Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-10-06
of course excepting useless pro-


therefore violates his mdividualism,
when he demands that certain strips be
left for roads. Frightened at his lapse
from the faith he then declares that no
provision shall be mace to make the
road available; that no right of labor
exists IN the wealth that makes road
useful. | must therefore conclude that
indivdualism is incompetent to solve
all the social problems, although it is
true in its place.
Like all who believe individualism "A
cure-all, Mr.. Lloyd uses flexible terms,
not dreaming that others may differ
from him:
Free travel requires that there shall be
enough of these strips, Of convenient width, to
enable all individuals to to travel in any direc.
ton with reasonable direCtness and without
man made Instructions"
The above reads like statute law.
With hundred differences in location.
requirements and sense of public spirit,
a hundred settlers would hold as many
Ideas on what free travel reqnires, what
Is c0nUenlem 1cidth for a road, or what is
reasonable dlrectness. They must agree
upon uniform system and share the
cost. If the minority object they can
move; but:
TO compel a man to recompense you for the
benefit which You force him to accent is the
fashionable If not the peculiar crime of modern
times"
To allow the minority to consume the
product of the majority without recon-
pense would be greater crime, for the
majority cannot move their roads. while
the minority can move themselves.
Again:
When anarchy is realized every
man Will be prosperous, and prosperous men do
not incline to lie mean and Stingy, even when
their prosperity depends upon greed"
The State Socialist has an equal right
to say that the minority will cheerfully
pay their share of public costs, which in
fact is the case to-day with road improve
ments. BY the way, the last sentence
quoted is queer one. 1t has pendu-
lum movement. A man is poor and
greedy. His greed makes him prosper
Gus, But prosperity destroys greed, the
cause of prosperity, and he becomes
poor and greedy again; so on to inhnity
| think Mr.. Lloyd sometimes fails to
discriminate, He would organize to
punish or prevent Outrageous crimes,
but he will allow sharp trader to get a
good bargain from dull trader and call
1t Jmpetition. BE it profit or plumber,
it is all the same to the loser He would
not force, by law, a man to pay public
expenses, but he would force him indi-
directly;
only a conscientious man, conscious OF his
own integrity can long endure the contempt
a a. uairh hnrS han ba ,apt
of few dollars, easily earned relieves him Of
the whole burden, And in such questions the
public judgment is likely to be good and not
likely to accuse generous man of meanness
A majority is generally despotic and
wrong; call it 'public judgment" and it
is right, and it may badger and worry a
delinquent until he pays his share, al.
though Public Judgment has no right
"to stretch an elaborate pavement across
the road which satisfies me as it is, and
then compel me to share its cost
An individualist places his house on a
strip" once intended for road. An
other comes along and says: "Get out
of the road" No. says: But | built
my house. Don't dare to harm it," No
2: Society needs direct route" No,
/: 81 know nothing of society. recog-
nize only individuals" " No. 2: "Well. I
am an individual. Respect my right" ="
No. /: But came first. | thought the
road abandoned; go around my house"
No, will then read Mr.. Lloyd's letter
and then be unable to decide whether to
form new track or invoke the scOrn of
Public Judgment on the head of No. /.
Those who take up land for cultivation must
see to it that they leave enough free earth for
the public roads.
(Another statute.) On what compul
sion must they? Mr.. Ii. will reply: For
the preservation of equal rights. Auth
ority, then, is as necessary to preserve
equality as it now is to support injustice.
"It is precisely and solely TO declare. define
and remove this wrong Of acting at another's
expense that anarchism exists
Free" organizations (ride "White
Caps'') will enforce this definition of
right just as officers now enforce the
law, yet somehow law is savagery and
anarChism is not.
am awed and subdued by the CON
tidence of anarchists in their own Wis
dom and the freedom with which they
call other men ignorant. In my simple,
aboriginal way, thought ''his own ex-
pense" did not include the other fellow
expense; that to do as | please at my
own expense means that must bear the
consequences Of my acts, with the right
to reduce them by escape; but now
learn that anarchy compels me to face
the music and pay over any amount a
committee pleases to assess. may
think it oppressive, but it is anarchy just
the same. Disputes may be arbitrated." "
One party dishkes the decision, when
anarchy rises up and subdues him, gen
tly but firmly, without ruling him.
Mr.. Lloyd claims to have made fair
answers to my questions; believing me
honest he refused TO be impatient, which
he of course had right to he. As
cannot accept all the answers, am per
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