Past and Present

"Love of men" vs. "Love of money"

Thomas Carlyle feels strongly that the love of man should be greater than the love of money. However, at this time he feels this is not so and has not been so for far too long, and understandably.
The examples of human kind treating each other poorly are clearly stated. "Descending, accordingly, into the Dumb Class in its Stockport Cellar and Poor-Law Bastille, have we not to announce that they are hitherto unexampled in History of Adam's Posterity?" In this quote he refers to both the workhouses for the unemployed masses as well as a situation in Stockport where parents poisoned their children so they could still collect the insurance benefits from a burial society. "Never before did I hear of an Irish Widow reduced to 'proving her sisterhood by dying of typhus-fever and infecting seventeen persons'" This was a situation he mentions later as well. This was a lecture on the sanitation system of the times. A necessary comment as sanitation and civilization go hand in hand as the former keeps the latter healthy and clean. Carlyle feels that even as a servant or underling, others can be given a fair lot, as seen in his example of Gurth from Scott's Ivanhoe. Gurth served Cedric and was born his thrall, but this was acceptable because Cedric treated him well. Gurth still got his fair cut of things. With this, though he was a thrall, Carlyle felt he was happy. "Gurth is now 'emancipated' long since' has what we call 'Liberty.' Liberty, I am told, is a Divine thing. Liberty when it becomes the 'Liberty to die by starvation' is not so divine!" Here Carlyle compares the awarded freedom of a man who has worked for his living and has thus gained the respect of life to the freedom of people who do not work, are not permitted it outside of workhouses, cannot manage jobs, are not compensated properly for jobs done, and who thus find themselves dying in the streets or, as previously mentioned, murdering their children for the money.
The clear thing we take from this is how much Carlyle despises "laissez-faire" the sort of hands of method of business at this time. The meaning of the phrase is essentially the pursuit of wealth without concern for others. Considering the grief this has caused the poor people underfoot, it's obviously not a good method for all.

Is Carlyle's argument here more socialist or fascist/authoritarian?
I'd say he'd rather a more socialist society. He wants more freedom for the people to be able to get what they need. He wants people to have a fairer chance than they've been allowed thus far. Which I agree with and he makes a good argue for. Carlyle doesn't want things made easy, he just wants people to be allowed the chance to find their "right path".

Any thoughts on his language?
His phrasing was sort of smooth. He used some more I'll say poetic phrases at times. Carlyle also makes several Biblical references which I feel probably helped get the message across in his day. Even though he turned away from his Calvinist upbringing, it was a smart move. He has no issue repeating his point in different ways to make it clear, he obviously wants to be understood in his thinking.