THE WORLD BIG; GOD GOOD; MAN ALONE RESPONSIBLE.
The first such central truth, self-evident to every man, to be proclaimed tirelessly by the Volunteers, is that the earth is large enough and rich enough to supply all the good things of life to every human being born on it. Urge that especially since the triumphs of modern science is it possible for man to satisfy every natural craving, every healthy desire, every reasonable hope and dream, without any man being compelled to sacrifice another human being to his purpose.
The great and the humblest mind alike can see this truth. It stands out an impregnable tower of strength above all minor and subsidiary questions. It is unanswerable, incontravertible and DYNAMICALLY IRRESISTIBLE. The earth is large enough and rich enough and human energy sufficient to produce in abundance everything required to supply every natural, healthful human desire. This means that the world, now made hell by human greed abetted by ignorance and prejudice, might just as well be heaven. The misery caused by poverty, tyranny and neglect, can be displaced by happiness, plenty and liberty for all.
Following this and demonstrable from it by the eternal laws of Logic is the conclusion that the one primary and all-important duty of every man seeing it is to do all he can, after providing for his simplest physical wants, to help systematize and civilize human effort and overcome prejudice so as to obtain this result.
The immediate effect of the practical acceptance of this one self-evident truth is almost inconceivable. Once convince men that their sufferings are unnecessary, that science has placed in their hands all the power and materials needed which rightly applied will give to all men the satisfaction of all their normal desires, and you at once transform the world.
The most formidable obstacle in the way of further progress is not that men are insufficiently versed in political economy or lacking in intelligence, but it is that the people are without hope. Popular effort has so often been thwarted by selfish cunning, great moral enthusiasms dissipated by the science and superior organization of tyranny, that men have lost heart.
Despair is the chief opponent of progress. Our greatest need is hope. The people must have faith that something can be done.
The majority of men know of public measures that would be beneficial if an upward step were possible, but they are overwhelmed by a multitude of incidental obstacles and petty disappointments that cloud their small horizons and shut off from sight the great universal and historic forces that are slowly but surely working out their destinies.
Convince men that our country is large enough and rich enough to give them all an opportunity to work and earn sufficient to support their families and educate their children properly, convince them that their present poverty and sufferings are wholly the result of social crimes, and, if they can believe that this change is actually to be brought about, you change the whole base of their operations and revolutionize their attitude of mind. They are then ready to co-operate with those bold thinkers who have studied out the details of social progress.
Our speakers cannot dwell too long upon, cannot repeat too often, this one all-important, fundamental truth, the basis of all right political thought and action, namely, that the world is all right, nature is lavish, God Almighty is generous, and that human invention has multiplied many times the gifts that God originally gave to man, and now the human family might just as well sit down amid merry-making to the great feast steaming before us, prepared through ages of endeavor, but for a miserable dog in the manger.
Proclaim everywhere that organized greed is this dog. Teach that the highest patriotism consists in striking it, that the only martyrs are those devoured by it, that to kill it is the sublime mission of this generation.
Do not try to teach many things, but urge with all the passion of your being at all times and in all places, the self-evident and fundamental truth that our world contains everything required to make men happy. If want exists, it is the result of crime. Those who profit by this crime try to convince us that nothing can be done to prevent it. Our work is to create hope and courage and let the people know that this crime can be stopped, the criminals caught and punished, and the purposes of God and nature be permitted to proceed unmolested. Tell the people they can put an end to their sufferings, that misery results from human, not from natural causes, and that it need not be. Teach and preach and cry aloud this one fact. Repeat it indoors and out, with all the fire and intensity within you. Each convert will become a center, and our cause will spread irresistibly.
Therefore, Volunteers, do not weary your hearers with statistics and historical or legal minutiae; do not cram them with detailed arguments relating to questions of a local or temporary nature; do not confuse them by trying to explain all the intricacies of a financial system soon to perish from off the earth. Rather even let the sophistries of an opponent go unanswered. But concentrate all your energies upon helping turn the attention of the people away from petty and vexing intricacies to these few great central truths, which, if once clearly seen, make all else plain.
The man who comprehends fully the truth that our world, since the discoveries of modern science, is capable of giving every human being all the good things of life, that as civilization is now blessed and glorious to some so it can be made to all—such a man will forsake all small purposes at once and devote himself thereafter to the realization of his ideal. Nothing else in the world can compare to this work in importance. When he learns that there is but one great party that stands for progress, he will immediately ally himself with that party.
CHAPTER IX.
THE CHURCH AS A FIELD.
Though in large cities the shelter admitted to be the most accessible to the poor, who wish to discuss methods for improving their condition, is the corner saloon, yet in country districts it will be found that the churches still cling to many of their ancient virtues and will be found open and hospitable to every traveler who has a suggestion to make for the good of the community.
Whatever a speaker's prejudices may be against any church or against all churches, when he consecrates his life to the cause of humanity through the Democratic party, he must suppress such prejudices and regard all buildings as existing for use. And a true Volunteer is always certain that the highest use that can be made of any building in the world is to have taught in it the truths of human brotherhood and progress as embodied in the New Democracy.
In securing a church building for purposes of instruction, it is best not to mention the name of our movement. The name that we have adopted being an old name and used by various people for various purposes has been used upon numerous occasions by bad people for bad purposes. Even the word politics, which, in reality, means the science and art of government, has come to mean, in the minds of many, a mere personal contest for gain and position. The sacred banner of Democracy has often been dragged into these degrading brawls and the principles designated by the banner and name lost sight of. For these reasons and on account of the limitations of the average human judgment, it is well in dealing with church committees to discard all political names and to ask only for permission to speak in behalf of human brotherhood, social improvement or methods of helping the poor. The fact that human brotherhood can only be realized by men through the establishment of Democratic principles need not be told the committee, but had better be reserved for the audience. The fact that justice is a mere dream, intangible and unreal, unless, by political action on the part of the many, the few who profit by injustice are deprived of their privileges (or, in other words, until the Democratic program is carried out), makes it eminently proper that church buildings be opened to our speakers as often as possible. Of course, when the churches of a town are controlled by scribes and Pharisees, as they were when Paul was a volunteer speaker some centuries ago, unless some other building can be had, we must follow Paul's example and make our rostrum in the open street or field; but where the church buildings are controlled by Christians instead of gold worshippers, by sincere men who desire justice and brotherhood and to help the poor, then, however different our prejudices, our personal likings or our superstitions may be, we should grasp our newly acquainted brothers by the hand and arrange with them for meetings in the church for the examination of methods whereby religion can be made practicable and applied to human affairs.
To the charitable who are really to be found here and there in the village and agricultural churches, we must make plain that no amount of teaching or preaching, applied internally or externally, can ever benefit the poor, until organized society recognizes men's rights, women's rights and children's rights as equal to money rights. Buildings owned by Catholics, the different Protestant denominations, by Jews, both reform and orthodox, and by free-thinking societies, can all be secured for the promulgation of these moral truths, if our workers will divest themselves of prejudices and don a tactful address. The success of this plan lies altogether in the judgment, personality and breadth of mind of the Volunteer who attempts the task.
When you approach the trustee of a Methodist, Episcopalian, Catholic or a Jewish church, remember that the building, the use of which you ask, has been paid for by contributions given at a sacrifice by earnest men and women, with minds turned towards the solemn and higher things of life. However mixed with ignorance, superstitious fear or motives of vanity, these buildings, in the smaller towns and agricultural communities, are associated with thoughts above and separated from personal controversies and material things and, if you can convince those in control that you wish to present facts, views and ideas of a helpful nature to the community, not incongruous with the teaching of their faith, you will generally receive an affirmative answer.