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 13 II. Why Socialism Appeals to Our Foreign-Born Population 23 III. Its Conflict with the Basic Principles of Democracy and Religion 34 IV. Some Instances of its Practical Failure 54 V. The True Antidote Found in Co-operative Effort 74 INTRODUCTION MATERIALISM AND SOCIALISM