The Labor enquirer., 1888-03-17

BtoWtu VI years. AS 10 the now
and the when. perhaps l cannot
do better than to quote from the
pen of ]. c. Underhill of Ham
mond, Indiana, in the Chicago
Enq&yfy of March 3:
The vital principle of socialism
has nothing in common with the
aggressive spirit of animosity that
incites to and pervades war and
bloodshed. whether of class against
class. or nation against nation.
Universal cooperation for the
universal good. expresses the
spirit of socialism; and the good
of the public is paramount to the
narrow, egotistic, selfish good of
the individual, whose liberty must
be bounded by the limit implied
in harmonious cooperation to
the end Of the general welfare.
War, violence, bloodshed, are
therefore incongruous with social
ism. are out of place in any plans
or methods for the advancement
or establishment of socialism.
Looking at the ethical principle
on which socialism is based, and
the ethical social and industrial
relations which are its aims and
object, its ethical import and ideal
it is not assuming too much to
assert that violence, or the advo-
cacy of violence, on the part of
socialists, were not one whit less
incongruous and inconsistent than
would be the practice or advocacy
of war, by the members of nom
resistant societies such as Shakers,
Friends. etc. War, violence,
bloodshed, are essentially and
thoroughly contrary to the nature
of socialism, and will be done
away as the spirit of socialism
takes possession of mankind.
Society has TO outgrow the war
spirit before it can become intrin-
sically socialistic. Violence never
lifted people above its already
attained degree of development;
unless a people we're already
ripened into socialistic thought
and feeling in full degree, it were
vain to undertake. by violence or
otherwise. to establish a full
fledged socialistic system of soci-
ETY.. The effect would bring re-
action and a falling back to some
system adapted to the degree of
development actually attained.
Beyond this degree people can
not truly 60, nor safely attempt
to 60. A revolution without a
general sentiment back of it is
more than likely to become a rev.
olution backward. The pendulum
of social progress when forced
beyond its due point of advance
must return to its proper status of
motion, and the disturbance has
not hastened the march of time or
events toward the era of social
justice.
Animosities beget animosities,
assassination breeds assassination
violence begets violence in return,
revenge produces revenge. Meth
ods of violence find fruitage in
the vendetta-with the deadly
principle of revenge ever met by
revenge again, tossed forth and
back by hands nerved by ever
growing hate.
No!-better far leave blood-im-
brued and blood-thirsty enemies
to their own silent thoughts, the
judgment of the monitor within,
and the judgment of mankind
that shall be pronounced in future
days, when the history of the
present shall be read, and people
shall calmly decide who were
worthy of honor and who of dis
honor for their respective deeds.
History will award each actor his
proper place. And, there are first
that shall be last, and last that
shall be first. Many who receive
popular" applause now, will be
remembered with popular execra-
ton then, while their victims will