The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-08
Comm unism On All sidcs-sum NOR
Thunder.

districts Of Pennsylvania and in many
tic preparations or threatenings OF revolt
against the established order of things
agitations that incite and pretend to organ
ize disconnected elements to take forcible
remedy for all grievances they have against
society, against authority, against the law,
and in short against Providence itself. At
the same time there are preparations,
it is said, in Buffalo and at other
points on the frontier where the Fee
mans propose to makesa rush when
the moment arrives to capture Canada and
organize an Irish republic. with the en-
couragement of the Russian Gar On tho
Mexican frontier there are people who want
to 90 over the border with arms AID upset
Diaz. Sitting Bull is heard from OCCASION
ally Wattersons Kentucky army is only
lying hidden in the tall blue grass OF its
native land; and, taking the prospect rs
whole. we may reasonably expect summer
in which no man will have cause to COM
plain that there is nothing in the papers.
That is one grievance the people will be
spared. 1t may be as startling as it was last
summer in the height of the great strikes,
when the whole country seemed to give way
with run under the influence Of COM
mon decentralization or it may be only as
lively as they have it in Paris sometimes in
the warm weather. when, with few days OF
battle, they thin out too crowded commu-
nifty and then return to their avocations
Trouble is to come upon us simultane-
ously at many points; but the number of
points at which instruction is threatened
is Insignificant by comparison with the
number OF reasons for which ''the people
rock the United States is to split on in Cali
fornia. There is at least more general
assent in that as motive for revolt than in
any other particular cause of discomfort
But grievance that is apparently quite as
potent in the Immediate agitation there is
that one lively little Celt in San Francisco,
otwhom ON account is given in our columns
to-day. is only drayman, while but few
days ago another man of the same race who
had also fourished in California died
worth nearly twenty millions of dollars.
Imagine the scarcely credible inequality
But few years ago these men were equally
poor-they were alike in origin and poverty,
and in tho need to gain their daily bread
by their own labor Only few years Of
struggle 60 by, and behold one has accumu-
lated fortune that is simply enormous in
it's proportions, and the other is mere car
man-poor, ignorant and vindictive. Against
q state of things that makes possible such
dissimilarities in mems conditions who
would not revolt? 1t is preposterous to say
that this is fair or just, or that it should be
respected or assentod to by the man
on the wrong side Of the difference.
Philosophers and twaddlcrs may say that
one man had just as good chance as the
had possessed tho right qualities. No such
stuff us that will pass with San Francisco
agitators. They regard that sort of theory
as milk for babes. They know it is not diff
ference in qualities or gift of Providence
that make these differencei, but that it is the
law first and cheap Chinese labor next, and
they mean to abolish both. They mean
that in future the bonanza millionnaires shall
divide with the San Francisco carmen, and
they have got q little piece of rope with
which they mean to hang everybody who
objects. All the carmen are unanimous.
In st. Louis and Chicago and at other
important points in the West the grievance
is the oppression OF labor by capital. They
have not in oil these places SO patent an
objective as the Chinese, but the bloated
bondholdcr and the institution of prop
erty are not lad substitutes, and if they
annihilato these they will reform this coun-
try as cffcctually as tho Cilifornians can do
by the expulsion or butchery of the heather.
This cannot be regarded as favorable
country in which to organize q revolution
for the purpose Of enforcing "a great
divide" In o war against property the
penniless are, Of course, the fighting
iorco and tho property holders are the
enemy. Nearly every man Communist
meets is ono of the enemy. AS soon
as he comes to clearly understand the case
he discovers that he is one Of the enemy
himself and he Immediately goes over
That would be damaging process for the
Communist forces. In the native land of
Communism the proletarian element is OIL
ways Of consequence. Hero it exists only
in few great cities or in some mining dis
tricls In the United States at least two
thirds Of the men who are the heads of
families own farms. They are our strength,
but they are not the only property owners
In the cities property is owned less equally.
Small fortunes are not SO common; very
largo ones comparatively are more plcnti-
full, and there Is consequently large mass
of the population that does not own
land or houses; but OF these oven
very large number have other property
OK are interested in the welfare and defence
Of property that they do not own. Even
ooo III ibo croof Com uists of fh;c city