New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-13
dfERICAy COMMUNISTS.

AMERICAN COMMUNISTS
1t is far from desirable to Ovorrate the in
fuence of Communistc ideas in this country,
but it is even less desirable to underrate that
! influence The avoweG Communists are few in
number and ms -niicant in influence. Even
in the mObs which they sometimes nshgate
in large cities, the dangerous clasSes-the Grim
inals and rou Ghs who nfest every such city
form the immense majority, while the men
of strictly Communstic notions are compare
lively few. Yut it would be a grave mistake
to suppose that such notions have no great
force. The attentive and candid student OF
public affairs must admit that TIE unrecog-
nized and half-unconsciOus influence OF such
notions is incomparably greater than that OF
men who are known to the world or to them
selves rs adher hts of COmmunistic ideas. Al
read, in one form or another, COmmunlstlc
haired of the rights % property has enlisted
he votes of a majority 81 lie people of the
United States, and orr SAFETY les to-day, not
in a clique of intelligence o. u integrity
which rejects spOhatOn, but n The fact that
the men who assail rights OF property are not
agreed among themselves. Some want to dI-
vide landed estates; some want to plumber
bondholders or capitalists; some want to rob
employers, and some want to cheat all credit
ors. In their differences, as yet unreconciled,
the rights Of property still find some defence.
A very large, and perhaps the largest, class
of Communists are those who clamcr for the
plundering OF creditors by the imitation or
dcbasement of the currency. Democracy in
Ohio during the campaigns Of 1915 and 1876
was a bold, naked and nearly successful appeal
L. 4 l.. 4
"holders are rich, and we are poor" roarcd
Mr.. Cary, "and the world owes uS>a liy
ing" There has never been Il more shameless
appeal TO the basest spirit Of the basest and
most ignorant men; but 1t failed in part be-
cause other and more honorable motives had
sway, and in part because the farmers could
be made to understand that it was not to their
advantage to rob the banks, the insurance
companies the savings banks and the holders
of bonds. Many Of them saw that destruction
of the public credit would result in their phi
vate loss others were shrewd enough to fore
see that the same spirit which then assailed
property in bonds would presently assail prop
erty in land.
Yet tho farmers of the West so far as they
Joined in the crusade of the Changers against
railroad property, were governed by the same
Communistic feeling. They did not call them
selves Communists, would have felt insulted if
that name had been applied to them, were
ready to repel with Indignation every theory
by which property III land was assaled and
yet were as reckless as any Communist in
France or elsewhere in asSailing property in
debts or corporations. Their railway legisa
ton has brought ruin to many thousand innO-
cent stock and bondhOlders. Their repudia-
ZION of local indebtedness, continued, some
times, III defiance Of the laws and the DEGREES Of
Courts was nothing less than wholesale spOliation
of lenders. Their inquit0us schemes for the
undue taxation of banking, corporate or manu-
featuring property, in some cases amounted to
| little less than the absolute cOniiscation of
| such property. Did these men never think
that such rights could not be assailed without
endangering all the rights of landowners 1t
would be rs ser Idle for a man to set on fire
the next bmlding to his own in wooden
! block, in calm faith that his house would not
catch fire.
Beyond the influence OF the Changers, there
has been very strong and widespread ten
| dency towards reputation. Sometimes, rs i'll
Southern States, II has for apology actual or
suspected frauds in past government. Some
! times, az in Minnesota or Indiana, il has for
apology a claim that means voted for internal
improvements were wrongly applied. More
| frequently it has 10 real motive ether than
hatred Of the men TO whom taxpayers are
| obliged % pay interest for borrowed money.
| But these. with the classes already mentioned,
have cast majority Of the votes in some
| large States, and now another and not less
dangerous form Of Communism is perceived in
the revolutionary demands of trades unions.
| These also may command the votes of many
| thousand men. 1t is noteworthy, too, that
this element is strong in the cities, where the
Changers are unknown, and potent III the
mines, where reputation of local Indebtedness
has not prevailed, and peculiarly strong at the
East where neither initiation, nor GrangeIism
nor local reputation has been common.
1t is fortunate that the crazy Communist OF
| the trades unions does not conceal his hatred
of all rights of property. The farmer is en-
We'd and hated by him quite as much as the
mill-owner, the mine-owner or the railway
owner, and division of all landed estates is
already one of the chief cries Of the Com
munst in cities. Probably the landowner will
presently discover that it viii not do for him
| to make war up0n the rights Of others. To
defend himself, he will be forced 70 defend all
rights OF property.
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