The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-09-21
Thinks ohenchain Pessimistic

Thinks ohenchain Pessimistic
Chicago, ILL.,, Sept. 1S-To the Editor of The
Independent: I read your editorial "The Lot OF
the Toler" with much interest, for it touched the
right spot in at least one workingmans heart
was surprised, therefore, when C. E. Obenchain
criticised you so severely for writing it. | think
that he entirely misconstrues its meaning. take
it that your object was to show that under the
present industrial system the workman has COM
pensations which should prevent him from being
pessimistic and constantly unhappy.
Mr.. Obenchan's criticism that your editorial
was pessmistic is unfair. 1t Is he who is pessi-
mistic. He complains because you say that "the
lot of the laboring man has slowly but surely
improved in the last 200 or 300 years.. He thinks
this bit of cynical humor," and yet industrial
progress must be slow. Socialism, of which Mr..
Obenchain is such stout advocate, is founded
on the theory of evolution and your critic should
know that if we to have socialism it must be
gradual development such as that which in the
last 300 years has evolved the 7wage-earner from
the feudal serf. Socialism could not be made eff
fective at even by revolution. 1t is still in
the theoretical state and many years would be
reuired to perfect the socialistic organization
If it were practicable. Why, then, should
Mr. Obenchain be SO angry because you frankly
admit that conditions are improving slowly. If
socialism improved the lot of the toiler it would
be by a slow process. If the workingman is to
find no cause for cheer until we have socialism
he will be unhappy for many long years. Your
editorial made it clear that the workman has
sons for happiness and it was therefore decided
ly optimistic, and did not in the least cover up
minimize the hard lot of the worlmen-ninety-
six per cent of the entire population-who must
earn their bread by the sweat of their brows.
You showed that workman's health skill,
energy, etc, are as good to him is the capital
of the employer, that they take the place of cap
ita and cannot be as easily impaired by hard
times. Very unfairly, think, Mr.. Obenchain says
"of course it is selfevident that if the workman
has nothing he lose nothing" You proved
that the workingman has something of such stable
value that it is not susceptible to hard times
capital. Your critic declares that the capitalist
has money to buy bread in hard times and the
Morkngman has not. You were demonstrating
that the capitalists by thu thousands fail in hard
times, losing all their money. Where then do
they get the money to buy bread? Let bark
back to the hard times in the nineties. knew
scores of workmen who could not obtain posi-
tions / was one of them. / lived through the
hard times just as the others did, They were
fearful days. But I knew capitalists who had
lost their all and they were making their way
through the hard times just as And some
of those capitalists of other days workmen
now and are earning small salaries because they
were and are unskilled.
Mr. Obenchain may say that it is indeed
hard world under the competitive system. Even
capitalists are slaves to it's cruel laws. But am
not taking issue with him that point and in
your editorial you did not try to conceal the fact
that imam was made to mourn" You simply tried
to indicate that there good things in life
that many men wilfully overlook. And / am of
the opinion that socialists make their chief error
in contending that the greatest measure of our
unhappness comes from inequality of wealth.
was taught, and still believe, that most of
misery comes from breaking the laws of God
Lust, intemperance, sloth, pride, envy, hate, de-