Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-06-11
christianity
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with duty TO God and duty to self: there
is cur duty to our neighbor as well. The
first lesson Of the ola Testament is that
every man is his brothers keeper: the
last lesson of the New is that we are to
love our neighbor as ourselves.
But uuder competitive industry, even
if Il man is not aiming al prosperity but
at mere subsistence. the only way in
which he can keep his own head above
water is by constantly showing others
down: whenever we accept situation,
we keep others out, who are, perhaps,
in greater need than we: every piece of
goods that we sell cheaper than others.
brings ruin to those who are struggling
with Il smaller capital on lower level.
Is this being our brothers. keeper? Is
this loving our neighbor as ourselves?
Y ct under this system there is no way
out of the difficulty. There are city
firms which commence every morning S
business with prayer: but as soon as
prayers are ended, the young men are
sent out to undersell all whom they come
across, and to Cypress those for whom
they have just prayed.
And so competition results in sys-
tematic adulteration of goods and the
substitution of convenient shams for
true and honest workmanship: and in
stead of every man having his place and
work, some are subject to excessive toll
and indulgence is the lot of the rest.
And those of us who apparently stand
aloof from all this, are equally respon-
sible: some of us have capital invested
in productive enterprise, and are en-
ployers by proxy; all of us buy under
the present system, and by our consump-
ton act as buttresses to the immoral
fabric. Christian love is hopelessly in
compatible with competitive strife:
whether we will it or not. whatever we
preach, we are all living dishonest and
unchristian lives.
Here. then, is our indictment against
competitive industry. The effects of
competition are-(l poverty of the
workers: o. want of leisure: 81 want of
certainty of employment a. enormous
material and intellectual waste: (5) a
block to all schemes Of reform: o. indi-
vidualism crushed out: O. human ma
ture ruined: 81 Christianity rendered
impossible. What answer is possible
to all this? There are only two an
swers, one of which is out of date al
ready, end the other we must try TO
make out Of date as soon as possible.
The first answer is that the existing
system is the only possible basis of a
leisured and cultured class Now this
was probably true century ago but it
is true no longer: our powers of produc-
ton have increased hundredfold,
while our population has only trebled,
and we are now producing wealth suf-
ticient to give to all under a new system
that leisure and culture which were
once the property of few.
Moreover, what is the character of
this wealthy class which we actually
are producing? Its best elements are
marked by Observation-Disclosures
artistic, and religious: its worst ele-
ments reveal an abyss of degradation
from which we may well pray to be
saved. In my own employment | am
constantly brought into intimate con-
tact with young men of this class and |
find them. in the main. sick of life al
ready, needless, heartless and cruel.
the very worst products of our modern
civilization. Nor can one expect any,
thing else, when one remembers that
they have no notion of the responsible
ties of wealth, no vital contact with the
basic facts of life. none of that best self
culture which comes from moderate
physical toll. The present system
gives almost as poor a chance TO the
child of the palace, as it gives to the
child Of the slums.
The second answer is that this system
works. Like some Anticipated machine.
it creaks and groans and rattlcs and
pants; it is dangerous to those who use
it, and turns out a minimum of produce
at the cost of an enormous amount OF
friction and needless toll: yet it does
work, and its advocates stand on very
firm ground when. while admitting its
cruelty and its imperfections, they
challenge us to give practical proof
that any other system would work al
all. Hence it seems to me that the
great necessity laid upon those who be-
lieve in the new order, is not so much
to preach it and win converts in that
way as to organize into communities
the hundreds who are already convert.
ed, and so exhibit in practical operation
the principles of the new life. Much
has already been done in this direction