Antedating of "Socialism"

[Shapiro, Fred]

socialism (OED 1833)

1801 _Weekly Wanderer_ (Randolph, Vermont) 27 June (America's Historical Newspapers)

COMMUNICATION.
ON THE TERMINATION _ISM_.

HOW often has this little word
In genteel arguments occurr'd;
As tho' the soul of SOCIALISM
Must be transmitted thro' a PRISM;
Which like the Prism Glass, indeed,
Affords all colors which we need.

High in the front see ATHEISM,
And next in rank stands TOM PAINEISM,
With jovial UNIVERSALISM,
Akin to JACOBINISM,
Which stands oppos'd to FEDERALISM;
And all together make GINGLEISM.

Kind Heaven grant me MASONISM,
With all the joys of FREEDOMISM,
And shield my bones from RHEUMATISM,
And I'll be proof 'gainst DEVILISM.

NOTE:  The above citation seems "too good to be true" as an antedating of _socialism_, but internal evidence from the newspaper page makes it clear that it is correctly dated.  Much less certain is what the meaning of _socialism_ is here, and whether it has any connection to the later signification.

Fred Shapiro
Editor
YALE BOOK OF QUOTATIONS (Yale University Press)

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