THE REMEDY FOR WANT. 385 



American writer to have cleared up this difficulty more completely 

 and more intelligently than has ever been done before; and I strongly 

 recommend those who wish to understand how it is that our capital- 

 istic individualism necessarily produces and perpetuates poverty, to 

 read chapter xxii. of Mr. Edward Bellamy's new book " Equality," 

 entitled "Economic Suicide of the Profit System." Although the 

 form of this chapter is not perhaps the best, being that of a school 

 examination, it is, nevertheless, an admirably reasoned discussion of 

 the problem, and is, in my judgment, absolutely conclusive. Chap- 

 ter xxvi. extends the discussion to the effects of foreign trade, both 

 free and protectionist; and shows that under our capitalist and com- 

 petitive system this only further intensifies the evil as regards the 

 poverty of the masses. Another chapter (xxiii.), entitled "The 

 Parable of the Water Tank," is an amusing illustration of the absurd- 

 ity of our system, in which a superabundance of all the necessaries 

 of life, produced by the labor of the people, actually increases the 

 want and starvation of the same people! 



Seeing, then, that the actual facts of the case, at the end of our 

 century of ever-increasing capacity of wealth production, are in com- 

 plete accordance with its necessary results logically reasoned out from 

 the premises of competitive capitalism, we are bound as rational be- 

 ings to get rid of this system with as little disturbance as possible, 

 and, therefore, by some process of evolution; but, nevertheless, in 

 such a way as at once to remedy its most cruel and disgraceful 

 effects. The method I have suggested is one of the least revolution- 

 ary, while it is both the easiest and the most effective; and, during 

 its gradual extension, experience will be gained as to the best 

 methods of carrying it out over the whole country. 



How to Stop Starvation. 



But, till some such method is demanded by public opinion, and 

 forced upon our legislators, the horrible scandal and crime of men, 

 women, and little children, by thousands and millions, living in the 

 most wretched want, dying of actual starvation, or driven to suicide 

 by the dread of it MUST BE STOPPED! I will therefore conclude 

 with suggestions for stopping this horror at once; and also for 

 obtaining the necessary funds, both for this temporary purpose and 

 to carry out the system of co-operative colonies already referred to. 



The only certain way to abolish starvation , not when it is too late, 

 but in its very earliest stages, is free bread. I imagine the outcry 

 against this" pauperization! fraud! loafing! " etc., etc. Perhaps so; 



