The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-06-28

Communism in the United States.
From The Providence Journal.
Do the American people understand
what IL meant by Communism and do
they realize the number of those who hold
Its tGnets2 In It's last analysis COmmun.
ism demands the Redistribution Of prop.
erty In the old countries, and the adop,
ton III all, Of the doctrine that no man Is
entitled to The possession or control Of
more property than suiiices for his indi.
vidual wants; that interest Is not to be
paid for the use Of money; that capital Is
not TO be Accumulated that pOsthumous
disposition of property Is unjust and I'm.
polltic and that with all the precision
possible, every man Is TO be brought into
the same condition, materially, politically,
and financially, of every other man. It's
not our purpose, al present, TO combat
these views; IN show either the erroneous.
ness or the utter impOsslblllty oil carrying
out such theory. That which we pro.
pose simply to hint Is the fact that these
ideas are not only prevalent but arc be.
coming more or less influential,
Letu be just. Modified as the doctrine
has become, in all those countries In Eu.
rope where constitutional monarchy
prevails, there yet remains, II not the
theory, yet the result Of tho theory, Of the
divine right of kings. To be specific;
William the COnqueror parCelled out tile
land Of England among bis followers, to
be held by them and their heirs forever
Forever Is long word The people then
were few the land comparatively value.
less. Now the people are many and the
soil immensely valuable The few are
lords over the many The origin Of the
power was neither purchase, nor dlscove-
ry, nor contribution to the resources ol
the nation. II was accident or assump.
tiOn. II, then, intermediate rights, ex.
penses and incurred responsibilities could
he wiped out, there would be some equity
in England, demanding redistribution Of
the soil, if,-"oh, woful if"--he could
show that he was the heir Of the original
proprietor. But one lorgets; what we
proposed was, and IL, simply tO state the
doctrine and intent Of the Communists,
who, even in this country, are by nomeans
desplCable In point Of numbers, nor Idle
In regard to prosclytism. Thousands are
satisfied with the agitation Tor ten or an
eight hour law; others are the advocates
for trades.unions, and strikes and success
through assassination and Connagration,
but the leaders and the bottom line point
TO an equal division of property and the
abolition of all social distinctions
The Communists OF New York have EN-.
lorsed tho Communists Of Paris; and the
Communists Of Paris have fought, and still
proclaim their purpose to fight, for com.
munity Of goods md persons. Nor are
the Communists Of New England, al
heart, at all behind their brethren In New
York and Paris, In their purpose to over.
turn as fast and as far 'as they can the ex.
isiing authority Of law In regard 10 pro.
perty and family. In Boston, and even Ia
Providence, the more Outspoken Of the
revOlutlonists have uttered the shibboleth
which urges the rank and file Oh to pillage
and TO anarchy. Because here, the edu.
cation, the sentiment and the security Oi
law have rendered these ulterances harm
less and ridiculous, II would be unwlse to
ignore the fact that they betray the
wishes and aims Of thousands upon thou.
sands abroad, and Of no lnconsiderable
number at home. The lightning never
strikes from a clear sky. The cloud no
bigger than mans hand, which broods
over our American platforms, is broad
and lowering over France and England.
Reversing the idea, which ls the founda.
ton of our Republican institutions, that
intelligence and virtue are the basis Of
and proof Of fitness for q voice in political
affairs, the Communists place equality Of
material condition as the foundation stone
Of the public edifce, and propose TO Sc.
cure this condition-whlch In the nature
Of things could only be momentary-by a
general spoliation Of the Rich, who are to
be robbed for no wong, to enrich the rob
ber for no good
The great mas are too much inclined
TO overlook, In the nonsense, the egreglous
wickedness of the Communists, and to
flatter themselves that The fools in our
Conventions are not as malicious and as
unscrupulOus as the bold6F brethren In
Paris. The difficulties In the way here
are certainly more obvious and discour.
aging, but their purpose Is one, and their
means the -pIunder, the sword and
II the laggOt