Project Gutenberg's The Inhumanity of Socialism, by Edward F. Adams

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Title: The Inhumanity of Socialism

Author: Edward F. Adams

Release Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5624]
Posting Date: April 12, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INHUMANITY OF SOCIALISM ***

Produced by David Schwan

THE INHUMANITY OF SOCIALISM

The Case Against Socialism & A Critique of Socialism

Two papers, the First Read Before the League of the Republic at the
University of California, December the Fifth, Nineteen Hundred and
Thirteen, and the Second Read Before the Ruskin Club of Oakland,
California, Some Years Earlier

By Edward F. Adams

"And finally, let each of us according to his ability and opportunity
practice and inculcate respect for the law, the maintenance of order,
regard for the rights of others, admiration for the successful, sympathy
with the unfortunate, charity for all, hope for humanity, joy in the
simple life and contentment therewith."

Foreword

One might write continuously while he lived for or against Socialism and
yet at the end of a long and misspent life have said nothing that others
had not said before him.

Nevertheless, new generations come on and have to learn about Socialism
as they learn about other things, for there always have been and always
will be Socialists. It is a habit of mind which becomes fixed in a
certain number of each generation; and succeeding generations seem to
prefer fresh statements of the theory to the study of the ancient texts.
Besides, Socialistic endeavor, while its ultimate object in all ages is
the same, assumes different forms at different periods and is best dealt
with in terms of the day.

I am opposed to Socialism because of its inhumanity; because it saps the
vitality of the human race which has no vitality to spare; because
it lulls to indolence those who must struggle to survive; because the
theories of good men who are enthralled by its delusions are made the
excuse of the wicked who would rather plunder than work; because it
stops enterprise, promotes laziness, exalts inefficiency, inspires
hatred, checks production,