The Fallacies of the Socialists. 
147 
only those which are comformable both to the direction and 
stage of a nation’s development, and to the character and edu¬ 
cation of its people; those which may be fitted gradually to 
existing circumstances, and conform to the laws of social evo¬ 
lution. All that man can do to bring about a new regime, is 
to change social and economic environment, and not to devise 
schemes that run counter to social and economic laws. 
Viewed in the light of these truths the plans of the socialists, 
despite their apparent spread, do not bear much promise of ulti¬ 
mate success. Altogether aside from the economic fallacies 
involved in their proposals, it is clear that they offer a scheme 
that is impracticable because artificial and unevolutionary. 
The scheme of the socialist is not in the line of our historical 
development. For our tendency has been, and is, towards elic¬ 
iting the most richly diversified individualism by assuring to 
each the rewards of his own exertions. But even if Socialism 
or Nationalism were in the line of our historical development, 
we have not arrived at the proper stage for its introduction; for 
it presupposes a state of ethical culture far beyond what we have 
reached. Nor is the scheme of the socialist in keeping with our 
national character; for, as already pointed out, we are too tena¬ 
cious of our personal rights. It is possible, of course, for na¬ 
tional character to be changed. But the process must be a slow 
one, and it can hardly be claimed that ours is changing in a so¬ 
cialistic direction. 
The socialists look with satisfaction on the present tendency 
towards great aggregations of capital in trusts and pools, re¬ 
garding this as a step towards the realization of their ideals. 
But this is not a socialistic evolution. It is an intensification 
of the principal of individualism in industry, an emphasis of its 
despotic nature. G-reat combinations of capital are successful 
only because management and responsibility are concentrated, 
riot diffused. If it could be shown that as pools and trusts are 
formed, responsibility for their management is divided among 
the units composing them, this would prove the possibility of 
general democracy in industry, and be favorable to Socialism. 
The truth is that Socialism underrates the difficulty of business 
enterprise. 
