FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  
to Animals." What would have been thought of the famous Davy Crockett, if he had fired his gun after the coon had said, "Don't shoot, for I will come right down"? But the Rev. Francis Bellamy "comes right down" before anybody is in sight with a gun at all. He argues, indeed, in favor of nationalism; but, before he begins, he whispers to you, confidentially, that he is not much of a nationalist after all. Like Bottom, in "Midsummer Night's Dream," he is anxious not to scare anybody, and so lets out the secret that he is not a "truly" lion, but is only "taking the part." In effect he tells the audience that "I will roar you as gently as a sucking dove." Let us see, from his own words, how much of a nationalist, and what kind of a one he really is. "It is not without some question, however, that I accept the generous challenge." (That is, to reply to the editor of THE ARENA.) "For I am not sure that I myself believe in the military type of socialism which the editor seems continually to have in mind. The book ('Looking Backward') which, more than all others combined, has brought socialism before American thought, has also furnished to its opponents a splendidly clear target in its military organization. It cannot be repeated too often, however, that the army type is not conceded by socialists to be an essential, even if nationalistic, socialism." Later on, speaking of "the hostile critics," he says: "They delight to picture the superb riot of corruption, if nationalists could have their way at once. They will never listen, they will never remember, while nationalists declare they would not have their way at once if they could. A catastrophe by which nationalistic socialism might be precipitated would be a deplorable disaster to human progress." Later still, he brings out the idea that all he seeks is to begin, in a small way, with towns and cities, and see how it works. And once more he declares, "We certainly want no nationalism that is not an orderly development." ... "Nationalism is only a prophecy. It is too distant to be certainly detailed." ("For _this_ relief, _much thanks_!") ... "We may be inspired by it as the end towards which present movements are tending. But each age solves its own problems; and the passage into the promised land is the issue for another generation. A nearer view alone can determine where the passage is, and whether the land is truly desirable.... "Meantime, what our people must v
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

socialism

 

nationalist

 

nationalists

 
military
 
nationalistic
 

editor

 
passage
 

thought

 

nationalism

 

progress


disaster
 

deplorable

 

precipitated

 

hostile

 

critics

 
speaking
 

essential

 

delight

 

picture

 
remember

declare

 
listen
 

corruption

 

superb

 

brings

 

catastrophe

 

distant

 
promised
 

generation

 

problems


solves

 

tending

 

nearer

 

Meantime

 

people

 

desirable

 

determine

 

movements

 

present

 

declares


orderly

 

cities

 

development

 

Nationalism

 

inspired

 

relief

 
prophecy
 

socialists

 

detailed

 

continually