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

pliloi " lIItlI IlSHlS, ana to turf the
decisions of our judges and the acts of
our Legislative bodies from the cause
OF the righteous, to the f1rtherance of
their labor-skinning schemes. Their
gifts are presented for the same Dur-
pose that the fisherman puts bait on
his hook, and one is as void of charity
as the other. In either case the Dur
pose is to capture the creature that is
being fed.
"Charity never faileth." Do the
gifts of the rich never fail? When they
begin to help the needy, do they let
them suffer want no more?
Ask the four million laborers who
are forced to search in vain for work.
Ask the widows and orphans who are
compelled to look to the mercy of a
cold and selfish world for food and
shelter. Ask the great army Of sui
cides who have been driven to their
dire deeds by starvation and want.
Look around you and behold the suf-
tering and misery caused bv lack of
the necessities of life, which these rich.
patriotic, upper-class citizens could so
easily relieve and then tell us if their
Sii-S WI ItllI. L - CliOBLIl 10 ilidkC
one conclude that there Is no such a
thing as charity on earth.
True charity is love for ourneighbor
as for ourselves, which cOnstrains us
to do unto others as we would have
them do unto us. 1t is the moving
principle which prompted the believers
at Jerusalem to sell their possessions.
put the proceeds together, and have
all things common. If every person
III the world were to be filled with
charity at the same time, the compe-
titive system would not stand an
hour but an advanced state of Ideal
Socialism Immediately spring into ex-
lstence, without discOrd III the whole
commonwealth. The millionaire and
the tramp would vanish from the
earth like darkness before the morn
ing sun, and equality reign through
out theuniverse. Every person would
labor according to his ability, and re-
ceive according to his wants.
And still preachers will cry out,
Socialism would leave no room for
charity. We would have no poor
to aid
1t is true that we may have social
ism without charity, but it is inpos-
sible to have charity without having
socialism to the extent ofthat charity.
Men who know not God may cooper
ate for their common interest. from
purely business motives, but people
who are filled with charity, the love of
God in the heart, are sure to labor for
the welfare of their neighbor
Some people seem very fearful that
the scripture will not be fulfilled which
says, I'VE have the poor always with
YOU and in order to have ii fulfilled
to a iot and a little, they are trying
to keep their neighbOrs poor. They
spend more of their time irving 20
keep God out Of trouble. and bring
his words To pass, than they do in
keeping themselves straight ard meet
ing their own obligations
Would it not lee charity orr helping
the poor TO take care OF ell the sick
and afflicted iii the land Would it
not he charity because ore could not
boast OF his individual lhcraliuv to
the poor? The troublc with them is.
they would not have such onportuui-
ties to blind their brothers with gifts,
nor enslavc them with hails. which
they blasphemeously call charity
Charity never upholds lazilcss nor
promotes an unjust cause 1t pro-
vides opportunities for peorI- Co earn
the necessities of life by honest indus
try and gives them the full value Of
their labor. III were a millionaire, it
would be but few gifts would bestow
upon the poor, and those would be to
people who need immediate relief !
don't believe in lulling people into a
deeper stupor and prolouging their
slavery by administering gifts, which
affect them like morphine does the hu-
man system On the contrary, /
would spend it in teaching them their
rights and duties and in establishing
cooperative colonies wherein they
could make their own support with
out relying on petty gifts.
Let us not anathematizc the word
charity because our opprcSsors take
refuge under q deceptive banner upon
which it is inscribed, but rather Del us
follow after true charity by doing Ul-
to Others as we would have them do
unto uS, ED. l. W. FAEcuUu
who ever heard of man engaging
an employee and authorizing lin TO
determine for himself how much he