Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-02-23

ity. | for one have long ago given
up the task as hopeless. | hold
certain opinions which, as a social
list, claim are sef-evdent truths,
and it is to state one of these Opln-
ions that | now write, so that upon
one point at least, may be under
stood, by those who wish to under
stand; to those who will not see |
must apologize for being dull, mud
died and obtuse. "NOne are so
blind us those who will not see.
The use of force, violent measures,
''any and all MEANS" etc, ad (lbt-
tum, have been ascribed to me as
my pet theory. Here is my posi-
ton.
First, | consider force, or prop
uganda of the Decd to be unw'se
and imprudent. Consider the feeble
handful of men in this country who
have arranged themselves on the
side Of socialism,; they are poor, and
as mass utterly incapable Of pre-
scnting Il solid front to the enemy.
There is an alarming difference of
opinion among socialists, each claim
ing as his own exclusive property
the name. Think, then, of this
widely diversified mass talking
about force. Past history has told
us that force, although it might be
the climax of any crisis, was not the
means by which such crisis was
attained. Revolution does not ne
cessarily imply bloodshed, but, as
applied to the demands of the social
lists it does involve a total change of
the basis of economic systems, and
a new foundation being laid upon
which a just and equitable system
can be established and admins
tered. But now we are living un-
der false, corrupt administration
Of false and corrupt system. This
system has established laws, and
much as we may revile them, much
as we may denOunCe them as being
un just, we are compelled to obey
them, and to use such means as may
be feasible and equitable to all.
There are thousands living under
this same system who are not social
lists, suffering just as much as social
lists do. 10 turn force upon soci-
ETY. is to turn force upon those who
suffer with us. On the other hand,
the phrase '1egitimate means of
agitation is just as puerilc as "any
and all means" There are no "2e-
Gitim0te' means if society and those
who oppose us are to Judge; they
would stop meetings, gag speakers,
and stop expression of opinion if it
were not for fear of an accidental
application or some statute hidden
by the cobwebs gathered since the
antediluvian period.
The dangerous man is not the vi
client man, but the student, the
thinker, the man who exposes wrong
and shows possible right. Law
and order does not fear the man
who cries out "any and all means;"
but they hate the man who shows
the falsity of the system.
Consider again, this movement is
one opposing principles which So
cIalists condemn as unjust. All
thought must crystalline by the
power of natural evolutlon; events
may give this process impetus; the
increasing misery Of the masses may
hasten the crisis, but 1orce never
has in the past and never can in the
future hasten or produce climax.
A crisis is inevitable; it is rapidly
and surely coming; but ruin for our
hopes must result from a crisis for
which we are unprepared. The
present economical system is hasten
ing its own ruin. With rapidly in
creaslng population and concentrate
ing capital, unless a change does
come the doctrine of Nautilus,
is inevitable. And it must be to-
tai change; an absolute reconstruct
ton Of the basis of society, and of
human relationships.
The socialist stands as q prophet,
if you will, as Waterman in the
night, warning men of the danger,
pointing out the cause, showing the
true equitable basis of life, pointing
men to inevitable slavery on the one
hand, and the necessity for prepaid
ton on the other. ME conflict if