[883] Blatchford, _God and My Neighbour_, p. 100.

[884] Blatchford, _Not Guilty_, p. 19.

[885] _Ibid._ p. 23.

[886] Blatchford, _Not Guilty_, p. 251.

[887] Bax, _Outlooks from the New Standpoint_, p. 146.

[888] _Ibid._ p. 105.

[889] Bax, _Ethics of Socialism_, p. 59.

[890] Bax, _Outlooks from the New Standpoint_, p. 104.

[891] See Stirner, _Der Einzige und sein Eigentum_; Bakounine, _Dieu
et l'Etat_; Kropotkine, _Paroles d'un Revolte_, &c.

[892] Bax, _The Ethics of Socialism_, p. 88.

[893] _Ibid._ p. 89.

[894] Gronlund, _Co-operative Commonwealth_, p. 138.

[895] Bax, _Religion of Socialism_, p. 147.

CHAPTER XXV

SOCIALISM AND WOMAN, THE FAMILY AND THE HOME

Men in all classes of society save and endeavour to become owners of
some property, not so much for their own sake as for the sake of their
wives and of their children, whom they wish to leave "provided for."
Married men are notoriously more provident and thrifty than unmarried
ones. Property is the defence of the family. The fundamental aim of
Socialism is the abolition of that private property which is the prop
of the family. Consequently every prudent head of a family is likely
to resist Socialism, and thus there exists a natural and innate
hostility between Socialism and the family.

Besides, the idea of the family is not easily reconcilable with the
idea of the Socialistic State. The maintenance of the family requires
private capital, and the present capitalistic and individualistic
system of society, the modern State and modern civilisation, are based
upon the family and have sprung from it. The citizen of the modern
civilised State places the interest of his family above the interest
of the community. Socialism wishes to reverse the situation and to
subordinate the interest of the family to the interest of the
community.

Socialism strives after equality among the citizens. Therefore many
British Socialists are avowed communists, as will be shown in Chapter
XXIX. Now it is clear that a perfect equality among the citizens
cannot be created by abolishing merely the institution of private
property. The man who envied his neighbour for the exclusive
possession of his property may, after the abolition of private
property, envy him for the exclusive possession of a particularly
attractive wife. Therefore most of the great thinkers since Plato who
have mapped out systems for the equalisation of fortunes, have
logically i