These two coercive systems are the only alternatives to the wage-system that have ever been found workable in the past history of the world.  We will now consider the system which some of the most thoughtful socialists of to-day are proposing as a substitute for it in the hoped-for socialistic future.  The school of English socialists, of which Mr. Webb is the best-known member, have given to the world a volume called Fabian Essays.  This volume was republished in America, and to the American edition a special preface was prefixed with a view to emphasising the essentials of a socialistic conception of society, and bringing the details of the socialistic theory up to date.  In this preface it is stated, with regard to the apportionment of material wealth generally, that “the only truly socialistic scheme” is one which “will absolutely abolish all economic distinctions, and prevent the possibility of their ever again arising.”  And how would it accomplish this end?  “By making,” says the writer, “an equal provision for all an indefeasible condition of citizenship, without any regard whatever to the relative specific services of the different citizens.  The rendering of such services on the other hand,” the writer goes on, “instead of being left to the option of the citizen, with the alternative of starvation (as is the case under the wage-system) would be secured under one uniform law of civic duty, precisely like other forms of taxation or military service.”

Such, then, is the system which is put forward by educated socialists to-day as the only means of escape from the existing system of wages.  And an escape from the wage-system—­and one not theoretically impracticable—­it no doubt is; but an escape into what?  It is an escape into one of those systems which I have just now mentioned.  That is to say, it is an escape into economic slavery.  For the very essence of the position of the slave, as contrasted with the wage-paid labourer, is, so far as the direction of his industrial actions is concerned, that he has not to work as he is bidden in order to gain a livelihood, but that, his livelihood being assured him no matter how he behaves himself, he is obliged to work as he is bidden in order to avoid the lash, or some other form of equally effective punishment.[8]

Now, I am not attempting here to find any fault with socialism on the ground that it would, on the admission of some of its most thoughtful exponents, be obliged to re-establish slavery as the price of emancipation from “wagedom.”  I have commented on this fact solely with the view to showing that the nature of the alternative to the wage-system thus proposed indicates a full recognition, on the part of those proposing it, of the nature and necessity of the functions which the wage-system performs at present—­namely, that of supplying the means by which the ablest minds in the community secure from the mass of the citizens the punctual performance of the industrial tasks required of them.  I am