LETTER II.
Co-operation, as hitherto understood, is perhaps not expedient.
February 4, 1867.
4.Limiting the inquiry, then, for the present as proposed in the close of my last letter, to the form of co-operation which is now upon its trial in practice, I would beg of you to observe that the points at issue, in the comparison of this system with that of mastership, are by no means hitherto frankly stated; still less can they as yet be fairly brought to test. For all mastership is not alike in principle; there are just and unjust masterships; and while, on the one hand, there can be no question but that co-operation is better than unjust and tyrannous mastership, there is very great room for doubt whether it be better than a just and benignant mastership.
5. At present you—every one of you—speak, and act, as if there were only one
