The Socialism of to-day

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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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SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND, 30/ than their heads. They discountenance the work of the Charity Organization Society, and virtually justify “indiscriminate charity,” by assimilating it to the sun which is made to shine alike upon the evil and the good. Again, the Church Reformer, the organ of the Guild of St. Matthew, says : “ We learnt our Socialism, not from Das Kapital, but from the New Testament • Jesus of Nazareth and Paul of Tarsus, and not Karl Marx or Friedrich Engels, were its teachers.” Nevertheless, both the Church Reformer and the Christian Socialist, another paper representing the left wing, read into the Bible the scientific theories of Karl Marx and Henry George. One of the members of the Guild, however, the Rev. Pro fessor Symes, of University College, Nottingham, is a Political Economist of repute. In a paper entitled “ Socialism by Taxa tion,” read before a clerical audience at Charing Cross Hotel, m January last. Professor Symes very frankly put the question of a more equitable distribution of wealth under the simple formula of “ faking from the rich and giving to the poor.” This is morally justified as follows :—“A man has a natural right to the produce of his own labours, but when he needs the co-operation of others, they have a corresponding right to offer their own terms.” This is precisely what landlords, capitalists and employers of labour say, but the Professor means to put the words into the mouth of the nation. The nation has a right to say to the manufacturer. You may live amongst us and enjoy all the advantages of our civilization, but if you make a large fortune we shall take a considerable portion of it to be expended for “ the victims of our complex life.” If you do not like our terms, there are plenty of unoccupied spots in the world where you can practice individualism to your heart’s content. Such is, in brief, the moral justification of taxing the rich for the benefit of the poor. From the economic point of view, it is necessary to distinguish taxes which fall on rent, interest, and earnings respectively. Taxes on rent are eco nomically unobjectionable. They are mere transfers of wealth. I hey do not of themselves render the land less productive, nor will they cause a rise in rent, unless, indeed, where the land has een previously under-rented (a not unimportant exception for

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