Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-06-24

lent Most Americans nave undoubt-
EDDY approved his activity against the
Reds.
just what anarchism is, though. is
still unappreciated BY ninety-nine PEG
pie out Of a hundred.
That is TO say, philosophical anarch-
ism, although it has existed as phil
osophy Of life for countless centuries
and under It's present specific name
for a good many years, is not popu-
larry understood. Most people think
az It as having some connection with
infiammatory oratory and bomb throw
ing. They don'G associate it with such
men as Tolstoy. Ibsen, Walt Whitman,
William Lloyd Garrison and many
others who have not been wild-eyed
fanatics, but who have believed SO
thoroughly in the freedom of the in
dividual that they have stood opposed
TO what is called 'coercive authority
S Oh lien believe that in power there
is quality which leads TO its abuse
and that the ideal condition is one in
which enlightened selfshness and in
| tell gence make each individual law
to himself.
Il is the fashion to speak of anarch-
ism as a foreign and un-American
product Very few people seem to be
aware that the founder of the cult Of
philosophical anarchisn was an Amer
lean, member of one of the most ia
nous families of Massachusetts, a
man of strictly moral and helpful iitc,
and a mechanical genius TO whom We
owe, among other inventions, that OF
the cylinder press which throws hun
dreds of newspapers in less time than
Il took the old fiat press to print ten.
This very able American Josiah War
rem, born in Boston in 1898, and resi-
dent during a considerable part Of his
career in and near Cincinnati, has had
very little attention in the books on
American history, and it is only very
recently that a little biography, writ
ten by William Baillie, a Boston man
ufacturer, who IS especially interested
in the doctrines of philosophical an
archism, has thrown new light on Il
most remarkable character of the
nineteenth century, one whose theor-
les and observations had large in
fuenee upon such English leaders as
Robert Dale owen, John Stuart Mill
and Herbert Spencer.
Personally, Josiah Warren was OF
course a very different kind of anarch-
list from the fierce reds OF France, the
story of whose strained relations with
the police has lately been described
graphically by. Alvin F. Sanborn, in
his Paris and the Social Revolution, the
best book written on the subject OF
the foreign brands of anarchism
against which President Roosevelts
activities have been directed. War
rem, who was versatile Yankee in
dividualist of the same stock as the
hero of Bunker hill battle, was man
whom no one would have wanted to
deport. even if there had been an anti
anarchist agitation in his day He
simply carried to its logical conclusion
the belief of Thomas Jefferson and
the anti-federalist leaders of our early
history to the effect that that govern
ment is best which governs least.
His favorite doctrine was thet Every
one should be free to dispose Of his
person, his time his property and his
reputation as he pleases, but always
at his own cost He claimed that
imam seeks freedom as the magnet
seeks the pole or water its level, and
society can have no peace until everv
member is really free" Mr.. Baillie's
investigations, recalling very interest
ing incidents in the history of wha.
was then the far West. show that al
| though Joshiah Warren was not by
nature a great organizer his under
takings we're much more successful
than the socialistic and cCmmunistic
ventures which were popular back in
the nineteenth centuary and which
without exception failed because they
did not take into account the differ
e1ces which Nature has established
among individuals.
In Cincinnati. where Mr.. Warren
got his start in life as a manufacturer
of lamps. he opened ON May Is, 1927.
the first equity store, designed to Illus
trate what he called the cost prin-
ciple This was Known as the time
store" because of a peculiar and orig
inal method adopted to liz and regu-
late the amount of the merchant ;
compensation. All goods had GER
tain price which was fixed by their
cost in money together with fair
loading charge to cover the running
Expenses of the store and then a
charge was also made for as much Of
the merchants time as was consumed
in making the purchase. Incidents
were not unknown Of economical per
sons grabbing for goods from the
counter and getting OF with only one
lcents worth Of the merchants time.
In payment for the time service the
customer ordinarily gave his labor
lnote, something after this form;
Due to Josiah Warren ON demand
thirty minutes in carpenter work.
John Smith"
After Mr.. Smith had accumulated
notes representing. say, half a days
work he would be engaged by Mt
Warren to make needed repairs at the
store or in his house. Profit in the