324 ANDREW J. SHIPMAN MEMORIAL 



statute book. When this particular age is viewed in the per- 

 spective of a century or so, will it be said that human nature 

 has greatly changed in its treatment of man by his fellow- 

 man? 



If socialism succeeds as a working political machine, re- 

 modelling our laws and methods of distribution of wealth, 

 how m.uch will we have gained? A man to-day is said to 

 worship his property and to build all his institutions and laws 

 upon it. Well, if property be abolished, minimized or rele- 

 gated to the scrap-heap of politico-economic delusions, what 

 shall we say of the method or form which will take its place? 

 The fact is, that slavery will take its place. A man's sole 

 value will be determined by his economic position as a mere 

 cog in the vast economic machine. We will have then the 

 fedualism of rank and station, power and command, without 

 the checks and counter-balances of the duties inculcated by 

 feudalism. Let those who have closely observed the one-man 

 power or the committee power in the organization and man- 

 agement of recent strikes, and point the difference between 

 the social economic boss and the harshest political boss. For 

 firmness of command and ruthlessness of decree the latter 

 can take lessons from the former. How, then, can we be 

 assured that our later position, where a man's standing among 

 his fellow-men rests upon his position or "job," will be bet- 

 ter than the earlier one of property? If men will do so much 

 for property now, what will they not do for position and 

 power then, unless human nature be radically changed ? 



We may illustrate this by a witty statement of what pana- 

 ceas have been offered us in other lines. Take, for instance, 

 that of health : 



"The world was to be made over by means of the bicycle. 

 The straphanger was to abandon his strap and ride joyfully 

 down the cable-slot, imbibing ozone on his way to business. 

 The factory hand was to abandon his city tenement and live 

 in the open country, going to and from his work upon the 

 wheel. The old were to grow young again, and the young 

 were to dream close to the heart of nature. The doctors were 

 to perish of starvation. But where is the bicycle to-day? 



"The world was to be made over by jiu-jitsu. Elderly 

 gentlemen were to regain the waist-line of youth by ten min- 

 utes' practice every morning. Slim young women, when at- 



