IN all free countries the preservation of property is deemed the first end of government. It has been a main object of law to secure it. In modern Socialism such rights are wholly ignored, and the most extreme power over property ever claimed by an Oriental tyrant is attributed to a majority told by the head.* There are men among us who teach that this majority, if they can obtain the power, should take away, absolutely and without compensation, from the rich man his land and capital, either by an act of direct confiscation or by the imposition of a tax absorbing all their profits; should abolish all rights of heritage, or at least restrict them within the narrowest limits; and should in this way mould the society of the future.
This tendency, in the midst of the many and violent agitations of modern life, to revert to archaic types of thought and custom, will hereafter be considered one of the most remarkable characteristics of the nineteenth century.*
Abridged
* ‘Told by the head’ means calculated as the result of a simple head-count. It was the kind of democratic ‘liberty’ that Lord Salisbury warned against in a speech to the Kensington and District Working Men’s Association in 1883. “By a free country” he said “I mean a country where people are allowed, so long as they do not hurt their neighbours, to do as they like. I do not mean a country where six men may make five men do exactly as they like.”
* Lecky, who was writing in 1896, picked out Italy, Austria-Hungary and the newly-established German Empire as examples of countries which had promised liberty but were now being taken over by socialism. See Democracy in Europe. A generation later, socialism in its national and international guises alike was reducing most of Europe and many other parts of the world to abject servitude, and costing millions of lives as a consequence of both policy and war.
Précis
Lecky proceeded to show that contemporary Marxian socialism revived the claims of Louis XIV, such that the socialist State acting in the name of the majority had the right to confiscate, tax and spend the wealth of all citizens however it saw fit. This extraordinary backward step, he hoped, would be regarded with astonishment by posterity. (56 / 60 words)
Lecky proceeded to show that contemporary Marxian socialism revived the claims of Louis XIV, such that the socialist State acting in the name of the majority had the right to confiscate, tax and spend the wealth of all citizens however it saw fit. This extraordinary backward step, he hoped, would be regarded with astonishment by posterity.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, despite, just, must, or, since, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Establish. Over. Such.
2 Future. Majority. Very.
3 Archaic. Modern. Through.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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