The Labor enquirer., 1886-04-24
COOPERATION.

for the great danger lies in their being
precipitated into the contest before they
are prepared, not only to properly de-
fend themselves, but to safely secure
their victory and permanently retain
their new principles in practice should
they overthrow the powers that be, and
:, should the new condition be placed on
its feet before 1t has sufficiently devel-
oped, or before correct and practical
knowledge of it is learned by the people,
worse power may succeed to the pres
ent and the cause be either permanently
defeated or indefinitely postponed.
There are peaceful and practical
methods of gaining power and being
placed upon an ascending scale, if the
people will only tnrn their attention to
them. Their fitness and understanding
of the new principles which they are
struggling for, and the new position OF
freedom and industrial power they
claim as right, will be tested or can be
tested in their refusal or acceptance OF
powerful and progressive methods. In
other words, if the present cry is that of
unworthy slaves sentimentally demand
ing a freedom which they could not ap-
preciatc or maintain If given them, then
will they not accept such blessings il
peaceful and practical plans to secure
the same at once, are offered them.
The people have been outwitted and
robbed by the few organizing and COM
bining wealth and power against the
many. 1t is simple remedy for the
many to organize and combine their
power and thus take possession of the
whole or at least an equal part of the
field. Not to organize simply to pass
resolutions. make speeches and estab-
lith platforms and set of prl ciples, for
this alone is mere sentiment which will
end in smoke, whilst the enemy, effect
lively organized and at work, carry away
societies, assemblies and unions, upon a
set of principles TO develop and spread
the knowledge of those principles, are
we'll enough, and organization is also
learned by it, but ever 30 powerful an
organization of men upon the most
righteous cause simply to demand their
rights, is not enough. The field is open
and the weapons are at hand. Those
weapons are peaceful instruments and
scientific methods.
What We are struggling for is CO. o-ordl-
nate authority, in the place of subordi-
nate control and cooperation of indus
try, or production and distribution, in
the place of corporate monopoly. In
other words we want a CO-Operative
Commonwealth, Horace Greeley said
THE way to resume is to resume" and l
say the way to get a Co-Oporatlve Co ~
monwealth is to 60 to work at once and
build not one, but any number of them.
Let the people be practicabIe-put their
principles in force at once by pooling
their means and theirindustry. Let the
masses combine as the few have done.
Form model Cooperative Common
wealths, /. e., cooperative colonies.
France has made them 4 success there
are thousands of them in Germ any, and
millions of people there are enjoying
now in those colonies all that we here
hope to gain as our greatest achievement
Shall We have to confess that we are be-
hind Europe III freedom, intelligence and
manhood? For many years colonies in
the United States have proven wonder
fully successful both financially and
mOrallv,
A. K. Owen, Esq. has done great good
in formulating highly perfected plan
for colony upon the co operative prin-
clple,, which is as nearly perfect as it is
possible to be made, and he is about
ready to plant over 1000 colonlsts on his
town-site at Topolobamba, in Slnaloa,
Mexico. We of Puget Sound have taken
his model for a colony, and since l last
announced it in your paper hundreds
have joind our colony. The plan imme-
diately recon mends Itself by its possess
Ing all the elements of success, and there
is no spot in the United States more
favorably situated for such colony than
here on the sound. We have magnifi-
cent country, with all the resources of
wealth, affording the best advantages for
farming, dairying, commerce and manu-
facturers. We have selected fine har-
Dor adjacent to the finest farming lands
in the world, cleared by nature, also in
exhaustlble timber resources, with iron,
coal, silver, gold and other resources
further in the BACKGROUND, but convent
ent.
The harbor is well sheltered, no bar at
tile entrance, where ships must all pass
IN coming to this section, and can enter
the harbor without towage, and at the
finest fishing place IN the whole north
west. The climate is mild and healthful,
none superior to it in the United States
On the whole our Puget Sound colony
has a. the advantages for building up
great commonwealth of industry, COM
merce and farming, in which our colo
nists will in common enjoy and share
with all, the advantages, the poorest be.
coming capitalists. AS this is no private
speculation, but one of the great works
70 For-or] o,,. .-;..:-,