stories of the pain racking death throes which they have suffered and still survived, when their hearers devoutly wished they had succumbed. This feeling is perhaps shared in by all healthy minds when they hear Socialists preach discontent, and attempt to stir up actual conflict.

The Socialists' chronic political complaint, in which they take so much pride, reminds one of the negro Auntie, who, when she was asked how she felt, replied, "P-o-o-l-y, p-o-o-l-y, thank God."

If the Socialist could not give some such answer he would be unhappy.

The Socialistic State, which will own all land, mines, forests and raw materials and the means of production and distribution, would necessarily control all labor. This being the case, the laborer would be dependent on the State for employment. The State promises to guarantee employment to every "comrade," but in doing so the Industrial Committee would assign to each man the work it has for him to do, and also the location in which he is to labor, which would mean that he would be subject to be moved from place to place. Under such conditions, the laborer would have no free will with choice of either his labor or location, and as a consequence, having no other market for his labor, it would be quite possible for a Photographer to be assigned to work as a Hostler, or a Steamfitter to be set to work as a Scavenger.

Socialist labor then would be nothing but slavery. In the Socialistic State there would be no employment for lawyers or ministers; there would be no use for churches, because, the State owning all property, and asserting the principle of not donating funds for religious purposes, it would be impossible for churches to exist. In the first place, they

could not obtain building sites, and in the second place, they could not support their ministers.

Young men while at school would have to be supported by the State to provide them with food and clothing, and the Supervisor of Employment would be looked to to issue "time certificates" to those who were non-producers.

Suppose a young man in choosing a vocation decides to become a dentist, after his regular school term has been finished-and to do this would mean several years' study-he would have to apply to the Employment Committee for support, and if there were applicants for twice as many dentist scholarships as needed, one-half of them would have to be shifted to some other employment, and in such cases as this, and many others, there would be much jealousy and discord engendered. All of these disadvantages do not occur in Society as now constituted, but in taking full thought on this matter, anyone will be convinced of the slavish character of Socialistic Community life.

The family would have to be assigned a house to live in, by the Superintendent of Buildings, who would make assignments which would be unsatisfactory in many cases,-everybody desiring the best houses, and but few being able to obtain satisfaction. This dictatorship in all matters would be more tyrannous than anything heretofore heard of.

Socialism has beautiful pictures and the most iridescent dreams and mirages of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when all these are conjured up in the imagination of a credulous and ignorant public to induce them to part with their monthly dues for the benefit of the Central Committee, or to contribute quarters and half-dollars to support "Scientific" Lectures.

It is better to have a four-room house under the existing government, owned absolutely by yourself, and to sit under

your own vine and fig tree, where no man shall make you afraid, than to long for a visionary mansion, temporarily allotted to you by the Socialistic State, and upon whose vine the grapes are sour, and its figs are rancid, and you always stand in fear of the Head Committee ordering you to move.

SOCIALIST FAILURES

Utopian and other Socialists have attempted many times to form communities on the Socialistic principles of common ownership and communistic rules. After trial, all of these have been failures.

Scientific Socialism now claims that Socialism cannot be made successful unless practiced the world over.

This is bad logic under the axiom, "that what is a failure in part will be a failure in total." The following is a list of the Socialist communities that have failed:

France-Commune of 1793, Baboeuf Conspiracy, Saint Simonism, French National Workshops, Paris Commune of 1871, Brest Municipality, the Glassworks of Albi, the Miners' Mine.

Great Britain-Owenism at New Lanark, Orbiston and Tytherby Communities, Labor Colony at Laindon, Labor Colony at Hollesby Bay, Labor Colony at South Oakenden.

American-Nauvoo, Ill. (New Icaria), the Rappites, New Harmony, Oneida Community, Red Bank Social State, Mount Whitney, Communism in Paraguay, New Australia.

Imperial Failures-Murray River Settlement, Alice River Settlements.

The most notable failure was the community, New Australia, established in Paraguay in 1893, having a total of 450 colonists and being granted by the Paraguan government 450,000 acres of land, one-half heavily timbered, a great part of this timber being valuable hardwoods, which could have been sold at a good price, and rafted down the river by cheap

water transportation. The balance of the land was prairie land, excellent for pastures. The colonists were relieved from taxation for a long period of time, and were allowed to make importations free of duty. Each colonist contributed $300 or more to the general fund, and they owned their own ship of 600 tons capacity, together with 2,500 cattle. They were allowed to manage their own colony according to their own laws and without any interference from the Paraguan government, and nothing but bad management and the lack of personal motives stood in the way of their success.

Among other rules they adopted the following:

"Ownership and conduct by the community of all land, tools, industries, production in exchange and distribution. Saving by community of all capital needed by the community; maintenance of children by community; protection, education and general well-being of each individual guaranteed by community. After all this has been done, the balance of the wealth co-operatively produced shall be divided equally between every adult member, without regard to sex, age, office or physical or mental capacity.

"Female suffrage and equality of the sexes in all matters. "Religion not to be officially recognized by the community."

Inside of two years the colony was disbanded, and those colonists who remained abandoned the idea of Socialism and went back to the individual life.

In the latter part of the colony's existence the children who were under the care of the community for their food, clothing and education were fed three times a day a diet of cornmeal, sweet potatoes and mandoica, making a variety by leaving one of these off every meal.

No timber had been cut by the "comrades" because each