schemes to which the attention of the reader has been directed were voluntary organizations. This constitutes one of their chief claims to favourable consideration. Voluntary socialism contrasted with compulsory socialism.If the property upon which a socialistic experiment is made is fairly acquired, and if all those who join in the experiment do so entirely of their own free will, no injustice is inflicted on any one, and although the scheme may fail, yet it may be fruitful of good by suggesting the adoption of new social and economic arrangements. For instance, in our own country, various socialistic experiments were made by Robert Owen. None of these obtained any permanent success; but the co-operative movement, which has attained such great importance, undoubtedly had its origin in the ideas propounded by Owen and his followers. The essential characteristic of co-operation is a union of capital and labour. A certain number of labourers form themselves into a society to work for a common object, and they supply the capital which their labour requires. Co-operation may thus be regarded as a modified form of socialism; but as in a co-operative society each member's share of the aggregate wealth produced is apportioned to the amount of capital he subscribes to the common fund, as well as the quantity and quality of the labour he supplies, it is evident that an influence is thus brought into operation to stimulate each individuals energy. This constitutes the fundamental difference between co-operation and the socialistic schemes of St. Simon and Fourier; for it has been pointed out that the chief obstacle which would prevent their achieving any practical success was the improbability that men would be found to work with sufficient energy if the reward they received for their labour was guaranteed to them, and did not depend either on their own abstinence, or upon the amount of their labour.
Although the socialistic schemes here described were voluntary organizations, yet it is important to bear in mind that the influence of the State may be used to enforce some form of socialism upon a country. It is almost needless to say that whenever such an attempt is mede, it should be most narrowly watched. Probably the best definition that can be given of socialism is, that it enables a man to rely upon a society or community for