The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-01-12
Mr.. s:hent Protests

protest against the statements regard
ing my recent book. Mass and CLASS,
contained in an editorial in your issue
Of Dec 20. 1904. j can not see how
anyone can so misunderstood the plain
and direct sentences in that book as
the writer of that editorial has done.
There is not. a syllable OF mine Wnlcn
can be justifiably used to Indicate that
socialists deny the moral and emo
tional facts of kindness, self-Sacrlnce,
devotion and the influence which these
have had upon human life. That men
will give generously in distress, that
thew will suffer agonies in behalf OF
movement to which they are passion
ately devoted, are truths known 10 So
ciaIists as well as to other men. and
are exemplified in the lives OF most, II
not all socialists. Nowhere perhaps
is there to be found body OF men
and women more devoted to cause,
and less influenced by sordid, indlvld-
ual selfishness.
Nothing of this. however. afrects IN
the slightest what ! have SAID IN my.
book re1ardiag the economic rorce-oI
the influence of the environment and
the influence upon class needs upon
class ethics. In what manner anu Dy
what means you have been able to READ
into nv words so brutal a concept OF
life. and action. | can not determine.
II is notable that not another critic q
INV book. radical. conservative or So
cialist. has been able to misunderstand
me. Every denuEciatory sentence you
employ against me is directly and SUI
ficiently answered in the book bearing
upon the particular phase Of your sub
iect. :,
NAV / urge that re-reading OF the
look. with more careful ccnsldera-
ton of the exact language | have USED
would probably give totally different
Of it's teachings
Very truly yours,
w. J. GHENT.
26O w. 54th st., New York City.
1t will be seen that Mr.. Client, not
he makes vehement OBJ
lection to the editorial in controversy
loes not deny that the quotations made
rom his book are correct. Can So
lat write single sentences OF his
in words that will not need
an Interpretation to arrive at their
The Independent will free
v grant space to Mr.. Client to do SO.
What idea is intended to be conveyed
~ such phrases as economic inter
,retation OF history" economic de-
elimination" 'materialistic concep-
ion OF history?" What does Mr.
}hent mean when he writes Up. 81,
dass and Glass; Whatever may be
,ur vague incIinations, towards uni
versal moral law. the stern necessity
by economic process deter
mines and fixes our practical ethics
md controls our actions!''
Ii stern necessity that is, fate,
determines and fixes our practical
thics (ethics that are not practical is
lot ethics at ALL. and controls our ac-
ions," then there is nothing else that
an control them Unselfishness has
10 control over them, the ideal is ban
shed. The Independent claims that no
ther meaning can be attached to those
words.
Again on the same page Mr.. Client
avs: '"rhe economic force is the main
pring OF action is the closely
nveloping medium which conditions
Ill activity, bodily and mentally" II
he words economic force" mean any
hing, they mean the impulse that
rives men to accumulate wealth-the
elfish desire to satisfy our animal
fants, and that impulse or desire con-
itiOns "all'' our activity, mental and {
moral The Independent still de- ;
lares that such doctrine as that is /;
evilish and damnable. II Mr.. Client
i'd not mean that, then he ought not
) have said it. The Independent was
in assuming that he did
elieve it, for it is the doctrine taught
y every socialist from Carl Marx i
/