Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-01-14
NE AND WE.
"Boulet ROuge" Departs from Brey.
ity to tell "FenWick" Something.

What's the matter with "Fenwick":
LucJer says he made an admirable reply
to "Boulet Rouge, and adds that the
citizen is fined for every letter carried
by express companies. That may be the
law, now, and yet it is hardly probable
that "Fenwick' would spend twenty-five
cents for transporting letter by express
when he can have the same service done
by the Postotfice for two cents. Now,
as to the law. The postal service.is made
SO cheap because it is monopoly. But
it is not an individual monopoly. If it
were left optional with others to carry
mail matter, the result might be that
others would carry mail where they
could make profit out Of the people,
and where they could not, there would
be no mail service if the government or
COLLECTIVELY did not take it in hand.
L,tcifer, for instance, would be without
the means of transportation at the low
rate OF one cent per pound, for i don't
believe that Luciferville has enough bus
mess to pay the cost of delivery of the
mail matter deposited in its postofice.
1t is by cooperation of all the States that
the mail service as it now exists is sue
cess. Lucifer inquiries whether "Boulet
Rouge's" kind of State Socialism twill be
guilty of the same injustice when it is
the government" "Boulet Rouge" has
no peculiar kind of Socialism. He recog-
nizes organization and order as necessary
to the greatest economy for the people.
Socialism land that means the teaching
of the organized Socialists throughout
the civilized world. represented in this
country by the Socialist Labor Party
teaches us to obtain the greatest results
from the least possible expenditure of
force-teaches economy, in short A So
cialistic organization of society would
consider the best interests of society,
and don't believe that "Fenwick" or
the editor of Lucifer would be restricted
from carrying on little business of their
own-if they wanted to. But, seeing
that even now they use the best means
to send their letters and papers to admir-
ing readers, it is fair to presume that
they would only "kick' for the sake of
"kicking" under a Socialist system, if
they could content themselves within
the limits of this little planet at all. |
see no injustice in the principle that the
COLLECTIVELY is greater than the individual,
and that the opinions of the COLLECTIVELY
are to be respected before those of an in
dividual, and that the individual must
prove to the colleo tivity the superiority
of his ideas before they need be adopted.
Free speech, free press, and the unlim-
tied right of combination ought to be
sufficient for any liberty-loving indiviual-
ist to vegetate in and grow fat. Read
the platform of the Socialist Labor Par
ty, and criticize that. Then you'll be
criticizing the Socialist idea. BY the
way, Socialists don't quite understand
why some people persist in lacking on
the word estate" in speaking OF Social
lists. Individualists are calling for liber-
ty, and say that if there were no law
then there would be liberty. Socialists
point out the tendencies of society, and
philosophically draw deductions from
facts. They are even so sensible as to
believe in the necessity OF having order,
and of consulting with their fellow men
as to what ie best for them as collectiv-
ity, and acting upon the decision arrived
at. If it is proposed to have railroad
time table, the convenience of the people
necessarily takes precedence over that of
the individual Does the individual OBJ
iect? Poor fellow But he has the
liberty of objecting, and of using all his
powers to convince the people of his
superiority.
The Socialist platform is sufficient
answer to the individualst who signs
for liberty. The tendency of the times
is that way. and our friends will find
their dream of liberty glad reality when
they learn to live for Others as well as
to coddle their individuality.
RpITI EFT PpIrEP