Birthday congratulations and disagreement on socialism
Full transcription
86, Buckingham Road,
Brighton.
Jan 7. 1913
Dear Sir,
You will doubtless receive many con- gratulations on your Birthday tomorrow, in which I can join, as I <…> recognise your great services on behalf of Spiritu- alism, in which I am a believer - But on the subject of Socialism, I deplore your utterances, & though a stranger to you I take the liberty of pointing out certain mistakes in your article which appeared in yesterday's Daily News. You say that the present state of things is worse than it is used to be. But only compare the condition of the wage - earning classes now with what it was some fifty or sixty years ago, & then say if you can, that things were better then! <…. ….> Why they were much worse before the passing of the Factory acts (through the late lord Shaftsbury) as you must yourself remember. Then you look to Socialism as a panacea for all "the ills that flesh is heir to" - But Socialism is a more visionary scheme which never can be put into practice - Man- kind is not made up of angels, but of more fallible creations, unequal in form & in character. Socialists have an abstract love of humanity - a mere sentiment but in practice they seem to look with envy & hatred all who do not join their Brotherhood. Of course, there are Socialists who are better than this need; but that need is built on false assumptions about human nature. It is absurd to suppose that if you could give everyone plenty of money, it would <…> make people good. What is the use of all this pampering of the people, if it does not promote the building of characters? Socialism can have no high ideals, or socialists would not say they will not fight for their country. The aims of the Socialists seem wholly material, so it is surprising that a Spiritualist can be also a Socialist. The past history of Socialism shows that it has been nothing better than an amalgam of Atheism & Communism - There are Christian Socialists, but they will soon find themselves marched out by revolutionaries who have no reli- gious creed & who if they think about it at all, would say that "death is an eternal sleep" - as was said by the French Socialists. You wish as though the health of the rich made the poor poorer - but experi- ence shows the contrary. In the United states w[h]ere Millionaires <…> are so numerous, wages are higher than in any other country in the world. That refutes at once the Socialist theory-
Yours Faithfully,
H.A. Bulley.
Brighton.
Jan 7. 1913
Dear Sir,
You will doubtless receive many con- gratulations on your Birthday tomorrow, in which I can join, as I <…> recognise your great services on behalf of Spiritu- alism, in which I am a believer - But on the subject of Socialism, I deplore your utterances, & though a stranger to you I take the liberty of pointing out certain mistakes in your article which appeared in yesterday's Daily News. You say that the present state of things is worse than it is used to be. But only compare the condition of the wage - earning classes now with what it was some fifty or sixty years ago, & then say if you can, that things were better then! <…. ….> Why they were much worse before the passing of the Factory acts (through the late lord Shaftsbury) as you must yourself remember. Then you look to Socialism as a panacea for all "the ills that flesh is heir to" - But Socialism is a more visionary scheme which never can be put into practice - Man- kind is not made up of angels, but of more fallible creations, unequal in form & in character. Socialists have an abstract love of humanity - a mere sentiment but in practice they seem to look with envy & hatred all who do not join their Brotherhood. Of course, there are Socialists who are better than this need; but that need is built on false assumptions about human nature. It is absurd to suppose that if you could give everyone plenty of money, it would <…> make people good. What is the use of all this pampering of the people, if it does not promote the building of characters? Socialism can have no high ideals, or socialists would not say they will not fight for their country. The aims of the Socialists seem wholly material, so it is surprising that a Spiritualist can be also a Socialist. The past history of Socialism shows that it has been nothing better than an amalgam of Atheism & Communism - There are Christian Socialists, but they will soon find themselves marched out by revolutionaries who have no reli- gious creed & who if they think about it at all, would say that "death is an eternal sleep" - as was said by the French Socialists. You wish as though the health of the rich made the poor poorer - but experi- ence shows the contrary. In the United states w[h]ere Millionaires <…> are so numerous, wages are higher than in any other country in the world. That refutes at once the Socialist theory-
Yours Faithfully,
H.A. Bulley.
Toolbox
Contact us
For enquiries about the Wallace Collection please email the library
Search this collection
Wallace Letters Online
View high resolution scans and transcripts of Alfred Russel Wallace's correspondence, including all surviving letters between him and Charles Darwin.