The Labor enquirer., 1886-02-20
+ A Letter to sThe Enquirer"

"A Letter to "The Enquirer"
For The Enquirer.
GENEVA, H., Feb. 13.-1 am taking
rest in little island of silence not more
than thirty-fve miles from one of the
maddest maelstoms in the ocean of hu-
man life. 4..
One could easily fancy this New En-
gland village with all the old puritanical
simp1e-hearted neighborly customs
firmly implanted. Every one knows
every one in a kind way every one is
interested in every one else; nearly all
are we'll educated with the idealistic
part of their natures in high state of
cultivation. Poetry, music, painting,
classical literature dwell peacefully in
every household. But of the genuine
life of the world, the significant, vital
events, the grand stir now felt through
out civilized society, they are blssfullv
ignorant. Perhaps few have heard as
of some thing afar off, with which they
could by no possibility ever. be con-
cerned, of Chicago Socialists, and their
meetings and demonstrations. Some of
them to-day are reading of the London
and Leicester riots as they read of a
skirmish between two barbaric tribes in
the center of Africa without suspecting
that principle is involved, as near to
the citizens of this quiet town as tits to
the swarming inhabitants of distant
cities-a principle which links the whole
world in bond of sympathy, because it
presses everywhere alike. Few
are very poor here-none exceedingly
rich. Just one extra inhabitant, not
supplied with place beforehand, would
overcrowd the labor market however
There are no poor, not from anv pecu-
liar advantage in the place itself, but be-
cause poor man without job would
be driven out of town, as, witness the
"Notice to Tramps" (villianous docu.
ments) which are stuck up at the "city
gates"
1t is lovely place to live IN if you
always have lived here or know some
body else who has. but woe to you ifyou
are homeless wanderer hoping to creep
into the good graces of the kind-hearted
\ but exclusive inhabitants. They are
some like the profigate man who did
not like to look upon suffering, and SC
deserted his starving family altogether
They do not believe there is much poy-
erty and suffering in the world, do not
want to believe in it, so all symptoms Of
it are carefully excluded.
said one day. speaking to one of the
sweetest and most refined elderly ladies
I ever saw, that was q Socialist and
could only feel conscience clear when
doing sonnet hing to spread Socialism
She looked at me puzzled for moment
then told me little story-thus with
subtle tact softening the opprobrium l
had put upon myself by the lightest
construction she had ever heard upon
Socialism.
"a gentleman once asked Socialist
how the world would be benefited by
dividing up, as, in a short time wealth
would be unequally distributed az ain p
"Why, divide up again ?" answered
the knowing Socialist" This was the
good lady's idea of Socialism.
And the worst of it is there are thou
sands of such little towns, They do not
know of, or will not believe in the grand
progress of events in the world. They
do not know how old systems are decay
ing, old institutions developing into
their worst forms, aud of the awful mis-
cry consequent upon these things.
They do not realize that industry is nc
longer the industry of hundred years
ago, but great mass of slaves with q
few rich masters-that the freedom
dreamed of by our forefathers, nurtured
by our parents and enthused over by
our deluded selves, really has no exist
ence.
The A B c of Socialism, of the com,
mon rights of man, the simplest ideas oi
justice, equality and universal brother.
hood, must be gone over, again and
again. And at 1t the risk of being con
sidered trite and tiresome by advanced
Socialists. shall devote much of my
time hereafter to the simpler unfolding
Of our ideas Of justice TO humanity, or IN
other words the plainest stateEnenta