The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-17
DYNAMITE is strong to-day at 47c.
PAscIAsrrrE; demand increasing and
supply unsettled steady call, at &c.
IND1v1DUALIsM VS.. COLLECTIvIsM


One of the ever-ready arguments (G
used by the enemies of Socialism, and
those who love to talk about something
of which they know nothing, is that
"under the Socialistic system the indi-
yiduality of man would be destroyed"
Now it is very difficult matter to take
from person thing which he has not,
and positively deny that under exist
ing systems any save a small minority
of the people have the power to exercise
their individuality. And respectfully
ask all who doubt the truth of this
statement to stop moment, look around
them and ascertain how many men. and
women of their acquaintance are
privileged to exercise their inclinations.
Is it not so that under present forms
nine persons are subserrient to the will
of the tenth2 Do not you, wokingman,
work when some one tells you; remain
idle when some one instructs you; eat
and wear what the capitalists see fit to
allow you, and nothing more?
In the words of William Morris, in an
article in London Justice, 'Truly the
mill.hand who is as much part of the
machinery of the factory where he works
as any cog-wheel or piece of shafting is,
need not be very anxious about the loss
of his Individuality in a new state of
things; the work-girl passing days and
nights over her sewing machine might
be excused perhaps if she were willing
to barter the said Individuality for the
chance of square meal day; nay the
bankers or lawyers clerk, educated as
he is supposed to be, may be mean
spirited enough to find little solace for
his life of mean drudgery in the contem-
plation of the theoretical 'individ-
uality' secured to him as prime bless
ing by the system Of free contract.
These and such as these pay very
heavy price indeed for that eager life Of
the world that freedom from low level
of life which the cant of the SNUG we'll
to-do man so glorifes nowadays; it does
not need many words to show that the
fear of death by starvation, which is the
only motive to exertion that the anti
Socialists can see, does certainly destroy
individuality among the millions of
ordinary workers but it must be further
more asserted that what breaks down
their spirit, and reduces them to dead
level indeed, does also injure meA of
more exalted minds and rarer gifts"
Wath reference to the incentive people
will have to develop the higher faculties
and the opportun mites whish will be
presented all aligkad Under the socialistic
systep9ti G3 i again quote tn he words of Mr..
Morris: Ct.
at is strange while this ideal satisfies
people, that Socialism, aiming as it does
at the total extinction of drudgery,
should seem to anyone to be threat
against the development of individual
talent or genius, which at the best at
present is only possible toa few e1cep-
tionally lucky persons. The fear of this
threat is of course in many places not
genuine at all, and is only another way
of putting the determination of the rich
to keep down the poor; with such people
argument is impossible; but to those
who genuinely feel the fear, we may say
finally that it is scarcely too bold to hope
that in a state of society to which class
of drudgers is no longer necessary, edu-
cation will not only be universal, but
will be both more liberal, and wiser for
all, than it is to-day tor a few; and that
it will be its function to develop any
gifts which children or older people may
have towards science, literature, the
handicrafts, or the higher arts, or any
thing which may be useful or desirable
to the community !; furthermore that as
It will be pleasant for those who possess
such talents to use them, they will not
deprive themselves of this pleasure
merely because they are not driven to
the exercise of their faculties by the fear
of death by starvation"