Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-04-12
MEN,S ADVOCATE.

in trade, freedom in mechanical pun
suits to make the feudal domains free,
so that everybody can buy land, give us
freedom of motion, was the general cry.
Well, that freedom was given, the feudal
domains were split up. the guilds were
abolished, the governmental checks to
industrial and commercial pursuits were
removed, and what was the RESULT
want it to be understood that speak
entirely from an economic standpoint
Matters of personal relation, like mar
riage for instance, or religious matters,
are things which should left to the in
dividual alone; there is no cause for
organization or government in these
matters. But in economics | can see in
Anarchism or Individualism nothing but
the Manchester theory, the pet theory
of'the capitalists, carried to its extreme.
i do not believe that good can come
from ignoring social forces and destroy
ing social organization, but believe in
recognizing social forces ana perfecting
social organization, and must protest
against being accused to believe IN tyr
amy or government of physical force
because believe in social organization.
Individuallsts allow their imagination
to run away with them. They are of
the type of Owen. Fourier and such
men, who build up in their minds cer-
tain condition of society and then 60 to
work with the intention of transforming
their fancy into reality. The quality of
the material out of which the future
society is to be made is something too
insignificant for them to consider. Yet
| think l am justified in asking any
man, if he can voluntarily be so wonder
fully good as not to use the advantage
which possession of wealth gives him
over the fellow being who does not pos
sess wealth, why he has never been SO?
And | confess | cannot see how that
advantage can be prevented, unless it is
done by organization.
Anarchists may say-and | believe
they do say-that if men are not so good
now, they will be. They will become
SO by education, by the progress of Gull
ture and civilization
do not care to dispute this. am
even willing to admit it. But, if l con-
slider the remarkably little progress
which mankind has made in moral views
and laws, do not feel inclined to teach
a doctrine the realization Of which will
depend upon the change and progress Of
something which moves so slowly.
Nor do | believe that suffering man
kind will ever be eager to accept doc
trine that defers hope so long. must
leave it to Anarchists of the type Of
Tucker and Pentecost and to Christian
Socialists to believe that the economic
nf hn ha haft
in consequence of, advancing goodness
and kindness and retreatipg seltishness.
On the contrary, believe that men will
become better in consequence of the
betterment of their economic con-
| dition, because the economic status is
the basis of morals and religion, and of
forms of government also. And believ-
ing that economic conditions cannot be
Gre ated at random according to the
| fancy of this or that individual or num-
Der Of individuals, but that each economic
system is the necessary and inevitable
outcome of a previous existing economic
system, advocate social system which
to me seems to be the one which, con-
siderlng the economic changes in the
past and the development OF the present
system, considering the nature OF man,
his wants and feelings, must be the
necessary and inevitable outcome Of the
present system. That system is society
organized upon cooperative basis.
Whether Anarchists call society thus
organized State Socialism or otherwise
is immaterial to me. l know it will not
and cannot be the State based upon
territorial and private proverty.
PHILIP RAPPAPORT.