190 SOCIAL DISEASES AND v 



lier, and still more fully developed in several essays 

 published in the " Nineteenth Century " in 1889, 

 which I hope, before long, to republish.* 



The fundamental proposition which runs 

 through the writings, which thus extend over a 

 period of twenty years, is, that the common a 

 priori doctrines and methods of reasoning about 

 political and social questions are essentially vi- 

 cious; and that argumentation on this basis leads, 

 with equal logical force, to two contradictory and 

 extremely mischievous systems, the one that of 

 Anarchaic Individualism, the other that of des- 

 potic or Regimental Socialism. Whether I am 

 right or wrong, I am at least consistent in oppos- 

 ing both to the best of my ability. Mr. Booth's 

 system appears to me, and, as I have shown, is 

 regarded by Socialists themselves, to be mere auto- 

 cratic Socialism, masked by its theological exte- 

 rior. That the " fantastic " religious skin will 

 wear away, and the Socialistic reality it covers 

 will show its real nature, is the expressed hope of 

 one candid Socialist, and may be fairly conceived 

 to be the unexpressed belief of the despotic leader 

 of the new Trades Union, who has shown his zeal, 

 if not his discretion, in championing Mr. Booth's 

 projects. [See Letter VIII.] 



Yet another word to commentators upon my 

 letters. There are some who rather chuckle, and 



* See Collected Essays, vol. i. p. 290 to end ; and this 

 volume, p. 147. 



