working-class is the only valid criterion by which we should select our chief servants, whether they come from the College or the Shop. Fraternally, ROBERT RIVES LAMONTE. The Nature of Utopianism. Your discussion, in the March number, of the question of Utopianism, in connection with Comrade Hannemann's letter upon the tactics of the Industrial Workers of the World, prompts me to remark that the great mass of our comrades in the Socialist Party do not understand the meaning of the word in the Marxian vocabulary. I am inclined, also, as a result of a somewhat extensive association with them, to agree with Comrade Untermann that the members of the Socialist Labor Party are, as a whole, even more ignorant of its meaning. For the majority of American Socialists, it seems, Engels and Plechanoff and the publication of the latter's "Anarchism and Socialism" is a welcome event! - have written in vain. They are enslaved to abstract ideas! Funny, isn't it, that the most radical comrades, those who are fondest of appealing to Marxian authority, should be of this very class?. Take, as an illustration, the demand for party ownership of the press and the suppression of private Socialist papers. The argument used is that as we believe in public ownership, as it is a necessary feature of Socialism, we ought to apply the principle now, within the party. Poor Utopians! Do they really believe that under Socialism all newspapers and journals will be published by the government, and that private enterprise in that field will be forbidden? If so, I prefer Russia under Czar Nicholas! The fact seems to be that our friends miss the substance while they grasp the form. Socialism is not mainly a movement to bring about public ownership. It is that only incidentally. Its main principle is to stop the exploitation of workers by shirkers, bees by drones, useful members of society by parasites. Public ownership is only in our programme as a means to that end. If we bear this in mind, it seems to me, as a very humble student, we shall get rid of many of these notions which make factions in the party ranks. A. B. BEE. Opportunism in France. In spite of formal unity the Socialist movement in France is still divided by sharply contending factions. Three of these are well defined and energetically represented by propagandists: they may be called the Opportunists, Guesdists, or strict Marxians, and the Internationalists, or anti-militarists. The opposing contentions of these three groups are interestingly mirrored in a significant article which appeared in La Revue Socialiste for December. The article is entitled The Crisis of Socialism and its Causes, and was written by M. Louis Oustry. In general M. Oustry's contention is that the extreme form of Marxist doctrine represented by the orthodox French Socialists does not appeal to a large section of the French proletariat. This statement he endeavors to explain by a hasty comparision between Marxist theory and present economic conditions. In France, he maintains, centralization has its limits. In certain trades the laborer is still capitalist; and in agriculture there has of late been more division than combination. Therefore a large number of proletarians are not economically driven into the revolu tionary camp. To these, naturally enough, the extreme form of the Marxist doctrine is repulsive. The doctrine of internationalism, in particular, makes no appeal to the agricultural population. M. Oustry seems to favor a sort of idealistic propaganda. Show the agriculturalist, he would say, the advantages of combined production; neither economic necessity nor talk of internationalism will bring them into the Socialist camp. In general this article, filled as it is with the spirit of Fourier, may be said to represent the point of view of the French Opportunists. An American reader may be led to excuse the author's apparent blindness to facts by remembering that in France economic evolution has been much slower than in America. But he cannot help wondering which are the trades in which there is no sign of consolidation; and he can hardly forget that here, where so lately every farm was tilled by its owner, nearly one half are now occupied by tenants. Avenarius, Mach and Dietzgen. In a personal letter accompanying his translation of Dr. Adler's article with which this issue of the Review opens, Ernest Untermann writes: "You will note the similarity between the views of Avenarius, Mach, and Dietzgen. In fact, Mach has endorsed the views of Josef Dietzgen, and Avenarius is regarded by scientists like Adler as a counterpart of the proletarian philosopher. To what extent this view is borne out by their works, will have to be ascertained by mutual discussion between Adler and ourselves. If such a discussion is ever carried on in public, you may be sure, that it will be a fraternal one and a thorough comparison of actual experience, not a personal controversy concerning individual speculations. There are some passages in this article of Adler's, which seem to me to require a little further elucidation, for instance, on place, where he says (6. The Laws of the Transformation of Bodies), that two bodies, which are equal as combinations of elements, are really not equal sometimes, when you subject them to a test, such as a chemical transformation. If he had said here that two bodies, which appear equal as combinations of elements, turn out to be unequal in some tests, I would have had no further reservation to make. For it seems to me that bodies, which are actually equal as combinations of elements, must also turn out equally when subjected to the same scientific test. If they do not so turn out, there must have been some element in one that was not contained in the other, that is, they must really have been unequal. I don't know what comrade Adler had in mind, when he wrote that. Perhaps he was thinking of some chemical formulae, which are the same so far as human tests can ascertain, and which yet are represented by different chemical reactions. Perhaps comrade Adler can find time to elucidate this point a little more. While this does not in any way invalidate his fundamental statements concerning the new conception of world elements, still it leaves a doubt in the mind of the reader about some point, and even this doubt should be removed. We are all interested in clear thinking, and this we must get by fraternal discussion. It is in this spirit that I make these remarks." more. EIGHTY PAGES NEXT MONTH. Last month and again this month we have been obliged to omit valuable and timely articles from lack of space. Next month we shall try the experiment of adding sixteen pages. To keep this size permanently will involve an extra outlay of about $360 a year on the basis of our present circulation, while on the increased circulation that we should have the difference between the cost of 64 pages and 80 will be considerably The one safe way to cover this cost is by increasing the number of yearly subscribers at the full price of a dollar a year? Do YOU want to see the Review permanently enlarged to 80 pages a month? Then can you help by finding three new subscribers at a dollar each? In return for this we will send you by mail or express prepaid the seventh volume of the Review, including the numbers from July 1906 to June 1907 inclusive, durably bound in cloth. We have seven bound volumes of the Review, and all except the first can be obtained on the same terms as a premium for obtaining three new subscriptions. The first volume is so scarce that its price has been advanced to $5.00 and will go higher still. Our supply of the other volumes is limited, and this offer will soon be withdrawn. OUR LATEST BOOKS. Goethe's Faust: A Fragment of Socialist Criticism, by Marcus Hitch, is now ready. Cloth, 50 cents. Stories of the Struggle, by Morris Winchevsky, will be ready about April 15. Cloth, 50 cents. The Russian Bastile, by Simon Pollock, will be ready about April 15. Cloth, illustrated, 50 cents. The Common Sense of Socialism, by John Spargo, will be ready about April 20, and we confidently predict that this will be found the most valuable propaganda book that has yet appeared. Cloth, $1.00; paper, 25 cents. Changes in the Theory and Tactics of the (German) Social Democracy, by Paul Kampffmeyer, translated by Winfield R. Gaylord, will be ready about May 1. Cloth, 50 cents. Ten Blind Leaders of the Blind, by Arthur M. Lewis, the second volume of Garrick Theater lectures, will be ready about May 10. Cloth, 50 cents. Liebknecht's Memoirs of Karl Marx have just been re-issued in green cloth, library style, volume I. of the Standard Socialist Series, now ready. Price 50 cents. Value, Price and Profit, by Karl Marx, one of the most important. and most readable of the books by this great author, will be published about May 1 in the handsome style of the Standard Socialist Series, large type and wide margins; it is a book that should be in every socialist library. Cloth, 50 cents. Stockholders in our publishing house buy these 50 cent books at 30 cents, postpaid, and our other books at proportionate prices. Those not holding stock must pay the full price, but on every order of a dollar or more will receive a credit slip for the difference between retail prices and stockholder's prices. These slips will be received the same as cash toward the purchase of a share of stock at any time within a year. Special Limited Offer. To any one sending $10.00 for a share of stock before the end of 1908, we will send by express prepaid a hundred paper covered books, no two alike, amounting at retail prices to ten dollars. This offer is only for books selected by us. If preferred we will send any books published by us which the subscriber may select to the amount of four dollars at retail prices. The stock draws no dividends, but it gives the privilege of buying books at cost. Full particulars are given in the Socialist Book Bulletin, mailed free on request. These special offers of free books with a share of stock are made for a limited time because we are in urgent need of money to bring out the third volume of Marx's Capital, the translation of which will be completed by Ernest Untermann within another month. We need $2000 to pay for printing the book, and we expect to raise it by selling stock. After this year a share of stock will cost $10.00, and no free books will be given with it. Better accept the offer now and help both yourself and the publishing house. Address: CHARLES H. KERR & COMPANY (Co-operative). 264 Kinzie street, Chicago. Get in touch with an alert, successful sales organization-the most powerful in the world. Develop within yourself every attribute that will enable you to meet and master everyday selling problems. Learn the infinite power of initiative-learn how to apply it to your own creative ability and more than double your earning power. This is Your Opportunity! The great sales organization of the Oliver Typewriter wants more salesmen. This company offers to any accepted, energetic, ambitious manabsolutely free-all expenses paid-a scholarship in the Oliver School of practical salesmanship-and a chance to act as local agent. The position offers a world of opportunities-the field is unlimited. The Oliver Typewriter is a mechanical marvel-a vital power in the commercial world. Business houses, great and small, are discarding antiquated machines and installing Olivers. Keen conservative men-"captains of industry" have awakened to the Oliver's indisputable efficiency and recognize The Oliver Typewriter as essential equipment of every good office system. The superiority of the Oliver Typewriter emphasizes it as the standard by which all other typewriters are judged. Its supremacy is absolute. The New Oliver No. 5 has taken the country by storm. It meets the demand for durability. Its visible writing saves strain on the eyes. Disappearing Indicator shows exact printing point. The Double Release doubles convenience. Non-Vibrating Base insures stability. Our untiring efforts to seek and produce "typewriter perfection" have been fulfilled beyond our boldest expectations in the New Oliver No. 5. Requests for demonstration are pouring in from everywhere. Our large force of thousands is unable to meet such a tremendous demand and we must have more men at once to assist in the great task. The OLIVER The positions we offer to the men who can qualify are permanent-the compensation is liberal -and the chances of advancement are excellent. This announcement should kindle the spark of ambition in everyone who chances to read it. It will appeal to every man who it in him Typewriter has fotofore been handicapped. The Standard Visible Typewriter. It means Send at once for a copy of Write for a copy of the book -today-now-before you lay aside this magazine. The Oliver Typewriter Co., 47-55 Dearborn Street, CHICAGO x r. 'cy m |