The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1916-03-23
DRAWS CORRECT
DISTINCTION

Gig Harbor, WASH, Mar. Is, 1915.
Open Forum.
Comrade Editor;
Almost, might say with Omar;
Myself, when young did eagerly fire.
quent:
Doctor and Saint, and heard great
argument;
About it, and about, but ever yet,
Came out the door, wherein went.
That's how it struck me when l
read the discussion on Economic De-
terminism, and it all arose from
Comrade Stone confusing Materialism
with the aforementioned.
All of US do things every day that
are not in line with our economic in
terests. Personally, l wish to be a
good story writer; why? | might, if
| ever could get brain storm big
enough, produce a novel. 1t would
bring in money that would suit my
economic interests all right, for | need
it badly. But, further, and more than
that, it would duly initiate my ego;
would have achieved my ambition, and
a powerful factor that is in mems
lives.
Were my economic interests secure,
that ambition would still be there, and
demand qualification.
Why are men volunteering and dy-
ing by thousands in Europe? Because
it satisfies material need.
They have given up good positions,
many of them, hurting their economic
interests, to follow that ages old call
to patriotism-not to satisfy the soul,
or any other nebulous proposition, but
to fill a craving that is material
enough, as any student of psychology
can tell, and instances of like nature
can be multiplied. They can be dug
out of our own daily lives.
True, it is fundamental that our
bodily needs be satisfied first, but that
was not the issue. Nay, if ALL our
deeds were ordered by the sordid ma
chine-like process of economic inter
est, what a damnable world it would
be. Life tastes better, for little hu-
mainly, a little idealism in it, and
that, my friends, is also materialism.
1t satisfies some material desire. For
all things are material, and likewise
all things are complex, moving, ever
flowing, never stable; nothing so sim
pie. All things are, and are not; ev-
erything is becoming. And life in its
many ramifications is swayed and
torn, and tossed about, by chaos of
emotions, as well as by the fateful
chase after the whitewithal.
Marx, the brilliant scholar, chose
poverty for his life; he couldn't help
1T, but it wasn't economic interest that
made him champion the working class,
and ostracism. In a broad and class
sense, 1t was, but as truly in a per-
sonal sense, it was not. But he sacri-
feed himself, and also he did not. He
sacrificed a career and wealth. But
that could not have satisfied the cray
ing for the truth in science he was
searching for, nor give him the pleas
ure he got amongst his misery, from
fighting the ruling class.
l expect to gain nothing from So
clalism, in an economic sense. | never
expect to see it. But as a drunkard
loves his jag, and an opium eater his
pill, SO do l love my dope; it thrills
me as nothing else would. But this
is running far over the limit.
Mr.. Editor, let this through. and
III not offend again. / intended to
have quotations from Marx and En-
gels to prove my case. But readers
who will look up "Roots of Socialist
Philosophy" by Engels, will see this
borne out. Everyone should read it.
FRED S. FAULKNER.