The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-06-06
Communism.

The origin of that party which is now
filing our land with faint alarm may
be traced back to an old longing for
brotherhood and equality. The word
ContnluntS became popular among the
early Latin Christians, and even named
that Last Supper, where high and low,
rich and poor, met in common, all be-
ing on an equality. But as the name of
the devil once implied an "angel of
light" so other names, of parties and
virtues, are wont to move away from
their first usage, and become the relig
ious cloak which cOnceals the shameless
hypocrite. In old despotisms, Commun-
ism once represented the efforts to es-
cape coniscation and taxation which
was only robbery by a thug instead of
a bandit. In America, where property
has not been gathered by despotism, by
injustice, but only by an industry free
alike to all, Communism throws away
its early significance, and, instead Of
meaning an equality or brotherhood, it
signifies robbery. In using the word
Communists, the livery of saint is put
on for the service of the devil.
munism found some palliation in the
awful wars and draining taxes and spo-
liations which attended royalty; but
when such philosophy crosses the sea,
and attempts to plant itself in a repub-
lie where all paths of industry and
riches are open alike to all, and where
the people rule, and where pensioned
aristOcracy is unknown, it becomes at
once a code of piracy, and under its flag
he who was once philanthropist and
patriot becomes only a buccaneer.
The human mind is remarkable in its
ability to be led captive by term. A
man who would decline to be a pirate,
might vet, under some other name, per-
form all the exploits of Captain Kidd.
Thus, under the name of "liberty," the
blood was shed in France which gave
history the Reign of Terror. Boss
Tweed would himself have disliked the
cognomen of Is thief" but lived the per-
feet life of one under the name of poll
tician. Men take infinite delight in a
virtuous motto for a flag, and, that be-
ing inscribed, they fail to see the infer
nal quality of the actions done under
the flag. The word Communism may
once have applied some good, but in
America it means crime. 1t means
property and power by way of anarchy
and theft, instead of by means of faith
full labor. As in a populous nation
there are hundred thousand men who
would rather steal than depend upon
labor for support, so there are million
or less, or more, who would rather reap
in gain from a revolution, or from riot,
than from shop or harvest field. In
our land Communism is word which
represents this discomfort with order
and this hope in anarchy. Communism
is anarchy and spoils, wearing the dis
guise of brotherhood. a
The truth is, America can know but
one form of Communism, that is the
brotherhood of industry. All are alike
IN the blessed philosophy of work. No
despot is here to cOnfiscate earnings;
there is no salaried family or church.
Man has no enemy except his own indo-
lence. The brotherhood of industry
covers the land from Atlantic to Pacific;
and hence Communist, in the extreme
sense of the word, is not a philoso-
pher, but only an idler.. Whatever vir-
tue that name may have in England,
where one man holds10, 600 acres which
some ancestor stole from some enemy,
1t has no honorable import-oA-this con
tinent, where all can have land, and
where all titles repose not upon old
crime and force, but upon all the pos
sible forms of honor.
What viii our land do with socialism
saosld itSresort 10 violence? Most