The independent., 1905-03-09
What Are tho Facts?

What Are tho Facts?
Editor Independent: Permit me to
'but in to a small extent in the dis
cussion between yourself and Mr..
Ghent.
You say: "The Independent holds
that there is an eternal principle OF
right and wrong, never changing and
as indestructible as God himself"
|, as a socialist, agree with you; and
yet, |, as a socialist, agree with Mr..
Clients proposition that the economic
force is the handspring of action
OF course I may believe contradic-
ton, but the two propositions quoted
are no more contradictory than the two
following statements were forty years
ago: People do not hear one another
talk at great distance apart. There
is force called electricity by the use
of which people can hear one another
| talk when they are miles apart.
| Now the reason that the economic
| force is the handspring of action arises
from the fact that the people as a
whole have never yet learned the eter-
nal principle of right and wrong. Up
| to the hour of writing this copy they,
instead of governing their economic
conditions, have been governed by
them. Like the man in the story of
the Arkansaw Traveller, they don't put
roof on their house until forced to do
so by the rain, and then when it rains
they can't
| The materialst side of humanity is
| just as true as tyranny, and the spir-.
/ itual or metaphysical side of humanity
/ is just as true as liberty. 1t is true
that tyranny is an abnormity, but it
exists per force of economic conditions
and other causes in the same manner
that boil or case of literary dls-
ability exists in spite of good health or
intelligence
If the people understood the princi-
pie of equal liberty (made plain enough
by Herbert Spencer for the average in
tellect to comprehend) they would con-
troll the material circumstances to
which they have always been and are
now subject to an extent which pre-
vents them from securing the full prod
|
to do so by another eternal law-that
of self-preservation-j as they have
always and are now moved by the same
law to revolt when economic oppres-
sion grows to a point beyond endur-
ance.
In the light of history and expert
ence | do not see why the theory OF
economic determinism will not make
: good" at the present time as it always
has, But this is not saying that the
masses will never get onto theil
jobs WILLIS HUDSPETH.
Omaha, Neb.
(Mr. Clients contention, and that il
the MARKHAM contention, is not that eco
}. nomic force is the handspring of ac
ton, but that economic force, which il
selfishness, conditions all our actions
both mental and physical. That is th
fundamental thing in materialism ant
, it is intended to leave no place for tn
: spiritual nature of man. If that Is true
) there could be no such thing as fun
damental principle of right and wrong
! Man is the result or some cnemica
atoms having happily fallen togethe
, under just the right conditions. Pei
! haps now that the atomic theory hel
SO long, has fallen, we should say som
! radio active electrons came together
4 These materialists make an arguemen
! that when Abraham Lincoln got O
Q his horse to pull some pigs out of tn
) mud, he was acting from purely selfis
{ motives They have to. If economi
u force conditions sall' activity, ther
g can be no exceptions.-Ed. Ind
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