280 Eoolutlon and Social Reform : 



There is no matter in wliicli it is so necessary or so diffi- 

 cult to hold one's self in check, as the matter of social re- 

 form, nor is there any field in which more harm may be done. 

 The evils of the past have been so great, the sufferings of the 

 present continue so serious, that one's sympathy becomes im- 

 mediately involved, and unless he is able to hold a tight rein 

 upon it it is sure to run away with him. The Socialist 

 tells us at least he tells me that the social reformer is 

 not a real social reformer until he is mastered by his 

 feelings ; until he has permitted himself to be swept away 

 by his indignation and is unable to see anything but the 

 matter before him. To this I reply then is he a danger 

 to the people, a pest to mankind, and society is bound to 

 protect itself against him as it is bound to protect itself 

 against any person of unbalanced mind. For I take it that 

 there will be no dissent among sane persons to the state- 

 ment that the intellect is the crowning factor in human 

 nature, that upon the clearness of intellectual action 

 depends human development and human progress, and that 

 an intellect clouded by passion is an unbalanced intellect 

 and dangerous to its possessor and to the community, even 

 though the passion may in the beginning have been inspired 

 by an impulse the most benevolent ; and indeed, most 

 because of this, since it is likely then to become most in- 

 tense and to be most disastrous in the consequences of its 

 Berserker rage. 



Modern Communism and Socialism had their origin in 

 France, but Socialism ha,s made greatest progress in Ger- 

 many. Any deductions, however, drawn from the amount 

 of the socialist vote in the late election for members of the 

 Keiclistag would be misleading, since this was largely the 

 result of a temporary combination. In France Socialism 

 was a natui-al ])art of the revolt from tlie tyranny of the 

 ancient regime, stimulated rather than re])ressed by tlie 

 large amount of liberty acquired through the Revolution, 

 which led those with untrained minds, or with minds sud- 

 denly emancipated, to believe that all things could be 

 obtiiined by means through which so much liad been ])ro- 

 cured ; and in Germany it has been largely the reaction 

 against arbitrary military rule and prescriptive exactions. 

 The Socialisni of the old days was in the main a voluntary 

 organization of comnmnities in which the rights of the in- 

 dividual were merged more or less permanently in that of 



