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INDUSTRIAL
FREEDOM
Vol. I
THE ERA OF ACTION.
[Written for Industrial Freedom.]
Although it may be difficult for the
casual observer to discern a glimmer of
light in the economic darkness of the
western hemisphere, our European
neighbors from their watch-towers are
prophesying and anxiously waiting for
America to make the advance step
which shall shako off the fetters of des
potism and bring the dawn of true lib
,.tv. They look upon America as the
battle ground, the storm-center, of the
elements which arc struggling for the
emancipation of humanity,
It is probable that our neighbors
know us better than we know ourselves.
They discern thut we arc .a people who
act rather than debate: a people who
rarely or never look at a question in
the abstract, but who cross the bridges
when they come to them. In other
words, we are a practical people, less
prone to construct ideals than to meet
the exigencies of the hour with the
most ready weapons at our command.
There is reason to believe that the
people of this republic have forged be*
vond the stage of inaction, the era of
dreaming, the days when men gathered
to discuss the patty trivialities which
ruffle, the shallow waters of partisan
polities. The financial bugbear and
the tariff monstrosity are brushed
aside; even the economic problems
which mean so much in the emancipa
tion of the human race receive but
scant courtesy. Men are weary of
doubting and dreaming, of studying
problems which are doomed at their
birth by the conscienceless decisions of
a corrupt judiciary. for ..time lias
come for action. They are learning the
problem of advancing along the line of
least resistance.
The advance guard in the reform
forces are sometimes needless!) dis
heartened by the seeming carelessness
of the American people and their neg
lect to study the grave problems which
confront them as they have confronted
mi people since the dawn of history.
It is true that we have entered a cru
cial period: Wo are treading on un
known ground. The history of the
growth ami decay of civilization from
'lie most remote ages has nothing to
parallel the closing years of the nine
teenth century. The wonderful inven
tions of labor-saving machinery, and
the birth and rapid development of new
sciences? are bringing new and unequal
conditions, while the science of govern
ment stands still the same as in past
ages- a might} barrier to Industrial j
ami poll) freedom. '-■ |;
if we endeavored to transact the busi
in—...' the present day by means of the
stage coach Instead of the locomotive
». could not present a stranger spec*
tacle than we do In persisting In a form
ef government which we have outgrown
and which Is centuries behind our
development as a people. The incon
fruit) of our methods of government
with our growth in 'hi' sciences i
bringinij us to a crisis. It is like put
ting new wine in old bottles; it is like
putting new ami powerful engines In
the worm-oaten and water-soaked hull
its rotten ship, anil the only wonder Is
that the newer civilization has not
dreadt broken away (ran the ancient
methods which were not even good
rough for colonial days.
With the throbbing, pulsating heart
■est of anew life, straining every tim
"■'■oi a-hip which was never designed
■* such stormy seen, with the inereas
ng possibilities of wreck and disaster,
' M pardonable if reformers are some
lutes nervous over the outcome.
To add to the peculiarity ofour-itua
"xi, we Bad ourselves looking to the
■lit world for lessons on municipal ami
latiunul affairs, for the monarchies of
ftirope have undoubtedly made mate*
iiil progress in the art of government,
rue) are manifestly adapting the fune
ioii- of government to new conditions.
•hit America is developing rapidly In
ioeialistle thought and practical action.
fee people are ready to welcome with
I»en arms any innovation which will
insure them an escape from the indus-
Hal ami economic ills which lieset
hem. The efforts now being put forth
') the Hrotherhood of the Co-operative
"""""iiw.-uitb ;' for the . establishment
' Practical co-operation In the place of
uleldal competition * are' meeting with
ne earnest consideration and support
' me& in nil 'classes.v* While co-opera-'
, '"" among wealth-owners Is assuming
the form of trusts and syndicates, the
wealth-producers are studying care
fully the plans of the Labor Exchange,
the Hrotherhood and the Social Democ
racy, anil they are. learning that the
motto of Saint Simon: ' 'From each ac
cording to his ability: to each accord
ing to his needs," is the most righteous
and the most practical rule for a civi
lised community to follow.
The colonisation plans of the Broth
erhood are eminently practical, and its
pioneers are blazing a path which
countless thousands will tread in the
near future. The rapid growth ami
development of this organization is an
evidence that the people are looking
for the shortest road to industrial
liberty. Its plans arc well laid, and it
is furnishing a practical object lesson of
what can be done by true co-operators.
Yes, we have entered an era of ac
tion, in which will lie consummated the
fondest dreams of the world's best and
wisest men.
It was their gift to prophesy, and it is
ours to fulfil the coming realism of ma
terial equality and universal brother
hood. H. V. CATON.
A New Proclamation of Emancipa
tion.
For centuries, amid the din and tur
moil, the strife and suffering of bar
barous and unnecessary struggle for
existence, noble-minded, true-hearted
men have been earnestly grappling
with the great social problems which
confront mankind, and through evil
and good report, patiently preparing
the way for a higher and a truer civ
ilization, while the multitude of baser
mould, careless of their fellows, have
devoted their whole time and ener
gies to personal gratification and self
ish aggrandizement. Today while
the exploiters of labor, with the help
of their political allies, are binding
faster the chains of industrial bond
age on the enslaved and impoverished
toil* and devising new schemes of
spoliation and plunder, some of the
greatest scholars and thinkers, the
purest patriots and philanthropists of
the age. reading clearly the "Mene,
mene. tekel, upharsin," written on
the walls of our competitive social
structure, are unselfishly and labori
ously planning, a reconstruction of
society which aims at the emancipa
tion of labor and the regenera
tion of the world. Now, while the
social atmosphere is dark and heavy
with portents of social disaster and I
the masses are hopelessly and help
lessly groping in the darkness, while
the hearts of the timid are fearful, 1
and well meaning but fanatical en
thusiasts are crying 1.0 here! and Lo
there! these true-headed, true-souled
humanitarians have thrown a ray of
light and hope athwart the gloom by
inaugurating the most promising,
practical, scientific, equitable, com
prehensive ami beneficial plan of so
cial reform ever submitted to the un
prejudiced judgment of mankind.
The Brotherhood of the Co-operative
Commonwealth,an organization back
ed and endorsed by some of the ablest
economists, profoundest philosophers,
truest patriots- and philanthropist-,
most experienced organisers and ed
ucators of this country.invites the at
tention of all Intelligent persons In
terested in the social problems of the
age and the general welfare of hu
manity. For reliable Information in
regard to this great epoch making
movement Inquire at the office of the
Sun. where you may read the consti
tution and by-laws of the organiza
tion. We also invite all who arc en
tirely satisfied with the present sell
ish, Individualistic,anarchical system
of society with all Its waste, suffer-
Ing, strife, Injustice and slavery to
call and register.—The Shelby (Neb.)
Sun.
To say why a great man appears on
the stage at a certain epoch, or what
of his own individual development he
Imparts to the world at large, Is be
yond our power; it is the secret of
Providence, but the fact is still cer
tain. There are men to whom the
spectacle of society In a state of. an
archy or immobility is revolting and
almost unbearable; It occasions them
an intellectual shudder, as a thing
that should not be; they feel an un
conquerable desire to change It; to
restore order; to Introduce something
general, regular and permanent Into
! the world which Is placed before them.
—Culzot.
EDISON, SKAGIT COUNTY, WASH.. SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1898.
MUSINGS OF fl MOSSBfIGK.
[Written for Industrial Freedom. I
The man who buys me for a one
idea man will get a bargain. I some
times have two idea- in the course
of a week.
But there is one idea I can't get,
and that is a belief In this competi
tive system.
"Don't I believe in the competitive
system?"' Yes, verily: likewise in a
"personal devil" and various other
'•old things."
I have reason for the faith which is
in me. I've seen it: the system, not
the devil. But from the description
of him I have met with, it wouldn't
pay a man familiar with our "sys
tem" to cross the road for a sight of
"Auld Clootie."
Still, I may be off. Some of the
most ardent supporters of competi
tion are putting up, ostensibly,yes
ostentatiously—the hardest tight
against Satan.
The present system is fortunate In
the possession of some very disinter
ested champions.
The man who works the hardest,
and. of course, trets the least, Is loud
est in support of competition.
Men who have nothing are most
jealous of any invasion of the "sa
cred rights of property."
Most any man will put up a pretty
good fight for his possessions; but it
isn't a circumstance to the way he
will scrap for what he hopes to have.
All lighting along this line against
socialism is out of order. But as
there is no light against scientific co
operation this is the stand its oppo
nents have agreed to make.
I don't see why, when they were
putting up a bogie man, they didn't
make him uglier, but that's none of
my business.
Everywhere the Hags are Hying and J
men are ready to march under the
starry folds of Old (llory and die for
"their country," when they have
neither a foot of land to raise a po
tato nor a shingle to cover their de
fenceless heads, aid who haven't
voted for seven years.
Its silken folds ("silken" la hyper
bole; you can't buy a silk flag for two
bits) float over me as 1 write, and it
wouldn't be safe for any bow-legged
Spaniard to come and tear it down—
if lie was much smaller than I. and I
haven't a very large pecuniary inter
est in "my country" cither.
Rut 1 claim the right to be patri
otic, Mall during these piping times
of peace I have fought, to the best of
my ability, to bring about a better
condition of things.
I may have been wrong all the time:
some of the time I certainly was, but
i I did all I could, and woe betide the
measly foreigner who comes in and
interferes with my work.
Still, 1 can't get up much enthusi
asm for the man who will die for his
country in time of war, but wont
even vote for her in time of peace.
II a country is worth dying for it is
worth voting for.
It thrills my blood to sec men push
forward to offer their services to their
country though she has, apparently,
been but an indifferent step-mother
to them. Hut she has protected their
lives and it is no more than fair that
they should freely lay them upon the
altar of her need.
What a thrill it would cause,though,
to see property-owners come forward
and place their wealth In the breach
and not demand security for its re
turn, with interest. Hut there Is lit
tle danger that any of us will experi
ence any such thrill.
*
1 don't believe nil the patriotism is
confined to the poor; but, while it is
true that "all a man hath will he give
for his life," it Is equally true that lii
will shoulder bis musket ami throw
his life into the scales without hope
of reward, at the same time leaving
word with his banker to put his mo
ney out where It will bring the most
Interest.
A strange bundle of contradictions
is this so-called human nature, and
patriotism brings out some of its
strangest freaks! Think of a man
willingly braving sunstroke and yel
low fever for the purpose of dying for
his country in a foreign land, who
wouldn't risk a pair of wet feet to
go and cast his ballot fer her. His
ballot, too. might have meant a great
deal, while his life is a mere drop In
the ocean of blood war may require.
Think of a man giving up position
and salary, leaving his wife and
children to charity and 113 a month:
who would not spend ten cents on
en economic pamphlet lest he bring
his family to want.
Don't imagine T am decrying the
patriotism of those who are offering
themselves upon the altar of their
country in her hour of ' peril from for
eign foes. But no nation, of any ac
count, was ever subdued from with
out -until the canker of internal in
justice and its consequent dissension
had eaten it out from within.
The necessity for purer and better
government is an ever-present neces
sity, for no government is ever per
fect except in the mouths of adminis
tration campaign orators just before
election.
It requires more persistent effort,
more determined courage, to face the
foes who menace our country from
within. Reform is always unpopular,
and it is easier for most natures to
face bayonets, and bullets, than scorn
and ridicule.
The battle with the foreign foe is
soon over and we return victorious
amid the acclaims of a grateful coun
try, or. at the worst fall, defeated,
Into the embrace of forgetfulness
and death. But the battle for right
principles is a never ending conflict:
one foe defeated -another takes his
place. And yet. what acclaim of
grateful country or plaudits of ad
miring crowds can equal the con
sciousness of duty done?
Reformers, fight on, tight ever!
Whether In the front among the
swamps of Cuba or at home amid the
peaceful walks of life. Lose not
sight of the main issues. Uphold
your country and her legally consti
tuted administration in their hour of
J trial against Spain, and if need be
against the world. But do you also
uphold these eternal principles of
truth, justice and humanity for which'
we are striving. Let not the stern
necessities of men divert your minds
from the sterner necessities of the
propaganda of right principles
light, if necessary, to preserve
your country: but light also to make
her worth preserving.
r
A Good Report.
Miss Helen M. Mason, formerly con
nected with the Post-Dispatch and
well known in litis community as
teacher, writer and worker for right
eousness, received an urgent call a
year ago to assist in the work of the
Brotherhood of the Co-operative Com
monwealth with headquarters at
Thomaston, Me. She promptly re
sponded, and has given her energies
during the past year to this work.
The first aim of the brotherhood has
been accomplished, that of securing
and making ready a colony site, where
pioneers have been at work for some
months laying the foundations of
"Equality," an Ideal city, after the
manner of Bellamy.
The colony Is located in a tine farm
i ing country, at the mouth of the
Samish River, In Skagit County,
t Wash., near Puget Sound.
line hundred pioneers from Thorn
aston, Me., and other points made the
journey across the country ami have
located In the new colony. Since
then the membership on the colony
grounds has grown to 180, occupying
1") buildings, with 44.1 acres of land.
The membership of the brotherhood
includes Others besides the colonists.
It'numbers about 3,000 and is made
up of persons from every State in
the union.
The price of a colony membership
Is $100. y
Miss Frances Uill.ud, previous To
her last illness, in reply to a letter
from the treasurer of the brother
hood wrote, "Of course I will be an
honorary member. l believe in the"
. bin}.'- that Christian socialism stands
tor. and were l not tee totally occu
pied, would go Into the movement
heart and soul; and Indeed I have
done In public utterances for man)
years. O, that I were young again,
and it should have mv life! It la God's
way out of the wilderness and into i
the promised land. It Is the very
marrow and fatness of Christ's gos
pel. It Is Christianity applied. It
means blessedness and salvation to j
the rich just as much as to the poor.
Well, we must live for it. Yours for
the day of universal good will."
Miss Mason is treasurer of the
brotherhood. She may be addressed
ut Edison, Wash Post Dispatch.
THE GREATEST BAR
TO PROGRESS.
[Written for Industrial Freedom.]
Perhaps there is no one thing that
stands in the way of progress so diffi
cult to overcome as the thing we call
custom. I use the word "progress" to
mean the same thing that the word
"reform" is generally used for, for
all progress is real reform. There
are certain fields of human activity
in which we enjoy adegreeof liberty
but it is only, or generally, where we
act in an individual capacity, and
where' our acts have" no real effect
upon our fellows. We are very fond
of prating about our independence of
character, and of telling that we will
have no one to rule over us, but, as a
matter of fact, there is very little in
dependence in or about in-. We arc
slaves most abject and servile.
"Up. make us gods to go before us
like the other nations of the earth,
for this man Moses that brought us
up out of Egypt, we wot not what
has become of him" was the despair
ing cry of the children of Israel to
Aaron, when their leader had disap
peared for a few hours from their
view. "Like the other nations of the
earth," "do other people do it?" "pay
as good wages as other people." We
dress as other people do. we talk as
other people do, we buy and sell and
trade and get 'gain or "go broke"
1 'generally the latter) by the same
rule that- other people do, and no
questions are asked as to the moral
quality of the act. Is it sanctioned by
society? Yes. — that is all-sufficient,
\ we need go no farther. Docs "our
craft." "our fraternity," "our set..'
"our denomination," "our political
party." sanction this, that, or the
other? In other words, docs it have
11 the warrant of custom behind it? If
lit does, then we are safe: if not. no
■ matter how noble our purposes, if our
■ acts and words and utterances be not
in harmony with the custom of the
'community In which we live, anathe
ma is pronounced upon Us.
Benjamin Kidd in hi* "Social Evo
lution" says that "each generation
if left to itself would not progress
but on the contrary, would sink to a
lower level than the one that pre
ceded it. Progress Is due to an indi
vidual here and there, who has In him
or her, the elements of superiority
and the opportunity for asserting
them." I believe this is true, and be
lieving i- to be true. 1 am learning to
be patient with society. Growth,
evolution, progress, must be slow.
Though the "fields are white for the
harvest,' the workers are few, the
workers being those upon whom the
, truth of the solidarity and social
: unity of the race has seized, and who,
therefore, can never know any peace
except the lasting, deep, peace
that comes from making their daily j
and hourly life a perpetual protest
against a wicked and Iniquitous so
cial system that is trying to separate
society Into fragments, and turning
men. who ought to be brothers, into
wild beasts seeking to destroy instead
of trying to save each Other. ' j
Then let us forswear forever alle
giance to this tyrant, custom. Let
us accept the simple truth so elo
quently set forth by the teacher of
teachers In this saying. "If any would
be chiefest among yon. let him be the
servant of all." In doing this lam
sure we will find that service '.rings
its own reward. Those of us upon ]
whom the spirit of Truth has fallen
■ i
can well.afford to ignore custom,fash
lon, practice, and sit the other ty
rants of whatever name or nature.
, If we believe in brotherhood, if we
believe in unity, the unity of society,
11 let as be read) to proclaim it in sea.
son ami out of season, Let us be
ready to live for It, and if we really
believe It, we will be ready to die for
1 It. Let us hall the day, for It is com
-1 ing, "when men to men tin-world o'er
shall brothers be and a' that." I have
called the day "Freedom Day. and
here Is an expression of the longing
i of mv soul for it- coming.
r«ni»M ovv.
Haute oh haste, dellphtinl morn in*
til that glorious freedom day.
When trom earth's remotest horde i
Tyrant* all have passed away ;
When v. Khali for -it vice render
Service "1 so equal worth;
Then will all mankind be brother*,
Heaven will then have rvme to earth.
Vet i faithfully yours,
iMt-fi, Vt. .IONRS,
Mayor of Toledo, i>
THE SAMISK FLATS.
It is difli.'ult to give an eastern
man a clear idea of this veritable
garden. On the north and on the
south the hills run down .-■•■- to the
Sound. In the crescent on which the
colony site is located there are proba
bly 7,000 acres. 4,000 of which ate un
der cultivation, mainly In oats and
timothy. Th richest lands are the
tide flats, once covered with water at
hlghjtide, but now reclaimed by dik
ing: and the marsh lands reclaimed
by draining. The enormous fir, spruce
and cedar which have made Was! ing
ton famous the woold over grow on
land that may easily be reclaimed fo/
pasture, but the stumps make it al
most worthless for agricultural pur
poses.
The approved method is to sow tim
othy in the fall or spring Immediate
ly following the lire which almost in
variably follows the logging. If
many months pass after the lire,
weeds and brush cover the ground and
prevent the timothy seed catching.
Hut if sown at the proper time a good
stand is secured without harrowing.
This pasture will last three or four
years, when the land should be disk
harrowed, seeded and the seed cover
ed with a tooth harrow. This second
seeding will last for several years.
A cedar stump is a good emblem of
eternity. It can't be split and it nev
er rots. On the colony site is a fir tree
probably .100 years old growing over
a cedar log in such a way as to prove
that the cedar log was In its present
position .100 years ago. Evidently it
won't pay to wait for cedar stumps
and logs to rot! As the stump will
got readily burn and can be blasted
only- at large expense the land seem-
best adapted to pasture and dairy
purposes.
On the Samish Bats there are about
.'I,OOO acres in ...it- averaging over
3,000 lbs. to the acre, often running
much above that figure. The aver
age price Is about "5 cents per KO
pounds, or say $22..V) per acre.
On the Hats there are about 1,000
acres of timothy ye nine 3 to ' tons
to the acre . at an average price
when baled and in wan house, of $7.
The average cash rent Is $10.00 per
acre, Potatoes and all root crops ch>
excellently: fruit "grow* wild"; the
climate is. as a friend expressed ii "a
perfect dream." We invite not only
socialists but all other eastern people
to visit this garden of the west V.*
pecially should those troubled with
nervousness, insomnia, "seeing tilings
nights," etc., come here. We guar
antee them eight to ten hours sleep
a day—if they can live without work
we guarantee twelve hours sleep and
,i good appetite.
About Confiscation. A great c\-\ U
going up that socialist* desire to confis
cate! confiscate" confiscate"! I'm-ru-m.
That seems to be an old word. About
1049 Ing Charles charged the Fngllsh
people with an attempt to confiscate his
political property. As we remember
the story the verdict was against him,
I and when he would not abide by the
decree of the court the people quietly
laid him away under the daisies, .V
[hundred years later King George tried
to convict Washington, Jefferson,
Adams and other Americana of an ut«
tempi to confiscate hi-, right to make
them pa j what-'ver taxes he saw fit to
iin)H>st' on them. The suit was jiending
for several years, trials ting place at
j various places, but the final judgment
' at Yorktewn was that King Ceorgc » i
himself a robber who had tried to con
fiscate the Inalienable right of the pi o«
pie to levy their ... ii v.-. Fifteen
ears biter I^min XVII tried to convict
the French people of un attempt to
"confiscate" bis ownership of the peo
pi... King Louis died in prison, and
the world has never seen lit to reverse
the decision of the court before which
he was tried. All through the fifties
the abolitionists were accused by the
slaveholders of attempting to confiscate
their proper!) in human beings. The
trial lasted for 1 four years, the first,
bearing being at Fort Sumter. The
final judgment rendered at Appomattox
was "No ground tor action." In the
trial now pending the judgment will be,
not that the people are seeking to con
. fiscate the property of the monopolist*,
but thai these gentlemen have confis
cated the birthright of the |>eople, who
are no* about to lie put in possession of
their lawful Inheritance.
No. 2 "
