Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-05-14
AN OPEN LETTER
TO EACH OF THE
Seventy Wealthiest Americans, and
Members of Their Families.

DEAR SIR OR MADAME:
We take the liberty to address you
personally and request your reply,
concerning matter of universal in
terest. and, as we believe, OF the
GREATEST interest.
To us it seems an axiom, that suffer
ing from cold and hunger through
want and the obstruct ton of the ave-
nues of employment, ought as moral
duty to be wholly eliminated from a
land of natural abundance; that
whatever prevents any mature and
healthy persons who are either born
in this country or permitted to be-
come residents of it, from sharing in
productive industry and its fruits, is
an evil for whose removal the public
is responsible: and we are fully con-
WINGED that with less fostering than
that frequently given to promising
mechanical invention, mutual sys-
TEN that would relieve suffering and
BENEFIT ALL. would come speedily to
I
sturdy stature.
We are accustomed to hearing a
suggestion like this brushed aside
lightly with the answer, 80, that can
never be"
But it can be. More surprising and
impossible things come to pass con-
stantly. They are first discovered,
then realized and perfected. This
possibility of mutual system.as well
as its general methods. has been dis
covered. It's realization would not be
thing of cost, but of profit: and
best of all, UNIVERSAL profit.
We sympathize with and help Ar
menia, and 10. here is Cuba. We are
deep in the inquiry, How shall we
come to the relief of Cuba? and there
loom on our sight distressed condi-
tions resulting from famine in India
and our newspapers show us pictured
representations of the emaclated
condition of the sufferers. And all
this time we have famine all around
us at home. and it is preventable
famine. We have crime, too, and is
it any wonder?
We need not describe TO YOU the
depth of the distress, for you and
members of your family are engaged
deeply in works OF charity, and
YOU KNOW these conditions. But
shall we not have some thing better
than charity,-relief? and a relief
that, while it is simply just and right
to people born with nerves and activi-
tics, at the same time rebounds to the
actual material good of those blest
with the power and privilege to be-
come its promoters: since it is demon
strated that one-half of the aggre-
gate of labor now actually performed
land this is probably an understate-
ment) would by cooperative methods
insure to the entire people both COM
fort and luxury.
That there are many lin the indi-
gent class who are unwilling to work,
is theory, perhaps plausible one.
Its truth or falsity, however, or the
extent of either, cannot be demon
strated under present conditions.
Any movement, though it might be
far short of complete cooperation,
which would provide SAY under the
present wage system employment tor
all mature and able persons every
where, at compensation of not less
than s. day, would not only sife the
Industrious from the lazy, but would
diminish the actual number of willing
idlers, through making such uncom-
fortably conspicuous. Able bodied
beggary would then at once convict.
1t does not now: at least not Justly.
NoTE.-The alarming thing is not espccl-
ally or only that our national existence is
threatened by present conditions that worse
things than We have yet seen are at hand
but that there is starvation and helpless
restitution here and now.
If there were but one such instance a
month, or one year or one in ten years, it
should rest upon the public conscience, and
that not merely a. thing to be regretted
but as something TO be prevented; some
thing To be rene died.
This is the HUMANE, and permit US to say,
the JUST side of it.
The remedy has been thought out. and set
forth clearly. 1t is mutualism. And mutu-
alism involves no leyeling down but lifts all
to greater wealth and luxury with opportu-
mites for abundant leisure and refinement
This is the ECONOMIC, the BUSINESS side.
The approaches to mutualism may be at
tended with initial expense. SO Is 1t with
business; expense tending to profit This
initial expense should be met by fair and
just taxation, based on present ability to
pay, or by the voluntary offerings of those
who, loving humanity, can adequately pro-
vide for the safe launching of this universal
partnership We appeal 10 you as one of
the wealthy to declare that this propo-
sition tends to both justice and profit. Is It
not so:
As TO details Of ORGANIZED ro-onera-