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Anarchy Versus Social Democracy The Anarchist Library (Mirror) Anti-Copyright Anarchy versus Social Democracy Freedom Press September 1, 1889 On the evening of Sunday August 25th the hall of the Patriotic Club, Clerkenwell Green, London, E.C., was well-filled by Social- ists anxious to bear the debate between our comrade John Turner, Anarchist Communist, and HERBERT Burrows, the Social Demo- crat. MORRISON DAVIDSON, who occupied the chair, said he sympa- thized with both Anarchists and Social Democrats. Anything that taught the English people to revolt against authority was, in his opinion, good. Anarchy was not as the ignorant imagined a syn- Freedom Press onym for disorder. Those who advocated it regarded it as the high- Anarchy versus Social Democracy est form of order. They regarded Law as an evil in itself. They re- September 1, 1889 garded the government of the majority as little better than the gov- Freedom: A Journal of Anarchist Socialism, Vol. 3 -- No. 34, ernment of the oligarchy. He believed, however, that they would retrieved on August 29, 2019, from RevoltLib.com. have to go through the stage which his old friend Herbert Burrows Freedom Press, London advocated. Yet he thought that the ultimate result would be what Mr. Turner advocated. It was simply a question of precedence. usa.anarchistlibraries.net JOHN TURNER said: The first thing I have to do is to meet one or two of the objections which are constantly put forward by the So- cial Democrats in opposing the Anarchist position. Take the ques- not give a central body the power to make absolute laws binding tion of economic rent. It is contended by Social Democrat, that An- the whole community. I would have them discussed in that body. archism would be wrong because it would allow people living on Then I would have the discussion widely known, and if it issome- a fertile soil to confiscate this advantage to the disadvantage ofthe thing to be done nationally, I would put it to the national vote. I rest of the community. And they say it would be no more right for believe people will manage their telegraphs, their post-office, their the people living on a fertile tract of country, say in Yorkshire, to railways, nationally. To every community, to every municipality, take the difference of fertility between that particular district and locality, or anything else, I would leave entirely the management any other in England, than it is for the landlord to take the rent of of their own affairs." But he believed that either the majority or any piece of land today. It is contended by other Social Democrats the minority must be the recognized authority or there would be a that shops having an advantage in position have just the same ad- continual quarrel between the two, chaos and disorder. vantage as the fertile soil. They say it would be just as wrong for The CHAIRMAN wound up the meeting by a speech inwhich the shopkeeper to take it as it is for the private landlord. I contend he sided with both parties and eulogized liberty. that immediately Socialism is established the conditions would be A collection was made for the Dockers' Strike. changed and this economic rent would adjust itself. Take, for in- stance, the advantageous position of a shop in Cheapside over a shop in a back street, and the contention that the difference in the value of the position should be taken by the community. But im- mediately you have organized a system of social cooperation you will find many advantages of position disappear. You will findthat the people will just as soon go into Wood Street as into Cheapside and it is only because of advertising and the special show of the windows that Cheapside is preferred today. Look at the Coopera- tive Stores. Many of them have been started in quiet back streets and they have turned those streets into busy thoroughfares. Ad- vantages of position are constantly changing also. The driving of costermongers into a side street will raise the value of the posi- tions in that street immensely. As to land agriculture, if there is free access to the soil you will have a constant migration of people towards the advantageous land. You will find they will crowd there until the advantages disappear. The absence of the restrictions of the private landlord in the society of the future will almost entirely alter the conditions of agriculture. You will only be able to find out the real economic rent of the country when the laborers have free access to the soil. How are the Social Democrats going to assess the 2 11 might want the land to grow corn on. If I object what are you going economic rent? Are they going to leave it to the people on the soil to do? If you turn me off it is compulsion. or are they going to keep an army of assessors? And if the people It comes to this. If Turner is in a minority and he thinks peo- on the fertile soil refuse to give up the difference how are they go- ple are acting against his interest, he will get the majority to put ing to take it? Are we going to have Irish evictions ad lib? are they things right. Supposing there are a hundred people in a factory, all going to take it by force? of whom helped to build it and make the machines, and some of The Social Democrats are constantly asking the Anarchists how them turn rusty—say forty—what is to happen? Are the forty to they are going to organize labor? Will you have rules? Yes. Then leave or the sixty? and if so, why? how are you going to enforce them? We believe in coming to agree- TURNER in conclusion, pointed out that Burrows had said be ments to do certain things, but if people object we do not believe didn't believe in prisons. But if so, how was he going to carry his in forcing them. The Social Democrats or rather a portion ofthem system of compulsion in to effect, how would be force people to believe in a national parliament organizing labor. Sometimes they accept the majority rule? Unless the Social Democrats are going talk of it as an assembly of servants, but parliament is an assembly to use prisons they may find people object. There may be some of persons elected by the people, holding supreme power, and ser- fighting and chaos and disorder under the Social Democratic State. vants do not hold supreme power. Others believe that this is impos- As to his contention about the materials and land for the bridge, sible and advocate local administration. The Social Democrats in we say we all have an equal right to the clay, land, etc. If there is their program say that Ireland and other parts should have legisla- an objection at some particular spot to building the bridge, there tive independence. Why should this principle not he driven right the builders would go further. Take an instance of today. When home and why should not each group of persons who wish for it the Great Eastern Railway wanted to run a line through Saffron regulate and manage their own affairs as they like. It is often put Walden some of the townspeople made so much objection and held forward that the commune should be the unit having this particular out for so much compensation that the railway company preferred power, but we as Anarchists no more admit the right of a majority to go around. Now the people of Saffrom Walden have to put up in a commune to dictate to others in the commune than we admit with a little loop line to connect them with the main line andbit- the right of a majority in a nation to dictate to others in the nation. terly regret their obstinacy. As regards the Socialist League, Turner Some Social Democrats consider that the national assembly should pointed out that the people who were expelled were not punished. be only an assembly of delegates who would bring back their de- They were an independent body of people free to go and dowhat- cisions to the different communes to be rejected or accepted by ever they wished. The point is that the Social Democrats do believe them. This is simply federalism. We Anarchists, however, saythat that the people should elect certain representatives who should be groups of workmen inside the commune should have the right to the supreme power. The referendum is no remedy, it leaves things make their own regulations. We believe that groups in a particular to the majority again. town should be perfectly at liberty to do what they like without ask- BURROWS said he would not have the referendum for local af- ing the permission of the Commune or the Parliament in any way. fairs. He was not a centralizer "I look to France; what has centraliz- We say this is the logical outcome of the federalistic system which ing done for France? ruined it. What has bureaucracy done for this entirely knocks upon the head the idea of a supreme parliament. country? ruined it. I know that as an historical student, I would The essence of the parliamentary system is that equal geographi- 10 3 cal areas or equal populations elect representatives, and these pass disagree on certain points that we are Anarchists and leave them laws which have to be accepted by the whole community. And this free to make their arrangements among themselves.
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