The Socialism of to-day

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 835096955

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-28834

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Laveleye, Émile de

Title:: The Socialism of to-day

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Field & Tuer

Year of publication:: 1884

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XLIV, 331 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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72 THE SOCIALISM OF TO-DAY. associations must recommence their race for capital, or must accept the money of capitalists.” Citizen Nicaise, and another working man, Citizen Masquin, who belonged to the “ Co-operative Society of Printers,” showed that the principal cause of the frequent mishaps encountered by these associations was the bad choice of managers. “ The prime cause of their ill success,” said the former, “is the inexperience of the associates and their in aptitude for business. Their great anxiety has always been to produce, without even knowing how the products were to be sold off. Hence the endless mistakes in the choice of managers. Generally the best workmen were chosen, which deprived the factory of useful hands, and confided to them a business for which they had none of the required qualities. “ The society is formed and the factory opened,” said Citizen Masquin, “ then the difficulties begin. A capable man is wanted as manager, but the capable men have already got situations, and it is in vain you offer them the same salaries ; they hesitate because they dread the responsibility, and are afraid that the business may not succeed. In many societies the first comer has been chosen, and they have smashed.” In this same congress the working men recognized and proclaimed a fact of experience, which is the death-blow to Lassalle’s great plan for social renovation, namely, that loans from the State are the ruin of working men’s associations. If it really only needed the few millions of pounds demanded by the German Socialist to transform all the working men into capitalists enjoying the integral product of their labour, where is the parliament that would not vote them gladly? Forty millions of pounds, nay, twice that sum, even without interest, would be little to accomplish this happy and peaceful revolu tion, which would avoid the risk of bloody and far more costly revolutions in the future ; but it is an established fact—money advanced by the State brings misfortune. In this same working men’s congress of 1876, the citizen Finance, a positivist and opponent of even the principle of co operation, showed, statistics in hand, that, of all the associa tions which were subsidized by the State in 1848, only one

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