Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-08-10


answer? If nav, what becomes of an.
archism with its clam0r against "stat
ute law?
II may well be a matter Of wonder
how group of anarchists under an
anarchlstlc regime, so to speak, would
manage matters or let matters manage
themselves. In the absence of statute
law" there must necessarily be some
sort Of rule Of conduct generally under
stood and tacitly agreed to in order to
maintain any degree Of conference and
harmonious action, such as is necessary
in order that any cooperative work may
be accomplished. Allow that there is
general consent on the part OF the mem
bers Of the Group or Commune to such
unwrtten non-statutOry rule, and ODE
dence to this rule results in the best
welfare of all. Now, if this non.statu-
tory rule were enacted into a statute
law" would 1t change the nature Of the
rule into an evil and work contrary to
the best welfare of the people? If yes,
explain why. If nay, what basis is left
for anarChsn;
Natural law" again; Who shall decide
what is natural law" and what is not?
Even in any supposable anarchistc state
1t would be necessary that the individuals
of the aggregation have some authorize.
tive and rOrh0bLe definition Of natural
law" and OF their individual "natural
rights as indicated thereby. Is each
individual to interpret natural law
for himself, according to his own indi-
yidual idlosyncrasies ! If yes, what
would the result be to the individual
and TO the aggregate mass5 (An an.
archist "hc"rcm y If nay, what be-
comes Of anarchy, again;
If yea, there would be, Of course, a
great and diverse variety Of opinions,
Clashing and inharmOniOus, each indi-
yidual shaping his conduct according
to his own notions, as becomes true
anarchist And we must remember, as
Mr. Pcntecost tells us IN the first para
graph Of his discourse, that $50 far are
most people from understanding or de.
string what is true and right, that the
highest truth is often believed to be the
lowest lie, and the purest right is looked
upon as the blacklist wrong" And it
would be expecting of anarChism a
PenteCOstal miracle greater and more
wonderful than that of the Pentecost of
the apostolic time, to change all this SO
that all would speak as with one tongue,
and that for truth anC right Oh, no
it is too much to expect that anarChism
will transform all wolves into lambs
The wolves would still follow their car
nivorous bent as anarchists, and devour
the lambs Of the anarchist fold.
If nay, the individual must then give
up his individualism to the acknOwl-
edged superior authority Of some other
individual, or to the collective will, as
expressed in some recognized authorita-
tive Manner and when he does this his
anarchism drops into ''innocuouS desu-
etude."
Again, as to natural rights" who
shall define what are the natural rights
Of an individual? Shall each indi-
viduaI decide for himself what consti-
tutes his natural rights" and what
method he shall pursue to realize their
fuiIlment? Here the same query con.
fronts the anarchist as before: If yea,
what would he the result to the indiyid-
ual and to the aggregate mass of
individuals? If nay, what becomes of
anarChism?
1t is one Of the strong characteristics
Of Socialism that it takes a sober and
realistic view Of man and of life and
society. 1t takes man as he is, with his
Weaknesses and imperfections, his actual
mental and moral status, his present
development and needs 1t does not
evolve from its inner consciousness an
idealized, purified and sanCtitied paragon
of humauity--an abstract conception
that has no actual existence on earth,
and is incapable of present earthly ex-
empliiication; nor does it undertake the
equally foolish work of evolving series
OF abstract natural laws, that could
only be adapted to beings III state Of an
Eehc perfection of nature, and advocate
their application to very unangeliC and
imperfect actually existing class of hui
man beings. Socialism takes human nat
ure rs it finds it and the world a. it finds
it, with their present development and
their capacity for Improvement by edu-
cation and evolution, and seeks to apply
measures adapted to actual conditions,
to better the lives of men and realize the
best attainable good of humanity. 1t
does not attempt the folly of advocating
the application to existing man under
existing conditions of some imagined
natural law" applicable only to my
thical humanity of the past or an IDEAL.
lied humanity that can only become
real in the eternal future.
We can only build for the future on
the foundation of the present, and by
means and processes adapted to the
present. The gloritied humanity of the
future Is rooted III the existing humanity
of to-day 1t must reach It's glorihed
state by processes adapted to It's up
building i'll and from the present; and
while Socialists earnestly labor in the
up-buildng, they remember that
Heaven is not reached 10y a single
bound,
But We build the ladder 10y which we
rise