Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1903)
9 T H E TO RCH OF REASON, KANSAS CITY, M ISSO U R I. MARCH 19, E. M M3 (1903.) change; but it is none the less im ardor, however mistaken enough gating human sufferings, all its in portant to emphasize the fact that to provoke the laughter of children, citem e n ts to thought and spurs to ministration .— Society can by no means afford to allow the use for the functions of government are have the right end in view: they action, i t should be the end of p ri\ate gain and without regula- still, when catalogued, found to I mj seek to bring the individual with , government to accomplish the tion of undertakings necessary to / I B U JECTS T LV 'TC OF ORGANIZED a A i i . much the same both in number his special interests, personal to O SOCIETY, * its own healthful and efficient op and magnitude that they always himself, into complete harmony there must lie constant adjustments eration and yet of a sort to exclude were. Government does not stop with society with its general in- i of governmental assistance to the equality in competition. E xperi with the protection of life, lib erty ,; terests, common to all. Their needs of a changing social and in ence has proved th at th e_ sd fi'u and property, a .. <h is always some sort of co d u s t r i a r o r g a n i z a t i o n , N o t l i c e n s e terest of those who have controlled posed; it goes on to serve every operation, meant to perfect mutual of interference on the part of gov such undertakings for private gain convenience of society. Itssp h ere helpfulness. They speak, too, a ernment, only strength and adap- is not coincident with the public is limited only by its own wisdom, revolt from selfish, misguided in- tation of regulation. The regula- interest: even enlightened self- alike where republican and where dividualism; and certainly modern tion that I mean is not interfer- interest may often discover means absolutist principles prevail. . . . individualism has much alxmt it ence: it is the equalization of con- of illicit pecuniary advantage in T he S tate a B eneficent and that is hateful, too hateful to last. ditions, so far as possible, in all unjust discrim inations between in I ndispensable O rgan of S ociety . The modern industrial organiza- branches of endeavor; and the dividuals in the use of such instru- it by no means follows, however, tion has so distorted competition equalization of conditions is the mentalities. But the proposition that because the state may un- as to put it into the power of some very opposite of interference. that the government should con- wisely interfere in the life of the to tyranize over many, as to en- Every rule of development is a trol such dom inating organizations individual, it must be pronounced able the rich and the strong to rule of adaptation, a rule for meet of capital may by no means be in itself and by nature a necessary combine against the poor and the ing “ the circumstances of the ’ wrested to mean by any necessary evi l. It is no more an evil than is weak. It has given a woeful ma case but the circumstances of the implication that the government society itself. It is the organic terial meaning to that spiritual case, it must be remembered, are should itself adm inister those in body of society: without it society law that “to him that shall be not, so far as government is con strum entalities of economic action would be hardly more than a mere given, and from him that hath not cerned, the circumstances of any which cannot be used except as abstraction. If the name had not shall be taken away even the little individual case, but the circum monopolies. In such cases, as Mr. been restricted to a single, narrow, that he seemeth to have.” It has stances of society’s case, the gen I‘ arrer says, “there are two great extreme, and radically mistaken magnified that self-interest which eral conditions of social organiza alternatives. (1) Ownership and class of thinkers, ' we ought all to | is — grasping selfishness, ' ------- and ------ has tion. The case for society stands management by private enterprise regard ourselves and to act as thrust out love and compassion not thus: the individual must be as and capital under regulation by socialists , bebevers in the whole only, but free competition in part, sured the best moans, the best and the state. (2) Ownership and someness and beneficence of the as well. Surely it would be better, fullest oportunities, for complete management by government, cen body politic. If the history of so exclaims the Socialist, altogether self-development: in no other way tral or local.” Government regu ciety proves anything, it proves to stamp out competition by m ak can society itself gain variety and lation may in most cases suffice. the absolute naturalness of govern ing all men equally subject to the strength. But one of the most in Indeed, such are the difficulties in ment, its rootage in the nature of public order, to an imperative law dispensable conditions of oppor the way of establishing and m ain man, its origin in kinship, and its of social co-operation! But tin tunity for self-development gov taining careful business manage identification with all that makes Socialist mistakes: it is not compe ernm ent alone, society’s controll ment on the part of government, man superior to the brute creation. tition that kills, but unfair compe ing organ, can supply. All com that control ought to be preferred Individually man is but poorly tition, the pretence and form of it bination which necessarily creates to direct adm inistration in as many equipped to dominate other ani where the substance and reality of monopoly, which necessarily puts cases as possible,—in every case in mals: his lordship comes by com it cannot exist and keeps indispensable means of which control without adm inistra bination, his strength is concerted A M iddle G round . —But there industrial or social development in tion can be made effectual. strength, his sovereignty is the is a middle ground. The schemes the hands of a few, and those few, E qualization of C ompetition . sovereignty of union. Outside of which Socialists have proposed not the few selected by society society man’s mind can avail him society assuredly cannot accept, itself but the few selected by arbi —There are some things outside little as an instrum ent of suprem and no scheme which involves the trary fortune, must be under ¿ither the field of natural monopolies in acy, and government is the visible complete control of the individual the direct or the indirect control which individual action cannot se form of society: if society itself be by government can be devised of society. To society alone can cure equalization of the conditions not an evil, neither surely is gov which differs from theirs very the power of dom inating combina of com petition; and in these also, ernm ent an evil, for government is much for the better. A truer doc tion belong: and society cannot as in the regulation of monopolies, the indispensable organ of society. trine must be found, which gives suffer any of its members to enjoy the practice of governments, of our Every means, therefore, by which wide freedom to the individual for such a power for their own private own as well as of others, has been society may be perfected through his self-development and yet guards gain independently of its own strict decisively on the side of govern mental regulation. By forbidding the instrum entality of government, that freedom against the com peti regulation or oversight. child labor, by supervising the every means by which individual tion that kills, and reduces the N atural M onopolies . —It is sanitary conditions of factories, by rights can lx* fitly adjusted and antagonism between self-develop quite possible to distinguish nat lim iting the employment of women harmonized with public duties, by ment and social development to a ural monopolies from other classes in occupations hurtful to their which individual self-development minimum. And such a doctrine of undertakings. health, by instituting official tests may lx* made at once to serve and can be formulated, surely, w ithout Such enterprises invariably give of the purity or the quality of to supplement social development, too great vagueness to a limited number of persons the goods sold, by lim iting hours of ought certainly to be diligently T he O bjects of S ociety ’ the opportunity to command certain labor in certain trades, by a hund sought, and, when found, sedu O bjects of G overnment . —Gov necessaries of life, of comfort, or red and one limitations of the lously fostered by every friend of ernment, as I have said, is the or of industrial success against their power of unscrupulous or heartless stM’iety. Such is the socialism to gan of society, its only potent and fellow countrymen and for their men to out-do the scrupulous and which every true lover of his kind universal instrum ent: its objects own advantage. Once established merciful in trade or industry, gov ought to adhere with the full grip must be the objects of society. in any field, there can be no real ernment has assisted equity. Those of every noble affection that is in W hat, then, are the objects of so competition between them and who would act in moderation and him. ciety? M hat is society? It is an those who would afterwards enter S ocialism and the M odern I n - organic association of individuals that field. No agency should be good conscience in cases where moderation and good conscience, dustrial O rganization . — It is pos for mutual aid. M utual aid to suffered to have such control ex sible indeed, to understand, ami what ? To self development. The cept a public agency which may to be indulged, require an in creased outlay of money, in better even in a measure to sympathize hope of society lies in an infinite be compelled by public opinion to with, the enthusiasm of those spe individual variety, in the freest act without selfish narrowness, u p ventilated buildings, in greater cial classes of agitators whom we possible play of individual forces on perfectly equal conditions as care as to the quality of goods, etc., cannot act upon their principles have dubbed with the too great only in that can it find that wealth towards all, or some agency upon so long as more grinding condi name of “Socialists.” The schemes of resource which constitutes civ which the government may keep a tions for labor or more unscrupul of six’ial reform and regeneration ilization. with all its appliances for strong hold of regulation. ous use of the opportunities of which they support with so much satisfying human wants and initi- C ontrol not N ecessarily A d - trade secure to the unconscientious ----------J • . 1 i 1 1 A 1 * 1 1 . 1
