u, and which you have the liberty to publish,
are briefly these: (1) Socialism will triumph inevitably, in spite of
all opposition; (2) its establishment will be the greatest disaster
which the world has ever known; (3) sooner or later, it will be brought
to an end by a military despotism."

Anything more terrible than this black pessimism which clouded the
latter part of the life of the great thinker, it would be difficult to
imagine. After living his long life of splendid service to the cause of
intellectual progress, and studying as few men have ever done the
history of the race, he went down to his grave fully believing that the
world was doomed to inevitable disaster. How different from the
confidence of the poet,[3] foretelling:--

"A wonderful day a-coming when all shall be better than well."

The last words of the great French Utopist, Saint-Simon, were, "The
future is ours!" And thousands of times his words have been echoed by
those who, believing equally with Herbert Spencer that Socialism must
come, have seen in the prospect only the fulfillment of the age-long
dream of Human Brotherhood. Men as profound as Spencer, and as sincere,
rejoice at the very thing which blanched his cheeks and filled his heart
with fear.

There is, then, a widespread conviction that Socialism will come and, in
coming, vitally affect for good or ill every life. Millions of earnest
men and women have enlisted themselves beneath its banner in various
lands, and their number is steadily growing. In this country, as in
Europe, the spread of Socialism is one of the most evident facts of the
age, and its study is therefore most important. What does it mean, and
what does it promise or threaten, are questions which civic duty
prompts. The day is not far distant when ignorance of Socialism will be
regarded as a disgrace, and neglect of it a civic wrong. No man can
faithfully discharge the responsibilities of his citizenship until he is
able to give an answer to these questions, to meet intelligently the
challenge of Socialism to the age.

II

The word "Socialism" is admittedly one of the noblest and most inspiring
words ever born of human speech. Whatever may be thought of the
principles for which it is the accepted name, or of the political
parties which contend for those principles, no one can dispute the
beauty and moral grandeur of the word itself. I refer not merely, of
course, to its etymology, but rather to its spiri