The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-24
THE COMMUNE AGAIN

! benefits of the common fund. Societies
endeavoring to realize this principle
now exist in this country and have e1-
listed from time to time for centuries in
Europe, and some of them have had q
reasonable degree OF material prosperity
They have never, however, attained a
large growth, and have generally been
short-lived.
Persons possessed OF Utopian ideas have
clearly the right to unite by contract in
an attempt to carry their theories into
practice, provided always they do not
seek to interfere with the rights of others
who entertain different views.
The Paris Commune, after which it is
said the new Commune of America Is
modled, differed very widely in its theory
and practice from Communism or Social
ism, 1t asserted, in briet, that all property
should be slezed and held in common, and
that those who claimed protection for
private property should either be forced
into submission or crushed by violence.
Its short career was characterized by
scenes of cruelty, bloodshed and O wsnton
destruction of life and property without
a parallel in history.
The principles of the commune strike
at the foundation of society itself, violates
every sentiment of right and substitutes
J anarchy for order.
The great principles underlying our
republicanism secures to every one the
enjoyment, under laws enacted by the
government for the protection Of society,
OF all, either OF place or property, which
he can acquire by means of his own
brain, muscle and energy. So long as
men differ physically, mentally, and
morally, so long will they differ in their
pursuits, professions and possessions,
Every effort, either by enscting laws or
through organizations outside of the law,
to accomplish permanently an equal
division of property will be as futile as q
similar effort to distribute equally the
physical strength or brains of mankind.
We have not attached as much i'm
| portance to the reported cOmmunistic
demonstrations in several cities as have
some OF our contemporaries. The assem-
bly, of the svoWed communists OF New
York, about which so much has been said
consisted, all told, Of not more than one
hundred persons. When we consider
that this meeting was held in, by far the
largest city of the Union, the popula-
ton of which includes persons of every
nationality and OF every shade OF opinion
political, philosophical and religious, and
of every degree of intelligence we are
forced to the conclusion that the COM
mune in the United States is as yet "a
cloud no larger than mans hand'-thst
it is an excite which does not readily take
root in American soil. The resolutions
of this New York meeting are so violent
and blasphemous as to render those who
advocated them thoroughly contempti-
bic. We have recently seen it asserted
that there were eight thousand commun-
ists, including all the organizations in
the country. They have been able then
to entice very few, if any, OF the laboring
population into the meshes of their order.
The distinction must always be recog-
nized between the organizations of work
irgmen and the Commune. The former
are within the law, and are seeking 10
promote the interests of worthy class
through legal and peaceable methods.
The latter consists of desperate adVen.
turers who are more sverse to labor than
to capital, and who are endeavorlDg to
live without lsboring, by setting the laws
at defiance, and strive by spurious and IN
sidious arguments to justify their con-
duct and inveigle honest though dissatis-
fed men into their schemes.
With such men, when they are pre-
pairing and endesvorlng to execute their
purposes, there is but one way to deal
suppress and punish them by the most
prompt and efficient means.
The honest working men of the coun-
try will extend to them no encourage
ment when they are advised of their
character and purposes.
We are in the midst OF large COM
munity of workingmen, and we known
whereof we speak.
There is, however, no political move
ment, great or small, without a cause,
and the cause of communistic manifesto
hons at this time is apparent.
The Federal government has, during
and since the war, by q course Of legisls-
ton Heretofore regarded by all political
parties as unwsrranted, established mon
opohes, granted to corporations extrsor-
binary powers which have been used to
Cypress labor, and has brought the
finances of the country into most I'M
healthy and woeful condition.
The result is that business of every
kind is stagnsnt, many are idle, bank
ruptcy succeeds bankruptcy In rapid sue.
cession, and the lsborer who is fortunate
enough to obtain employment secures
wages barely sufficient to keep body and
soul together. Dissatisfaction, gloom,
poverty and distress are widespread.
There Is, as consequence Of all this, q |
fixed determination on the part of the