The Ideal State 229 



of the Independent Labour party at Merthyr voiced 

 the same sentiment. He said : " Syndicalism has made 

 no real appeal to the British workers, and offered them 

 no means to escape from exactions of landlordism and 

 capitalism." It is good that the representatives of 

 the workers see through the folly of attempting to 

 bring about social betterment by the mere transfer- 

 ence of property. Materialism brought about the 

 downfall of all our past civilisations, and as surely 

 it will effect that of present-day industrialism. As 

 Mr. W. C. Anderson said at Merthyr : " Social justice 

 was the only remedy for labour unrest, and social 

 justice was not compatible with private ownership 

 of land and industrial capital. What was needed 

 was an industrial system that would have a conscience 

 behind it, that would not count dividends at the 

 expense of human wreckage and degradation. The 

 monopolies that had been set up in land, railways, 

 canals, mines, and many other industries were ripe 

 for the introduction of collectivist principles. Their 

 cause would stand to gain in every direction if they 

 could secure a national minimum for all, a minimum 

 of health and housing, of leisure, education, and 

 wages. As years went by their assurance of victory 

 was deepened not only by labour unrest against 

 capitalist tyranny, but by the growth of the public con- 

 science, by the spread of Socialism, by a widespread 

 desire to rescue nations from chaos, muddle, and 

 disaster, and to rebuild society on the foundation of 

 organisation, co-operation, and mutual aid." Now it 

 is not only interesting, but gratifying to find this 

 acknowledgment of a growth of public conscience, and 

 a desire to rescue nations from chaos, and to rebuild 

 society on a basis of mutual aid. What is this but the 

 perception of Christian altruism, of the spirit of love 

 and self-sacrifice increasingly influencing men to think 



