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which every father taught his children. He never
stopped admiring the prosperity of the country.
“Happy,” said he, “is the people ruled by a wise king in
such a manner.” 
Socialists Want to Regiment People
Fenelon’s idyl on Crete is even more alluring. Mentor is
made to say:
All that you see in this wonderful island results
from the laws of Minos. The education which he
ordained for the children makes their bodies strong
and robust. From the very beginning, one accustoms
the children to a life of frugality and labor, because
one assumes that all pleasures of the senses weaken
both body and mind. Thus one allows them no plea-
sure except that of becoming invincible by virtue, and
of acquiring glory. . . . Here one punishes three vices
that go unpunished among other people: ingratitude,
hypocrisy, and greed. There is no need to punish per-
sons for pomp and dissipation, for they are unknown
in Crete. . . . No costly furniture, no magnificent
clothing, no delicious feasts, no gilded palaces are
permitted.
Thus does Mentor prepare his student to mold and to
manipulate—doubtless with the best of intentions—the people
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of Ithaca. And to convince the student of the wisdom of these
ideas, Mentor recites to him the example of Salentum.
It is from this sort of philosophy that we receive our first
political ideas! We are taught to treat persons much as an
instructor in agriculture teaches farmers to prepare and tend the
soil.
A Famous Name and an Evil Idea 
Now listen to the great Montesquieu on this same subject:
To maintain the spirit of commerce, it is neces-
sary that all the laws must favor it. These laws, by pro-
portionately dividing up the fortunes as they are made
in commerce, should provide every poor citizen with
sufficiently easy circumstances to enable him to work
like the others. These same laws should put every rich
citizen in such lowered circumstances as to force him
to work in order to keep or to gain. 
Thus the laws are to dispose of all fortunes!
Although real equality is the soul of the state in a
democracy, yet this is so difficult to establish that an
extreme precision in this matter would not always be
desirable. It is sufficient that here be established a
census to reduce or fix these differences in wealth
within a certain limit. After this is done, it remains for
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specific laws to equalize inequality by imposing bur-
dens upon the rich and granting relief to the poor. 
Here again we find the idea of equalizing fortunes by law,
by force.
In Greece, there were two kinds of republics,
One, Sparta, was military; the other, Athens, was com-
mercial. In the former, it was desired that the citizens
be idle; in the latter, love of labor was encouraged.
Note the marvelous genius of these legislators: By
debasing all established customs—by mixing the usual
concepts of all virtues—they knew in advance that the
world would admire their wisdom.
Lycurgus gave stability to his city of Sparta by
combining petty thievery with the soul of justice; by
combining the most complete bondage with the most
extreme liberty; by combining the most atrocious
beliefs with the greatest moderation. He appeared to
deprive his city of all its resources, arts, commerce,
money, and defenses. In Sparta, ambition went with-
out the hope of material reward. Natural affection
found no outlet because a man was neither son, hus-
band, nor father. Even chastity was no longer consid-
ered becoming. By this road, Lycurgus led Sparta on
to greatness and glory.
This boldness which was to be found in the insti-
tutions of Greece has been repeated in the midst of
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the degeneracy and corruption of our modern times.
An occasional honest legislator has molded a people in
whom integrity appears as natural as courage in the
Spartans.
Mr. William Penn, for example, is a true Lycur-
gus. Even though Mr. Penn had peace as his objec-
tive—while Lycurgus had war as his objective—they
resemble each other in that their moral prestige over
free men allowed them to overcome prejudices, to
subdue passions, and to lead their respective peoples
into new paths.
The country of Paraguay furnishes us with
another example [of a people who, for their own good,
are molded by their legislators].*
Now it is true that if one considers the sheer plea-
sure of commanding to be the greatest joy in life, he
contemplates a crime against society; it will, however,
always be a noble ideal to govern men in a manner that
will make them happier.
Those who desire to establish similar institutions
must do as follows: Establish common ownership of
property as in the republic of Plato; revere the gods as
Plato commanded; prevent foreigners from mingling
with the people, in order to preserve the customs; let
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*Translator’s note: What was then known as Paraguay was a much larger
area than it is today. It was colonized by the Jesuits who settled the Indians into
villages, and generally saved them from further brutalities by the avid con-
querors.
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