The Scientific Method. 331 



best be done ? How can we cure this evil without entail- 

 ing a greater ? The great trouble seems to be the cutting 

 off of opportunities for men to work and earn, and the 

 consequent hopelessness of effort. This state of things 

 never can be helped by socialistic or nationalistic measures, 

 which are impracticable in their nature and dangerous in 

 their application. They are only to be relieved by remedial 

 not revolutionary action, aiming to restrain the power of 

 corporations, to check monopolies, to prevent frauds, to 

 secure the workman his wages, and, as has been so well 

 urged by Prof. Gunton, in securing a general reduction of 

 the hours of labor, so that by increasing the social oppor- 

 tunities of the workingman he may become an integral 

 part of the community and thereby better his economic 

 situation. Assaults on the right of property are assaults 

 on liberty and life. Holding property is not robbery, and 

 we may still adhere to the old-fashioned doctrine that 

 taking it away without an equivalent is robbery, for which 

 there is no justification. " But it is necessary that I live," 

 said the thief before the court, in extenuation of his crime. 

 " I do not see the necessity," wisely replied the magistrate ; 

 and society will always agree with him. A restriction of 

 propert^'-holding is the utmost that can legitimately be 

 urged. Entailments and accumulations by will have been 

 already limited. How far the holding of both real and 

 personal property by one individual in his lifetime can be 

 restricted, is a proper question for consideration, but cannot 

 be discussed within the limits of tliis paper. For ends 

 which involve the common liberty the State powers always 

 may be used ; but we should be reluctant to permit such 

 interference in industrial matters, because experience has 

 universally shown that from this harm is more apt to 

 result than good. 



Passing now to our political conditions, it is to be 

 remarked that the chief iniquity at present is the use of 

 the powers of governnient and official position for private 

 ends. Abuse of public trust for personal gain is often no 

 bar to political preferment. It is common for those in office 

 to think first of their own profit. One class of evils is 

 thus presented. Another is found in the constant use of 

 legislative functions to support private interests. To 

 purify our governmental offices and to limit legislation to 

 general purposes seem to be the two things of transcendent 



