The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-24
GOOD .ApvlcE-rooR REASON.

In Il magazine article Just published
Job Hartman, a we'll known socialist
leader of Los Angeles. advises socialists
everywhere against the direct action
policy advocated by n certain group of
agita,ors, that is, the policy of vio-
lence. of disregard for law, of force
applied without regard to the rights of
the individual or the public. This is
the direct action policy as advocated
and applied by certain labor leaders
who have been quite active of late,
notably in connection with the Indus
trial Workers of the World, by the
McNamaras and the men who aided
in the planning md execution of their
dynamite campaign, by Carrie Nation
in her Var on saloons. 10y the militant
s%uffragettes of England, who have de-
veloped from hecklers at public meet
ings to throwers of bombs and burners
of buildings.
MIR. Hartman opposes this direct
action method. He urges the use of
peaceful methods. political action
through the ballot. educational work,
appeals to reason and conscience. and
the methods generally which appeal
to sane people. He urges the peace
full course because the other course
will be usless. Violence, he says, cam
not be effective in securing the rights
Of the working man, because capital
is possessed Of the means of combat-
ing violence with greater violence, and
in the struggle the worker must be
crushed. 1Io says that the capitalists
have possession of the army and navy,
the police, arms and ammunition.
great wealth. and everything needed
to strike crushing blows at the people
who undertake 10 take what they
want by force.
Mr.. Harriman's advice is good. The
reasons which he advances for it are
poor and inadequate. The policy of
violence ought not to be followed, in
the first place. because it is wrong, and
utterly at variance with the very UNI
damentals of social government. We
have, let us hope, made some progress
from the condition Of the cave man,
when force was the only law recog-
nized. And, if We are to have states,
and nations, and orderly society, and
the safety and security which go with
those things, there must be an auth
ority higher thar the individual or any
private association of individuals to
which we must look for the cure of
evils and the redress of grievances.
That authority is the civil govern.
ment, and that authority must be re-
spected and obeyed. If it's authority
is not properly exerted. such changes
must be made as will bring about the
needed reforms. but the individual
cannot be permitted to set up his own
judgment that Of the state, and to de-
fy its authority.
Again, the policy OF violence will
be ineffective, not because capital has
the greater force on its side, but be-
cause throughout the land there are
millions of the plain people, farmers
and laborers, clerks and merchants,
students and teachers, people of every
occupation and profession, who are
not Capitalists" but just people, who,
even though they may appear indif-
ferent at times. though they are slow
to act. difficult to arouse. wrapped I'D
In their private affairs, are yet loyal
citizens who love their country and
value its institutions, who wish to rear
their families in peace. who respect
the personal and property rights OF
others. and who insist that their rights
shall be respected. And these people.
who are here by the million, will not
permit or tolerate long the operation
of a system which calls for the de-
struction of property, for attacks on
the persons or the freedom Of action
of others. and there We have a force,
both moral and physical, which must
be reckoned with.
Mr.. Harriman's advice is good. but
his argument for it is weak because
placed on low ground. The man who
applies the element Of force to take
what he wants. regardless of the law
Of the land and the rights Of his fell
low man is a bad citizen, a bad neigh.
Dor, and an altogether undesirable
character.