Stratford Central Secondary School - Collegian Yearbook (Stratford, Ontario Canada)

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COLLEGIAN, I 930 SOCIALISM QgOCIALISM is the name applied to a type of theory, dealing with the distribution of wealth. It is also applied to a movement international in character, the purpose of which is to sponsor political and economic reform along Socialistic lines. The common bond of all Socialists, is the belief that every citizen of a state should have approximately the same income. Socialism is not a plan to hand over the British Empire and all the other nations of the world to the Russians, but a plan to run each nation with the greatest economy and with the least internal friction. Socialism, is not a method of Wholesale robbery of the rich by the poor, but is a theoretical -system for keeping everyone within certain finan- cial limits, and for compelling every person to do his share of useful work in the state. It is a proposal t-o do away with our present system of social levels, founded on nothing but the fact that one man works for his daily bread while another has his served on a silver plate, because his grandfather happened to own a piece of land which could be used for a railroad yards. Socialism is not a crime, nor are its advocates and followers necessarily madmen, fools or rogues. You may not agree with the theories or the practices of the Socialists, but it is well to remember that about one hundred years ago, the Liberals were looked down upon, and were called the same names as the Socialists of today. ' 4 Most real Socialists want some industries of the state operated by the state. Some Socialists wish all industries to be operated by the state, others just the vital industries, and still others think it necessary to have public utilities only operated by the public. Many states are so used to this system that it is never thought of as Socialism. The Stratford Collegiate Institute is a Socialistic institution when consid- ered in this light. Our Postal System is a Socialistic enterprise, so large that no private agency could handle it. In Stratford our water, gas, and electric supply systems are owned by the people. lt is possible to cross Canada, and to sail the seas by means of a transportation sys- tem owned by the people of Canada. We are already, then, to a certain extent, Socialists. r R There are many kinds of Socialists but the two groups which are achieving results are the Fabians, who are essentially English, and the Communists who are an international organization, centering in Russia, where their theories are being put into practice as far as possible, and experiments are being conducted. The Fabians include in their num- ber some of the most learned men and women of England and also some of the wealthiest, so it is easily seen that you can be a Socialist and still po-ssess tw-o suits of clothes. They believe in almost complete state ownership of land and capital, but purpose to gain their end through legislation and public education. The Soviet Communists, on the other hand, want the whole world divided into Soviet Republics, governed by a very small Communistic Party, -supporting a dictator. They believe in the doctrines of Karl Marx the great German economist, who decided, after much study, that there were on-ly the two classes of people, those who did, and those who did not work. He advised the workers to unite and take over the factories and the government themselves, and run them for their own benefit, as they were by far the majority in the State. He urged the -17-

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COLLEGIAN, l930 use of force if necessary to accomplish their ends. Marx did not form- ulate this doctrine for the purpose of destroying Civilization. These were his ideas for improving Civilization. Marx, although a radical theorist, was a great mind, with a real knowledge of those things of which he writes. The Russian Soviet hold Marx as the great authority for their system, but all the acts of the Communists are not authorized by Marx's writings. But the Soviet is not a democratic organization. It is a middle course between anarchy and dictatorship. Any propaganda of the Soviet is designed to undermine all our democratic institutions, all our laws, and all the safeguards we have placed between us and the lawless. They wish to wrest our industries from us, and put them into the hands of men skilled in political propaganda rather than in finance and man- agement. This is what they have done in R.ussia. Russia is in the hands of the Communist Party, which supports the dictatorship of Stalin and the other heads of the Communists. The Communist Party does not represent three per cent. of the population of Russia. The Soviet is attempting to function as a national as well as an international force. The Communists, as most other socialists do, preach against the crime of war, in every country in which they have organizers or propa- gandists. But at the present time Russia has one of the largest armies in Europe, and is even training women to iight as military reserves. The Soviet, internationally, advocates that the Workers, in case of war be- tween two nations, should refuse to serve as soldiers, or to work in the factories, on both sides. In this way the two nations would be forced to retire from the war. The direct result of this, in most cases, would be revolution and civil war in the nations concerned, and possibly a Communist victory. But, in case of war with Russia, which is not im- possible, the Russians certainly would not stop work. While our men went to protect us from their national forces, the Communists in our midst would rise and by blowing up bridges and railways, and by des- troying our industrial plants, would literally stab their fellow citizens in the back. That is a greater crime than fighting to save your homes and political institutions from destruction. But when all this and much more has been written, the greatest indictment against the Soviet and the revolutionary theories of Marx and his school is that armed Revolution is not the way. A group of men cannot take over the industries of a country and run them econ- omically without a tremendous amount of training and study. Revolu- tion gives neither time nor opportunity for this training. Revolution puts the men best suited for the executive positions out of a job, or murders them. The result of this is chaos. In Russia today, twelve years after the Revolution, the people starve, for lack of managing ability in Russian industry. This movement, with its ideas of prole- tarian revolution, bloodshed and anarchy, is to be attacked whenever possible, and never be allowed to gain a foot-hold in any of the great nations of the world. The rapid growth and increasing influence of the international Communists, in Canada and elsewhere is a problem of the present and of the future. Those who now read this article may poss- ibly have to face it in the future, and either present some better system to the world, or perish in the change. The other great group, the Fabians, have their centre in England and England is the scene of all their activities. The Fabians put no faith in proletarian revolution, from them are heard no pleas to the -13-