Socialism’s One Remedy
By Editor
During the earlier half of the nineteenth century, the old allopathic physicians made a very free use of such drugs as calomel, mercury, ipecac, etc. Generally the first prescription for internal troubles was either the calomel physic or the ipecac emetic. One or the other of these was sure to be the primary medicine. Now these old school physicians were not ignorant concerning diseases. They were expert in the matter of diagnosis—generally correct as to the nature of the disease—but their medicines too often left serious after effects. This reminds us of the Socialist "doctors." They can diagnose the diseases that are affecting the body politic, including social and business ills; they can describe almost to perfection the troubles that are agitating the world; but they have only the one salivating remedy—Socialism. The leading organ of that persuasion, in predicting, or rather in noting, the decline and passing of the small retailer's business, tells us that the cause lies in the mail-order stores. And the editor might have added, the great department stores. But the point is, his remedy for this trouble is the same as for all other current ills: "Socialism is the only thing that will save them [the retailers] and the nation from poverty and degradation." While we acknowledge the correctness of the diagnosis, we submit that any proposed remedy for either the cause or the results of sin that ignores the only Saviour of men, comes far short of the mark.