The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-06-08
What Communism Is.


gard to the state of things in France
is, What is to be the end? It's a
question which no one can answer.
The future is dark, and the darkest
feature of all is, that there is in
French society no moral basis on
which to found a stable government.
Anarchy now prevails, and the ele-
ments Of anarchy seem to be laid up
also for the future. There are good
men in France some of the excel
lent of the earth but the principles
of socialism, of infdelity, prevail
among the masses. They wish to
construct a government that shall
have men for it's foundation and
structure and top-stone.
About a year ago the Socialist
! party published a Programme, set
ting forth their principles, which, it
was stated, "can be carried out only
when a political revolution, serious
ly and secretly prepared, shall have
become successful. The new social
order will become an accomplished
fact first of all, in those great cities
from which emissaries have been al
ready sent to propagate the COM
munistic idea, and to dispel the ig-
norance and inertia of the masses." "
The following are among the
articles
1. The active Socialist party, after
overthrowing the present govern
ment-that is to say, after having
accomplished political revolution
will proclaim that all descriptions
of property are to be no longer per-
sonaJ, but national.
2. It will invite the immediate
formation of industrial sotieties in
every parish or township, and will
publish reports, drawn up by men
familiar with the subject, showing
what kinds of industry are indis-
pensable in each particular district
or country, and what parts Of the
country are most favorable, or the
reverse, for any given occupation.
8. A certain period will be grant
ed to every citizen, to consider
which working society he will join.
1t is the right, as well as the duty,
of every one to choose that kind of
labor which, taking into considera-
ton his physical and mental capac-
tiles, will prove most beneficial to
himself and the commonwealth.
4. All persons who shall refuse
to join one or the other of the work
ing societies, without assigning
some valid reason for refusal, will
lose all rights as citizens. They
will not be admitted to any public
establishments which contain the
provisions destined TO supply the
wants of the members of the com
monweaIth. To such persons,
houses, public dining rooms, rail-
roads, post offices and telegraphs, in
fact, everything will be closed.
They will absolutely be deprived of
the means of existence, and must
jdecide either to work or die.
Among the last Of the articles are
the following
"2O. All the rights, duties, and
institutions, emanating from the
! present condition of things, all the
infamies of jurisprudence, of police,
and of ofreIigion, have no place in
the new social order. All affairs
and undertakings, without direct
value for the commonwealth, have
no foundation except reciprocal con-
sent and confidence in the persons
with whom the agreement is made.
Legal or political guarantees, such
as are made by thousands in the
present state of things, will not be
recognized in the new regime.
"21. The relationship between
the two sexes shall be entirely free.
/ So soon as a mutual understanding
exists. the man and woman can
marry and re-marry as often as
they like. The education of child
rem, as mentioned before, is entrust-
ed to the State"
Napoleon the First was prOoaDIy
no nearer to a religious faith, and
and had no more religious princi-
pie, than the Communists of the
present day but he saw and ac-
knowledged the necessity OfmOral
restraint over the people. We sec
inc hope for France, or for perman'
ent tranquility and order, as long
as Socialistic sentiments imbue and
control the masses.