The Labor enquirer., 1885-04-18
DON'T WANT A CONTROVERSY.
'Zeno" Engages in Discussion for the
Sole Purpose OF Arriving at the
&c.. Genuine Truth.

For The Enquirer.
cannot remember when l expressed
wish that "Cato," more than any other
Anarchist would enter personal con-
troyersy" with me. A discussion need
not deal in personalities. The implica-
ton that I desire petty wrangling" is
wholly gratuitous. Principles alone may
be discussed, and when refer to state
ment, 1 commit no breach of politeness
if connect with it the name of its
author.
What is it that Cato calls petty
wrangling?"' Nothing less than the effort
to decide whether we shall adopt dyna-
mite, war and force to abolish the
wrongs under which we suffer. Besides
giving the editor gentle hint as to what
will not interest the readers of THE En-
QU1RER, he says discussion is of no value
will not tend to dispel the doubts which
prevail as to the methods Of dealing
with knotty questions. He means either
that all discussion is useless, or else that
one of the debaters in this case is unable
to interest the readers, or help clear up
any doubts. Ifthe latter be true should
apologize, for I have taken up much
space in this pa per stiIl feel inclined
to wait for the editor to bar out what is
of no interest.
Whether Cato in his "didactic way"
has sighted any of my arguments leave
to the readers. 1t seems to me he has
read very little of what I have written.
I am accused of bad motives in trying
to gain points" With Cato, mere as
sertion is argument "It is the same
law which sinks the ships IN mid ocean
and produces the battles in which null
tltudes are slain" We are expected to
accept this without the slightest attempt
at proof or reasoning. for one doubt
the identity of those two laws.
1 am asked TO overlook all contra
dictory or mis-statemeRt of terms" and
take the writer as he means, not as he
says. What we want is TRUTH" and we
want, just as much, a clear way of stating
the truth. 1t is favor, not an impolite-
ness, to expose false methods of reason
ing and mis.statements. IF We are not
masters Of composition we had better
become so. The necessity for concise
statements is nowhere as great as in
these discussions regarding Social re-
form. In every art or trade one must
be efficient to be successful. Shall
bunglers be excused in literature?
deny thatI ignore the main question"
when l stop to show the absurdity of
writer's statements, If bungling is i'm
portant enough to be printed, it is proper
to expose it.
Il notice that when i send shot
through a favorite illustration, like the
Jail analogy, it is abandoned as a. wreck.
Perhaps, though, theldea that a plan
for new house, drawn up before the
destruction of the old, is akin to "twee-
dledum," and the theory of pulling
down the old structure. without warning,
over the heads of the inmates, is closely
related to "tweedledee." therefore the
matter is beyond the province of debate,
Z In view of the Importance of accuracy,
1 am safe in saying. that 1 have made
use of no "trickery,"'; g..,,,.,,:
"The great idea ever to be bourne in
mind should be the advancement of the
cause of human progression Tor Social
ism, J" says Cato. True, and in all great
things there is nothing so important as
correctness in details. All great things
have small parts, any of which may de-
range the whole. Therefore We cannot
state principle, call itgreat, then ignore
or excuse all the mistakes that bunglers,
may make in supporting it. "We are
teachers as well as students" hope 30 /;