The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-01-10
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In your notice of my article in the
Weratchee World, you appear to chal-
enge socialism on account Of its
attitude on the war, and the ac-
tivities of Bolshevism in Europe.
While those topics seem entirely for
eign to the criticism made of Doctor
Bryan's statements, and while my per-
sonal attitude on the war, or any 9TH
er subject, except the one under con-
sideration, is a matter of no import
ance, yet | should be lacking in cour-
tesy, II in making reply, did not
notice the implied criticism.
For a number of years l have been
dissatisfied with some of the policies
of the socialist party and have been
outside of the organization. The posi-
ton assumed by some of the social
lists during the war met my hearty
disapproval. The |. w. w. element
was too largely in evidence to suit
me. am very positively opposed to
violence in any form, and believe no
good cause need resort to 1t for the
furtherance of it's ends. Not only so,
but regard an appeal to force certain
to hinder, rather than advance, a
righteous cause. The late war was
an unacceptable tragedy and, l believe,
had to be fought out. My opinion is,
that we should have Immediately
declared war upon the sinking of the
Lusitania. have a son in the 41st
Division. and should have been in the
army myself but for my age. 1t ap-
peared to me, that every ounce of
power America had should be devoted
to winning the war. | have had no
criticism for the administration, and
within the limits of my ability have
tried to aid every war cause. And
have had no hesitation in voicing my
hatred of German brutality. These
statements SEEM hardly appreciate,
but your remarks have rendered them
necessary. They ought, l think, be
ample to establish my standing as an
American. AS a well-wisher of the
race, | became interested in socialism
some twenty-five years ago. The more
closely | studied it's philosophy, the
more convinced l became that it Is
scientific and based upon the i'm
pregnable foundation of right have
not refused to attend to every objec-
ton urged against it, nor have I ever
apologized for the excesSes Of which
some of it's adherents have been
guilty. Regarded by many as a men,
ace to religion, and numbering many
agnostics and materialists among it's
adherents, it is. to me, the applica-
ton of the Christian ideals to the in
dustrial and commercial life of the
world could not be Christian
without being socialist and l doubt
very much if | could be socialist
without being Christian.
Whether we oppose or defend it we
should understand it sufficiently to
speak intelligently with regard to it's
claims. Ignore it as We may, social
ism Is to fill the world with discus
i sion for years to come, and no one
unfamiliar with its fundamentals can
speak about it. effectively. have
| such confidence in its correctness
that ! am certain that if It were un-
derstoOd, no really honest man in the
country would reject it. Every criti-
cism | have seen or heard, has been
| based upon some misunderstanding OF
its principles. or upon some supposed
difficulty in their application. ! have
never read work against socialism
| that did not advertise the authors
lack of knowledge. That is the rea-
son | criticised Doctor Bryan's an.
lalysis. Usually the opponents content
themselves by taking a fling at some
man of straw of their own building
and when they have torn their figmen,
! to tatters they feel they have destroy.
ed the poisonous thing as the doctor
fcalled it. AS a people, we are pretty
well satisfied with ourselves, and thu
man who intimates we are ignorant
and do not know how to think, let!
himself in bad with a whole lot o
folks. l have chosen to pay attention
to Doctor Bryan because of his prom
inence as teacher. and also becaus,
his article was advertised as prepared
at the special request of the World
The reasonable inference is that h
is regarded as highly competent t,
treat the subject, and that he ha'
Iample time for careful preparation
If under these circumstances the an
a1ySic &c not raprocaufofiva wh or