Workmen's advocate., 1890-05-24

ldIt uS NC uiSNiy oh SaPitoc'ot' of the natural inequalities in mems capabilities. At all events it brings about inequalities of condition, because of the law of all organization, that the few must rule and the many be subordinate. This is law which men cannot disre- gard without bringing upon themselves loss or ruin, for in doing so they set themselves against the natural constitu- ton of things. Many cooperative scheme has failed because men have been unwilling to recognize that the be- neHts of organization can be had only at the price of surrender of equality.
 Here, then, is contradiction for which we must find a solution. The laws of our industrial world are saying t. men, you cannot be equal. The Declaration
 of Independence and the principles
 which are at the heart of democracy
 are saying as absolutely, you are equal.
 How IS this contradiction to be solved?
 This is what anarchist and socialist and
 nationalist are asking asking often in
 the language of passion, because they
 have not yet found the answer in terms
 of reason"
 Here MT. Brown criticised the position of the Anarchist who seeks to reahze equality by making each man absolutely
 independent of his fellows an impos-
 sible task, considering the absolute ne-
 cessity of co operation in the presence
 of gigantic physical forces. Further
 more, "the denial of organized society is
 also the denlal of individual freedom",
 for man cannot live his true life except
 as he develops in association with his
 fellows those faculties wh' ch are his
 endowment, and his power to do so is
 freedom.
 Opposed to the principle of anarchy,
 which would reduce society to an aggre-
 gate of atoms, is the principle most ma-
 nlfest in our great corporations. It is
 tendency to see in society only a soulless
 mechanism. It makes the individual
 only part of an immense machine
 which works without any reference to
 his happiness. He exists for 1t; but 1t
 does not exist for him. The logical out
 come of such a principle is despotism
 pure and simple. If given complete sway, 1t could only ring about the total ] overthrow of ind vidual liberty and the , absolute subjection of all to an memorable
 fate or to a single despotlc will.
 "Here then, IS the contradiction which is struggling for solution in our society. , Must we sacrifice our freedom for the sake of our social organization or must
 we surrender this for the sake of equa- , lty? Must we acknowledge that the l blood of so many thousands shed in the l struggle with despotism has been spilled a in ain, and that mems hopes of liberty . have been bitter delusion; or must we reject our civilization in order to pre- | tba Siv Dla of & Is this the alternative, or is there an F. answer to the questions which are agi-
 tatlng mems minds to-day, that shall U enable us to preserve both our freedom $ and our civilization?
 ! Such an answer there is. Nearly nine- |. teen hundred years ago there lived in E. an ob cure quarter of the world pea
 sant who aorked until the age of thirty 0 at the carpenters bench. Then there c came to him a message which his heart r. burned to deliver to his fellow men. He went about through all the cities and y villages announcing it. and when the y people heard his message they called il 'e the good news, so wonderfully did il ,e change for them he meaning of life
 He preached but few months; for the
 rulers, perceivng by sure instinct tha a. there was potency behind his words ht which woud humble every despotsm le had him put to an ignominous death e- Yet thus they could not stay the power IT. winch he had set in movement. Nations ed submitted to its spell, and the despot O z; the world lowered his banners to th u crucitied peasant of Galilee.
 It. '\ow what was the message so preg st. nant of mighty consequences to tn ne world and what is its value to us: Tn ry message was simply this: The kingdom c. Of God is at hand. God is father. 's- am his son These words must be in lg terpreted if we are to see their applica tt- tion to our life If then they do no lg show us the solution of its contradiC
 tions, as they showed the men of tn ,o first centuries the solution of the contra De dictions of their life, the church and it 's- religion have no further reason to be to Firstly they mean, if they mean any ;u ;n thing, that deeper than all the inequal ,s n ties and distinctions of life is a bond c 4; union between men that is vital an oi. necessary. Mems differences are not tn ha supreme fact, but are superficial an .es temporary.
 pr Here the speaker, who thus far ha an been quite clear and precise, proceede ur to argue, rather obscurely and in pulp ,re style, that men are all brothers, becaus he they are all the sons of God. Den m- this.' he said, "and what bond of unio w. is there between men but the will of oe despot or an impersonal law? What ,d our life but an almIess struggle, begil by ming and ending in nothing?" ity In conclusion he said: The society i ey which man has his true life is a societ ss- of brothers bound together by the 1n equal kinship to common head. Gu