ts of property."

3. That the State or municipality may enlarge their functions in any
direction and to any extent, provided a clear public interest is
subserved.

Sec. 7. Relation of Theoretic Socialism to Socialistic Legislation.--Now it
has been convenient in speaking of this growth of State and municipal
action to use the term Socialism. But we ought to be clear as to the
application of this term. Although Sir William Harcourt declared, "We
are all socialists to-day," the sober, practical man who is responsible
for these "socialistic" measures, smiles at the saying, and regards it
as a rhetorical exaggeration. He knows well enough that he and his
fellow-workers are guided by no theory of the proper limits of
government, and are animated by no desire to curtail the use of private
property. The practical politician in this country is beckoned forward
by no large, bright ideal; no abstract consideration of justice or
social expediency supplies him with any motive force. The presence of
close detailed circumstance, some local, concrete want to be supplied,
some distinct tangible grievance to be redressed, some calculable
immediate economy to be effected, such are the only conscious motives
which push him forward along the path we have described. An alarming
outbreak of disease registered in a high local death-rate presses the
question of sanitary reform, and gives prominence to the housing of the
working-classes. The bad quality of gas, and the knowledge that the
local gas company, having reached the limit of their legal dividend, are
squandering the surplus on high salaries and expensive offices, leads to
the municipalization of the gas-works. The demand made upon the
ratepayers of Bury to expend; L60,000 on sewage-works, a large
proportion of which would go to increase the ground value of Lord
Derby's property, leads them to realize the justice and expediency of a
system of taxation of ground values which shall prevent the rich
landlord from pocketing the contribution of the poor ratepayer. So too
among those directly responsible for State legislation, it is the force
of public opinion built out of small local concrete grievances acting in
coalition with a growing sentiment in favour of securing better material
conditions for the poor, that drafts these socialistic bills, and gets
them registered as Acts of Parliament.

But the student of history must not be deceived into thinking that
principles and abstract theor