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Title: Socialism and American ideals

Author: William Starr Myers

Release Date: October 11, 2004 [EBook #13706]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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SOCIALISM AND AMERICAN IDEALS

BY
WILLIAM STARR MYERS, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR OF POLITICS, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON
LONDON HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
1919

1919, by
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS

Published February, 1919
Printed in the United States of America

TO
THE MEMORY OF
SAMUEL SELDEN LAMB
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF A
MUTUAL PROMISE MADE AT
"DEAR OLD CHAPEL HILL"

PREFACE

The following essays originally appeared in the form of articles
contributed at various times to the (daily) New York _Journal of
Commerce and Commercial Bulletin_. Numerous requests have been received
for a reprinting of them in more permanent form, and this little volume
is the result.

I am deeply indebted to my friend Mr. John W. Dodsworth, of the _Journal
of Commerce_, for his kind and generous permission to reprint these
articles. Since numerous changes and modifications from the original
form have been made the responsibility for these statements and the
sentiments expressed rests entirely upon me.

I hope it is not necessary for me to say that this is not intended as an
exhaustive study of the more or less widespread movement to advance
paternalism in Government. My object is to lay before the people, in
order that they may carefully consider them, the reasons for thinking
that Socialism is in theory and practice absolutely opposed and contrary
to the principles of Americanism, of democracy, and even of the
Christian-Jewish religion itself.

WM. STARR MYERS.

Princeton, N.J.
November 28, 1918.

CONTENTS

Introduction--Materialism and Socialism 3

I. The Conflict with the Idea of Equality of Opportunity 1