producing nothing ; about another third were out of work also producing nothing ; and the remaining third had to produce enough to feed not only themselves but the other two thirds as well." The tables seem to be turned ; surreptitiously printed revolu- tionary posters appear :—" Vote for Capitalism and no Whips. Down with the Socialist Exploiters." The industrious, but intellectually befogged, workman Joe, still a Socialist, tries to stand for Parliament on a moderate ticket,—tries, in fact, to form a Central Party. All the public halls are engaged for Government candidates, and the printing-presses are busY with the issue of Form IV. or some similar official documents, and Joe, being unable to obtain a hearing, only receives six votes at the election.
Things go from bad to worse. One Grimshaw establishes himself as dictator, and maintains his authority by a system of espionage and tyranny. The unfortunate Frank, to whom the work of seavengering has been assigned, inspired by a noble enthusiasm for the " solidarity " of things in general, works with fervour at his disagreeable task, his companions shirk, and he pauses for a moment to make some philosophical observations, when he is accused of skulking, flogged by the redoubtable Grimshaw, and thrown into prison. He finally escapes to the mainland (for the story has an island for its scene) in the guise of a policeman, and we may regard it as an outward and visible sign of his return to sanity that his first use of his freedom is to consult his family solicitor as to bow he can rescue from their unhappy fate the poor dupes whom his fanaticism has beguiled into the Utopian colony of Newaera.
The family solicitor sums up the matter in approved style. The episode reminds him of vaccination. Frank is now probably immune from further attacks of the same disease. Could not some benevolent millionaire find the funds to enable Mr. and Mrs. Webb, Mr. Keir Hardie, and Mr. Belfort Ban to lead a colony to an island and show us bow the thing can be done ? The story ends with an eloquent appeal by the family solicitor to the wealthy and benevolent to take steps to carry out this, on many grounds, desirable experiment.
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