HERBERT SPENCER TO A.R.  WALLACE

38 Queen’s Gardens, Bayswater, W. April 25, 1881.

Dear Mr. Wallace,—­As you may suppose, I fully sympathise with the general aims of your proposed Land Nationalisation Society; but for sundry reasons I hesitate to commit myself, at the present stage of the question, to a programme so definite as that which you send me.  It seems to me that before formulating the idea in a specific shape it is needful to generate a body of public opinion on the general issue, and that it must be some time before there can be produced such recognition of the general principle involved as is needful before definite plans can be set forth to any purpose....—­Truly yours,

HERBERT SPENCER.

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HERBERT SPENCER TO A.R.  WALLACE

38 Queen’s Gardens, Bayswater, W. July 6, 1881.

Dear Mr. Wallace,—­I have already seen the work you name, “Progress and Poverty,” having had a copy, or rather two copies, sent me.  I gathered from what little I glanced at that I should fundamentally disagree with the writer, and have not read more.

I demur entirely to the supposition, which is implied in the book, that by any possible social arrangements whatever the distress which humanity has to suffer in the course of civilisation could have been prevented.  The whole process, with all its horrors and tyrannies, and slaveries, and wars, and abominations of all kinds, has been an inevitable one accompanying the survival and spread of the strongest, and the consolidation of small tribes into large societies; and among other things the lapse of land into private ownership has been, like the lapse of individuals into slavery, at one period of the process altogether indispensable.  I do not in the least believe that from the primitive system of communistic ownership to a high and finished system of State ownership, such as we may look for in the future, there could be any transition without passing through such stages as we have seen and which exist now.  Argument aside, however, I should be disinclined to commit myself to any scheme of immediate action, which, as I have indicated to you, I believe at present premature.  For myself I feel that I have to consider not only what I may do on special questions, but also how the action I take on special questions may affect my general influence; and I am disinclined to give more handles against me than are needful.  Already, as you will see by the enclosed circular, I am doing in the way of positive action more than may be altogether prudent.—­Sincerely yours,

HERBERT SPENCER.

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A.R.  WALLACE TO MR. A.C.  SWINTON

Frith Hill, Godalming.  December 23, 1885.