Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-10-10


not mean the phrase 1.-THE labor move
ment treats of the struggle of the masses
for existence" although this is an ncom-
pleta account of the meaning of the
movement 1t treats Of so much more
than this, e, g., the method OF existence
of the nOn-maSses, with its ease and in
many coses absence of all shuttle the
position of woman of all classes the
misery of the rich as well as OF the poor,
in short, everything referrable to that
fundamental basis of our modern society
the way in which we produce and dis
tribute our goods.
No, the passage have in mind is the
following (p ": at is still in our power
permanently to avoid many of the evils
under which older countries suffer, etc.
The obvious criticism is that it is not in
the power of America to do anything of
the kind. The evils under which other
countries suffer are in your midst in this
land and at times they seem to exist in
magnitude proportional to the size of the
country. 1t is true that the capitalist
system to a large extent came over to
America ready and that ON this
continent it had none of its European
predecessors. 1t is true that in meas
ure as consequence of this fact, the sys-
tenn has reached height and depth in
America unequaled in other lands and
that, in all probability, the phases of its
evolution into the succeeding condition
of society will be more rapid here than
in Europe. But they, with all their at
America as elsewhere, and American cit
izens will do well not to lay the ilattering
JUNCTION to their souls that they have es-
capped single one of the ills that capital
istc "llesh is heir to- Let them read
the immortal parable of the Pharisee and
Publican, in this connection.
Nor can seriously commend the adj
dress to wOrkngmen with which the
preface closes. 1t is altogether to- er
cathedrd. And bad economics are,
think, mixed up with its preaching p. iX).
Let every workman try to make himself
more indispensable in his place" This
is, like Polonius advice to Laertes, very
good for the individual in our anarchcal
t.,,, al,
men to men concerned in the change of
! society that is at hand, it needs qualitica-
ton. Let every man try for much more
than this. Let him try to get out of his
place as one of the exploited and see that
no one else ever gets intoit Then follows
the economic blunder, as it seems to me.
eff every member of society is ever to
receive sufficient quantity of . goods
to satisfy -. wants, prOdncts must be
increased in quantity" This is, Ibeieve,
quite inaccurate. Professor Ely is not
taking into account the immense amount
of production that is absolutely useless,
since the products resulting from it salts
| fly no Irrational want" And he seems
also to ignore the fact that our produc-
ton to-day is for profit. not for use, and
brings in its train gluts of the market
every ten or eleven years.
Then comes advice as to drink, with
never a word to remind us that this curse
is only one of the many that "come home
to roost' under Capitals black and pesti-
lential wing Demagoguery is denounced.
with explanations that show Professor
Ely is denouncing the evil kind of dema
gogues. Christianity is extolled. And
indeed in his position as to the relil-
ious question, the author is, from our
point of view, hopelessly wrong-headed.
lie does not recognize that the religious
question, like everything else, is based on
economics, The Christ and the Christian
ity of to-day are a necessary outcome of
the great system of unpaid labor. Nor
is it of any avail to say that these are not
the Christ and the Christianity. That
simple life and simple creed are only of
value in the complex life of nineteen CEN
turtles later in the most general and alb
stract way. The preaching of Jesus
against oppression, the injunction to
purity of life, these and the like will hold
As long rs the world lasts The mistake
and the pity are in surprising that his
teaching really is of value in the concrete
solution Of concrete problems, of which
neither he nor his time ever dreamed.
With this serious blunder of sentiment,
that find running through and partly
Whaling all the book, are mingled blum
| lnrN N IL.