Workmen's advocate., 1890-06-21

suggested,
 But You are not dH too prejudiced to listen to both sides of dHy question, or the sort of fellows to get mad at others who don't think exactly as you do-are you: WelI-l shall test your temper in my next Epistle,
 Say'-you fellows; do you believe in miracles, or know what the word means! Don't say they are something 'supernatural", for whatever IS, is natural; and, therefore, there cannot be anything supernatural, though there are lots of things we have not yet seen, or heard of, and many conditions we cannot comprehend, There are many super-mental subjects and super-human eXistences; but whatever does exist or occur, in any part of infinite space, is as natural as l am, or as these writings are, and is no more miraculous than my power of writing, and your power of reading these very unconventional epistles.
 l read that last paragraph to my chum Will Wyman-and he said;--"Pream- bling again! What are you driving at no'c with your miracles and mysteries?"
 "How would you begin?"-l asked
 Same as l begin my work; begin and do it, said Will,
 But you have to collect your tools, and sharpen some of them sometimes, l said
 So, Comrades all, you must under stand that. some of my "preambles" are suitable preparations for what has to follow.
 If there are miracles, then, indeed. there Is no greater one than contented slave, or slave-owner; or the lifelong, self-imposed degradation and unhappi. ness of the millionaires; or the popular aversion to true Liberty; or the appall ing sordidness and hypocrisy of civi, llzed society;--all effects of ignorance that IS almost miraculous.
 To have eyes, and to see not; to have ears, and to hear not, to have brains, and to think ot;-what greater miracles can there be?
 There is not a millionaire in these states who has had one days real happi ness since he got ten thousand dollars.
 Happiness is unpurchasable, Mir. Gould. There are thousands of hard handed toilers on your" roads who are more to be envied than you are. Pray that you may remain blind for the short re- mainder of your life; for if your eyes were opened so you could see the waste you have made of your opportunities for happiness, you would become maniac
 l do not blame the milionaires; 1 pity them. They have been the victims of false teachers, as 1Ce have. The middle men-unscrupuous lawyers. editors, college professors, false ministers" and mercenary gabblers of all kinds--are the most to blame, and next to them we must blame-OurSetues.
 Think of the old-time Professors, from the time of Jesus to that of John Ball and Watt Tyler, succeeded by Robes pierre, Louis Blanc, Ernest Jones' Bron- terre O'Brien and many more,-some of whom are famous, and many whose names are almost forgotten.
 Hundreds of Christs have given their lives to save you, and yet most of you don't care to hear about them. Those who would have been the peoples sa- viors have always found the apathy of the people the greatest foe they had to con- tend with.
 Have Shelly, Hugo, and Dante, and all the other true poets written for you in vain? Have Carlyle and Ruskin not reused you from your lethargy? Have you never felt thankful for Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman2 Does such pure heroism as that of Wm. Morris and John Swinton awaken no emotion in you? If you are not willing to help to save your selves, after all that has been done for you by thousands of noble men and wo- men, you are indeed miraculous ingrates and traitors.
 Do you think you can be neutral? Even if you could, your neutrality would be contemptible and unmanly; but you cdnnot for you are counted ln the 'malorities" that are always quoted against reformers, and your carcasses are blocking the road
 A reformers' meeting is held; hun- dred local workmen attend and YOU c thousand Of you-stay away and the thousand is gleefully quoted against us. A reformers' society is formed; and g0u thousands of shirkers-act as if you had no duties, but wait to see what will turn up.
 Some outspoken and brave reformers are imprisoned, and some are executed, for their defense of your rights. Per haps you don't know that you are res. ponsibe for the imprisonments and exc cutions;-that you have made the silent majority by whose sanction clone the legal crimes could have been committed (You are always counted in by the enemy, when you are not enrolled in the army of your friends)
 I hope you are rouseable, and that I have reused you little. If have, do you want to know what you should do? Jump right up, and join every real reform society you can help-from your Trades Union up to the Socialist Labor Party If you have no local union-start one; for it is just as much your duty to do so as anyone's. Do these things, brother, and you will soon begin to feel glow of manliness, your eyes will become