While there is, however, happily no dan ger of socialism in its extreme theoretical form ever becoming a popular cry, no one who watches the signs of She times can doubt that the trend of modern thought among those who bave given serious heed to social questions ia towards the adoption of legis lation which will mitigate the terrible evils arising out of extreme competition in the struggle for life, prevent the growth of great.monopolies, and abolish such excres cences on the face of society as the Car negies, Jay Goulds, and crew, who, through possessing themselves unfairly of Nature's gift* to humanity, are placed in a position that gives them absolute control, for good or ill, over hundreds of thousands of their fellow creatures, and enables them to corrupt justice at its fountain, and manipulate the mechanism of Government to their own ad vantage. We take it, from what we have read of Mr Reeves' opinions, that he is a Socialist only :as all earnest think ing men are Socialists — not a ruth less leveller, who believes that he can revolutionise the plan of God in Nature, and make ail men alike in thoughts and habits, in gifts and posses sions : but an exponent of that form of socialistic government—if it may be termed socialistic — which seeks to give all the subjects in a State 'as near as may be an equal chance; which will prevent <;be powerful from becoming, either willingly or: through pressure from without, the oppressors of their fellow creatuies. Legislative coddling is, un doubtedly, a tendency to be guarded against, but, on the other hand, our go vernmental systems aie an utter failure if we cannot, in those young countries, prevent the growth of many of the terrible evils which afflict older States, and which are very largely due to the brutal application of the law of the so-called "survival of the fit test,"—"the fittest" inbhis case too often signifying the most callous and unscrupu lous. It is admitted by the strongest advocates of- individualism that men can not be allowed to use their liberty to the injury :of their1 neighbours, and there isa craving for some'exercise of law which, without preventing competition, will yet modify its extreme operation, arid enable men to enjoy some share of the good gifts of Providence. 