The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-10-02

The charge so often made against
us that we do not seem to know what
we want, that there are 81 different
varieties of Socialism, and that every
Socialist seems to have some notion
of his own that no other Socialist be-
lieves in, ETC., is unfortunately partly
true.
1t is of course a fact that we all
want the cooperative commonwealth.
Regardless of all other differences,
that is settled. theoretically we also
all of us subscribe to the belief in the
existence of the class struggle. But
only theoretically. Few of us are con-
sistent enough to apply the theory in
our daily life. Most of US have en-
braced the philosophy of the material
istic conception of history and believe
that in any nation, the form of gov
ernment, the religious beliefs the
morals, manners and usages are re-
Election of the prevailing way in which
the people Of that nation earn their
living. But we only believe, we sell
dom remember that conditions and
not men are to blame for what we do
not like. We are afraid of hurting the
feelings of our religious and senti-
mental sympathizers by the denial of
the Importance of Individual will
power, which is implied in this phil
osophy. We silently acquiesce in the
MARKHAM theory of value, but do not
care to make much noise about it
for fear that we will drive away our
middle-class friends, who will never
concede that all the robbery of the
workers is perpetrated Gin the shop"
In other words, we dare not preach
the truth for fear of losing in num-
bers. We are hypocrites. And then
we are only creatures of our environ
ments, for this is the era of hypocrisy
and insincerity. In fact, we have not
enough audacity (for fear of being
considered "cranks'') to completely
emancipate ourselves from the COM
mon curse, The difference Sctweol
the teachings of one Socialist and an
other is therefore merely the extent
to which one has thrown away capi-
talist superstitions and absorbed So
cialist truths more than the other.
In other words, we are all Socialists,
but one more so than the other.
We all agree about the cooperative
commonwealth. We disagree disgust
ingly in regard to tactics. If we could
only forget everything else and only
strive for the ultimate goal, but we
can't 1t is too far away yet-a mere
ideal in fact.JWe are confronted with
everyday affairs and have to make
up our minds daily as to our proper
attitude as against these affairs.
What shall we do then? Obviously
there is only one way and that is to
frequently meet and discuss the prob
lens, and having discussed them, to
decide, and having decided, to obey
the decision rendered by the major
lity + 1t is for that purpose that the
local exists for local decisions, the
state organization for decisions of
statewide Importance and the ma
tional party for the solution of ma
tional problems. The recluse, who
herds with himself, with his books
and his papers, and imagines that he
knows it all, and refuses to partici-
pate in 'the party quarrels," is utter
ly useless and is moreover not So
cialist, no matter how well he knows
his Marx, since the first principle of
Socialism is cooperation. United ac-
ton can come only from absolute sub
mission to majority rule. Majority
rule will be the rule of ignorance and
stupidity unless we educate ourselves
through exchange of ideas, in debates
and "qaurrels," until we have rubbed
off the sharpest corners of our "indi-
vidualities" and have learned to act
as collectivists. Perfect unity can
come only through perfect truth. We
can all agree that two and two makes
four. No chance for a quarrel there.
Until we arrive at such a unanimity
in regards to sociological problems,
we shall be compelled to accept ma
jority rule as the next best thing. Let