think the Government should get deeper into finance and organize postal savings-banks, would find planks which met their views. One of the main tenets of faith would of course be the belief in universal old-age pensions and in insurance to compensate for loss of health or employment, with taxes for creating such funds laid on the of the wealthy. Such a plank would have wide popularity, and those who are dissatisfied and who are in favor of any change or of any new legislative experiment would be attracted. We certainly have just the sort of material here in plenty for the building of a socialist party along lines which are showing such vital force in the political life of Europe. And like the socialist parties of Europe, there would be much good in the programme, and much error, many fallacies for the demagogue to rant over, much that would be utterly impracticable, but much that would appeal to those whose lot is less favorable than they believe it should be.
An office for the payment of old-age pensions.
There are no influences more likely to bring change to Europe than are those various political currents which are combined under the rather loose term of socialism. I believe there are beginning to be seen in our own political life many similar currents. It is natural that those currents will eventually come together into a united political party. Such a party might be called “Socialist,” or it might find some other name, but it would be a party with many of the same principles as those of the socialist parties of Europe.
If we are facing socialism here, some study of the progress of socialism in Europe is well worth our while.
In France, the clerical question absorbing the main energies of all parties for several years, as it has, is second only in political importance to the problems which the growth of socialism has there brought into prominence. The position of the Socialists in influencing public affairs is much strengthened by the fact that they have been essential allies of the Republicans in their struggle with the Church. As has been indicated in a former article, the Socialists have presented a solid front with the Republicans in the whole programme of Republican Defence, and now that a decisive defeat has been dealt the Clerical party, the Socialists are demanding support in turn from the Republicans. The position of the Republicans makes the support of the Socialists necessary to them, and it is logical that the Government programme will in greater and greater degree recognize Socialist demands.
The French Premier, M. Combes, has recently stated the main objects of the present French ministry, and the programme as he outlined it shows the influence of the Socialists. He has stated that in addition to the continuance of repressive measures against religious orders, the ministry proposes to pass laws on the subject of working men’s pensions, adopt a comprehensive plan for the assistance of invalids and old people, reform the tax system, and reduce to two years the time of military service. This programme indicates how important the Premier recognizes it to be that the Socialists continue their support of the Government. As the Socialists and Socialist Radicals have 140 members in the
