Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1899-02-04
GoloDiza tioD.

NOiOLiZdtIOH lOI cooperation is III
the air. Calls for the organization Of
new colonies come from all directions:
and from what l have seen of the or
gan of the B c c, l have vet to hear
the first voice raised in protest. From
one point of view this is laudable. 1t
looks and sounds like socialism, and
more socialists is what we want.
One set OF men ought to have as good
right to have a colony as another.
Why should anyone object?
Bnt what about the original pur-
pose OF the B c c to capture and So
cialize state-the state of Washing
ton-and make it an ideal that the
other states will initiate? How is
the formation of colonies outside of
the state going to help do this True
many socialists cannot go to Wash
ingtOn but is it not also true that
the more you COLOMBO outside of it's
limits the more you retard its cap
ture? Socialists who have been at
tracted elsewhere will not be on hand
when we want to make our sally to-
ward Olympia.
"Oh," some one may say, "we are
not bound to do all that the initiators
intended; the cooperative colonies
are vast Improvement on our pres
ent system; and reforms must come
slowly" If state socialism is unde-
sirable let us give it up. But if it is
what we aspire to why side track it
Reforms generally do come slowly,
not that the new principles will there
by grow better, but because of the
difficulty of getting enough converts;
and these are not made by those who
hold back lest we go too fast.
AS look at it, colonies were in
tended as the means to induce social
lists to come to Washington, and to
be effective they must be located in
that state. If they are an end in them
selves, it matters not where they are
located. But such course is likely
to become an obstacle in the way of
attaining the object towards which
the B c c has been aspiring.
No matter how much easier the col
onies will make the struggle for exist
ence they are already competing with
each other, and the whole competitive
system will simply be transferred
from individuals to colonies. The
contest now on between the former
and cooperation must inevitably be
renewed between the latter and state
control, for when colony life has be-
come 1.-THE fashion, the greater part
of the members will only pout at the
idea of going any farther, just as the
people now do at the colonization
movement.
Populists formulated their demands
but the besetting sin of the mid-road-
ers is that they still adhere to the
original principles. Everything that
looked like reform was hailed with
delight until the ranks were filled with
halfconverts who made it synonymous
with fusion. and the demands drop
ped out. There is now more at issue
between mid-rOaders and fusioniSts
than between the latter and gold
bugs. So it may become with the
case under consideration. All social
lists; of course, have a right to their
opinions; but if part of them can
not go SO far as government socialism
it is not quite clear why they should
hang on to the B c c wagon.
Most people do not follow the con-
illusions OF pure logic. If they are to
adopt government ownership of the
means of production they must be
driven to it, step by step by necessity,
or attracted to it by brilliant exam
pie in actual operation. The former
involves much time and suffering.
The latter requires that socialists
keep in view the aims of the B c c,
give up their 1--WE have as good right
as you feeling, and all pull together
to set the example that all mankind
will follow. Washington is still
ahead on colonies, but if she is not
the proper state to capture let us de-
eide which is and then "On to Wash
;noton" ASAEI ARSON Oak