New-York tribune., 1908-05-04
DISCUSS COMPETITION
Mr. SHcer Defends and SOCIALISTS
attack Its WOrk7ngs.

The Rev Thomas r. Slicers talk on Inc d.Se .s
of Individualism' last night In the parioIS VI '
Church OF The Ascension brought out all lhe 7'
c,a1sts in n wild race to show that individuailsIn
was as horrible as competition. and perhaps d tte
hit worse But it was Mr.. Slcer's remark that t''e
best things came only after struggle thaI oai'e'
forth what amounted 10 resentment III one VI w.
speakers. That man should have TO strussls 81
all for anything was indeed a monstrons ldea ana
they told the clergyman After they all got
tbroueh Mr. Sicer recommended the reading OF
Rabbi Ben Ezra" which. he said. IL not exactly
gospel was Of the best epistles
The meeting will be continued Tomorrow night
when Charles Johnston will explain The Cause
and Cure of Human Misery The usuai dlscussioh
will follow his explanation
Mr. Slicer said ID the outset that the present
economic condition bad and needed = change
There too many shirkers evading their duties
as individuals and fanatics were being created
through ha wing TO do than their proper shares
At each end OF the social scale he said were the
Weary Wes'' and the Reckless Regihaids.
He depiored the tendency OF those Who' becoming
slaves Of neat phrase. thought II an ldea nc
upheld competition as that thing which had done
most to raise society, but dspored that compeu-
ton which throttles the individual He then
quoted as defining society the phrase: Society Is
an organism in which every cell has consciousness
II read Belamy's Looking Backward some time
ago" he said, and / nearly broke a leg trying 10
get forward l don't want 10 live In a world Ike
that. Id rather 90 to heaven, much as dread
going there. l want TO live in q world where the
individual shall have his chance. l have no rIgh'
TO exploit ANYBODY but myself. but l have rlSht
TO exploit myself to the full to work as nard as
please and as Icng please, without interference
from anybody"
When the questions began to come at him they
ranged frCm one whether the tariff was not IN
moral to whether selhshness was not the base OF
human activity and progress Mr. Slicer answered
ell. and then twO-Tniaute speeches were MADE
All took a fan' out'of competition Sol Friedrann
thought that all forms of it were wrong ana tat
If man had brains he rather TO De pl1led
for he said: Brains IS the excuse for the damned
est crookedness in the world
A young woman, very well dressed. then rose 10
say that all evils child labor, the lack OF bread anu
butter and all others the result Of competition
We know these exist" she said, and we know
that competition exists. and they would not exist II
competition did exist Paton Brounon, tiie
East Side composer, said that no one could develop
himself in this city because of present economic
conditions. Julius Hopp. of the Socialist Theatre
said that as competition made various members OF
society unhealthy, the whole social body must De
unhealthy. and the only cure would be the re-
moval of forms of competition Mr. MitcheH
came TO the defense of Mr.. Slicer by saying that
good things must be had through effort, and that
hard knocks were rather desirable than otherwise
Then competition got few more hard raps ana
the meeting