The Labor enquirer., 1886-04-03
commusIsTIo MONOPOLY.
Would Communism Insure Personal
Liberty and Natural
Rights!

Liberty and Natural
Rightss
Editor Labor ENQUIRER.
SIR Having read with some interest
the cuts and counter cuts of "Zeno" and
C. S. Griffin upon the subject of Indi-
yidual and Communlstlc Anarchy, OF
perhaps, Individual versus Communist
Anarchy might be better way to ex-
press it, and belieyin my elf to belong
to this former class of 'cranks", / desire
to present my view of the subject.
L read with great care Comrade Grit.
| fms article in the last number of THE
ENQUIRER under the caption "Union and
Liberty" knowing as I did this "iack-of
all-work" article was penned by one OF
the warmest and ablest defenders of the
other side of this Anarchistic contro.
versy, viz, the CommunistIc side. So
as was quite natural, 7 began to try and
figure out the practical workings of Com
munistic Anarchy.
While in the midst of my figuring
I seemed to have had a dream. Now
dreams of course don't amount to much
unless they happen to be quite realistic
dreams, which by the way, mine seemed
to have been.
1t was this I dreamed, or may be i'm
agined myself living under system OF
Communistlc Anarchy, and l herewith
pen few samples of its practical opera
tions: went to one of the massive
shoe-distributing departments and asked
to see some of the different kinds O.
shoes. They began to show me differ.
ent sizes, but no different makes, so on
asking for an explanation I was in,
formed that the "shoe groups" had de.
cided to place upon the market but one
kind of shoe inasmuch as it would be
more economical for them to do So
"Well," said quite Indignantly, "I shall
90 over to the next depot and see if /
can't get what I want" But l was in,
formed that 1t would do no good as the
''shoe groups" all through had adopted
that pattern and none other.
"Well," I asked, "is it possible that
the consumer can get no redress from
such a monopoly ?"
"Oh, yes" was the reply, II think
they might"
allow ?"
"Well, bv getting up petition re-
spectacle enough in size, the shoe
groups might notice it and put out a
few more makes"
Then l went in company with afrienC
to the dress-making department to ge
some dresses of certain make and here
we heard great contention going or
between the "dress-making group" and
several young girls who had called tc
obtain more dresses.
What" said one, you back here al
ready for more dresses, after taking al
those beautiful dresses just last week
what on earth have you done witt
them"
These petty contentious seemed small
but we found them tearing and rendini
the groups asunder, for some were con
tending that certain articles, having cos
ten times the pains, care, skill and labo
as others were worth ten times more
than they we're; and the others were
contending hat as theirs was just as es
sential to society as the others, tina
therefore such a thing as worth shoulc
not be taken into consideration.
Then we attended a meeting of tht
groups" composed of the Communis
and individualist factions. This meet
ing was of the greatest Importance, as
some action was to be taken looking to-
ward basis upon which commodities
could be exchanged. This had beer
found necessary, owing to the fact thai
the Communist groups were in posses.
sion of natural wealth, such as minerals,
etc., that it was necessary for the Indi-
vidualists to have, and vice versa. In
this meeting we're persons holding all
shades of opinion. There was the rank,
uncompromising Atheist and the ultra
Christian and hence in in meeting Of
such importance the selection of chair
man was a grave matter. 1t was finally
compromised by selecting the chairman
from one faction and the secretary from
the other.
Then arose the great and all-absorb-
ing question of the church. The Atheist
declared he could not consistently sup
port the church with all its nunneries,
monasteries and theological factories
where men and women were trained to
become the teachers of superstition and
stupidity. On the other hand the Chris
tians could and would not sustain Athe-
istic institutions where all W rship and
praise of God was ignored and ridiculed,
and they declared they would not even
permit these Atheists to traverse their
territory or interchange commodities or
have anything to do with them.
Now, Comrade Griffin will no doubt
admit that this civilization was of "the-
jack -of-alI-work" condition of living,
"and th at it was necessary for the peo
pie to work together as one body and
make the various results of their labor
nna nrnnartu Or the great m ainritY