Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-11-19
AN AVERAGE MANS MOVEMENT.

Siie'N iieaNN IL SlllCC QdWIl
OF history is the fact that it is distinc-
lively and emphatically a movement
OF the average man.
A movement of the masses, of the
proletariat, of those who have not en-
Joyed exceptional advantages. Who,
as rule, have not had leisure and OBJ
portunities for education, culture
and refinement. Who have not learned
what they know of socialism
through reading of books, listening to
a multiplicity of eloquent orations and
logical lectures, but have imbibed
their ideas from the fountain head of
all neutrality-suspicious..
And this is the one feature that gives
the deep thinker, the philosopher and
student of human nature, not only
hope, but an abiding faith in the sue
cess OF this movement in the near flu
ture. And this movement is but one
OF many of like character but differing
in form, that are all tending towards
the same point where, when reached,
they will naturally unite for the final
struggle that is bound to come, and
this struggle can in the ultimate, in the
nature OF things have but one ending,
and that ending the total discontinue
and overthrow OF the whole capital
1st1c-nlonOpolistic system of greed
and injustice.
Heretofore cooperative colonization
moves have been made by those who
were either actuated by strong re-
ligiOus sentiment, orby advanced, Gull
tured idealists who co-operated more
on account of harmonious and agree
able associations anticipated than for
other reasons. The Shakers offer a
typical example OF the former class
and Brook Farm of the latter.
In either case but little appreciable
effect is made on the great mass of
humanity. Both classes are out of
touch with the vast majority of man
kind. They are specialists in the men,
talrealln, wonderfully developed along
certain lines and extremely deficient
on others.
Such movements are not valueless
by any means, but III the nature of
things cannot be more than surface
indications.
But within the past decade a differ
ent movement begins to show signs
of attaining great power and pre-e1n-
inence as q part of the great social
movement.
Ruskin, The Labor Exchange and
several independent colonies paved the
way, and now national associations
are formed and more are being formed
originated and carried on by plain
every day working people who have
not had university uOr many of them
fair common school education, who
are neither cultured, refined nor very
idealistic, who are intellectually and
morally imperfect and for the most
part willing to acknowledge the
corn but who drawing their inspir-
alton from the very fountain head, the
source of all true acknowledgements
ton, press onward towards a higher
order of things, a truer civilization, as
if propelled by an irresistible though
unseen power. These people, and the
writer is decidedly and emphatically
one of them, differ but little, except in
theory, from the great unthinking
masses who are the lnainstay and sup
port of plutocracy.
Agreed on fundamentals. vet they
differ, contend and even wrang!e over
different methods proposed, often ac-
cuse one another wrongfully, indulge
in cheap gossip, weaknesses of Ordin-
airy human nature just the same as the
other fellers."
But the rough, hardy, uncultivated
pioneers of the Socialist movement, be
their line of work either political, edu-
cational or colonizational, are believ-
ers in and followers of the sublimest
theory that ever was or ever will be
imagined by the mind of man, and
that theory is just as sure to make
better men and women of the holders
thereof as good seed sOwn at the
proper time in fertile soil is sure to
spring up in the form of plants.
And now a word to those who con-
template coming to Equality with the
expectation of finding either ideal
conditions or ideal people.
DROP THAT WEAK IDEA.
The ideal MAN hasn't shown up yet
in this age. He exists, as yet, only i'll
the mental realm. In building upideal
surroundings we have got 10 rebuild
ourselves which is the most important
and probably the hardest part of
the job.
Bat facts are facts, and those who
shrink from the task ON account of its
difficulty had better not come, as
towards are worse than useless at
the front.