The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-02
True Reform.

We hear occasionally from the West and
Canada stories of the organization of ''social-
istic" societies or movements sin favor of
the Commune and internationalism. We
have no doubt there are many things in our
modern life that should be remedied. Some
times we feel ourselves arriving at conclu-
sion, so frequently expressed, that this world
is largely world of shams and that it will
only be purified by consuming fire. Society
testers with frauds. We see pretension in
high places. We have the bartenders of yes
terday ruling the money markets of to-day.
Mutual admiration, deception, intrigue,
take the place of honest and free criticism.
We have in the pulpit q tendency to super
sede the worship of the meek and holy
Jesus by the worship of gush and senti-
ment and 'true inwardness." Our bust
ness is based upon n crumbling foundation.
We have men, not without influence in their
community preaching reputation. Good,
honest gold is to be supplanted by rags and
dust and clamshells. We have humbugs in
our political life ountebanks who caper
from one station to another, gaining political
public station to deceive the people and
minister to their own advantage. An age
which has seen the Credit Mobilier, the
Tammany Ring, the Canal Ring, the land
grabbing Congresses the fall of Jay Cooke
and William G. Ralston, back pay, the salary
grab and other strange and debasing phe-
nomena, may look without surprise upon these
internationalist communistic movements.
The way to reform society is not to repeal
the Ten Commandments. This is where the
Communists blunder. 1t is not by going
ahead into dangerous and forbidden pas
sages that we can purify the age. We cannot
strengthen the marriage relation, for in
stance, by abolishing the seventh command
ment and fashioning new theories of free
love and elective affinities and 'true in
wardness" and hiding" This only
leads us into deep and appalling abysses.
Whatever evil society may suffer from the
temporary triumph of quacks and frauds,
administration of law, it is much better than
to accept the wild theories of these re-
formers, who, to recast society, would revive
the worst phases of the Reign of Terror and
the Commune. There is no reason for the
Commune in America. If labor is lily re-
Quilted workingman can go to the great
West, beyond the mountains. There are mill
ions of acres awaiting him. The man who
finds life burden in New York has only to
found a home in Virginia or New Jersey
Cheap land is the remedy for suffering
labor. AS to the theories about society
and religion, we think that the best way to
improve our modern life is to go steadily back
to the Ten Commandments. What was writ
ten on the tablets of stone is the best chart for
our guidance after all. The further we drift
from that Divine record the more we are
troubled-the more debasing becomes our So
cial life. True reform is that which teaches
the Gospel as written in the Scriptures. This
is the best form of communism. Let us have
q society, therefore, for enforcing the Ten
Commandments, and its success will do more
for all classes, rich and poor, than any posi-
BILE combination of communism and socialism.