The Labor enquirer., 1885-01-31

called good would not be a remedy.
Justice would not be satisfied, and
nothing else will answer.
/ CHARITY is another humbug remedy
Rr$he suffering which is the result of
injustice. Preachers, teachers and edi-
tors urge it on the people, ladies seeking
relief from the ennui of their idle
lives, practice and pride themselves on
it; governments, which must not "pater-
nally" interfere in industrial questions,
build almshouses and soup-houses in
stead. 1t is more blessed to- give than
to receive, and the wealthy want to mo-
nopolize this blessing, as well as all
others. Everybody likes to be generous,
but the competitive system puts it out
of the power of most of us to be so. 1t
is grand scheme, this-to steal legally,
and then enjoy the glory and credit of
being charitable, by giving back small
portion Of the booty.
Chicago has had charity ball, one of
the grandest affairs of the season. The
newspaper editorials advised everybody
that could afford it to go and dress as
magnifcentlv aspossible, for tie good
of the poor" at would make work
and give an impetus to business" So
would big fire, or an earthquake, or a
riot
Men and women who had never done
useful thing in their lives disporteG
themselves in fnery that represented
the unpaid labor of thousands of labor
ers, and called it 'Charity." They en-
joyed the richest and rarest of natures
products, made available by mans in
genuity, skill and labor And all for
Sweet charity" While there were
thousands Of hungry and shivering peO-
pie around Them made so ere their ex-
travagance was possible, they revelled
in light and warmth and elegance, for
tie sake Of the poor"
Individual cooperative associations is
another remedy advocated by many
true-hearted friends of humanity To
those who can afford to get into one, CO.
operation might prove blessing, just as
a membership in any joint stock com
pany would be good investment. But
it could not reform society, for it must
accept existing evils, private ownership
of natural gifts, rent and interest; the
only difference being they buy land,
pay interest and take profits as a corpOr-
alton instead of individually.
The old systems, everything involving
wages, competition, profits, interest, phi
vate ownership Of what should be com
mon property, must be abolished, but
Just how no man living knows. 1t may
take dynamite, but until nearly all are
willing, even dynamite cannot change
the systems, and if all are agreed, dyna-
mite is unnecessary. Yet I can scarcely
believe we will get through the reyolu-
ton without battles.
Where force eandO any good, will be
with my comrades in the front. If the
great suffering and lingering deaths Of
the present systems could be abolished
by dynamite, | would not hesitate to
throw the bombs myself | am tender
hearted, and that is why could witness
a few deaths if the much suffering of
my long enduring brothers and sisters
could be forever stopped.
But do not see my way clear nor do
| believe our \ anarchist brothers intend
to start ont and blow up capitalists in a
haphazard sort of way, without system
or reason. They only intend TO be
ready for the revolution which they
sincerely believe must come. They are
not the bloodthrstv, wild-eved gang
thev are pictured. A brayer, truer, more
Self-sacrifcing set of men and women |
never saw. They only feel with great
intensity the piled-up wrongs Of a suf
fering humanity and are willing to die,
if necessary, for the good Of the whole.
LIZZIE NJ. SWANK.