Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/281

 REVIEWS 267

where capitalism has most prevailed are the countries where the laboring man receives the highest wages." This looks much like the post hoc, propter hoc fallacy ; it neglects absolutely all racial and climatic factors. Again, the statement that "orthodox socialists profess to be unable to see any benefit to the laboring class arising from the use of machinery, so long as it remains in private hands," needs qualification.

It is to the general forensic tone of the book, however, to which objection is to be made. As an exposition, even of "orthodox" socialism, it fails to satisfy. Nowhere does the author let the socialists speak for themselves and nowhere does he take the trouble to refer his readers to specific books or passages in socialist litera- ture. One who bases his interpretation of socialism on such a book will open himself widely to the socialist criticism that the average man makes up his mind against socialism without giving it a chance to state its case. Moreover the exposition is mainly that of the older and unmodified type of "scientific socialism." One constantly wishes for some recognition of the fact that socialists have modified their creed in the face of criticism almost as much as has orthodox political economy.

Despite these defects, the book may well be given a thoughtful reading by those already conversant with socialistic discussion and by students who are at the same time reading some such book as En- sor's Modern Socialism. Though one may not follow the author that Malthusianism is an exploded bubble, or in his too constant opti- mism, one can but admire his faith in the ultimate victory of the present system over its own evils. One wonders however if that faith is not quite as much in the nature of a religious belief as is socialism. A. B. Wolfe

The Emmanuel Movement in a New England Town. By Ly- man P. Powell. New York and London : G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1909. Pp. xii-l-187. The outgrowth of his own experiences of a year this book breathes the enthusiasm of a man who is in the midst of an experi- ment which he has found very interesting. He makes, however, no extravagant claims. He admits that Northampton, Mass., because it is a female-college town, and also a place of residence for a large number of highly cultivated people of more than moderate means, is a favorable field for such an experiment.