The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-06
WHAT THE SOCIALISTS WANT.

The COmmuniStic scare seems to nave SUD-
denly spread over the entire country In
wonderfully short space OF time. Inc MOB
at San Francisco had attracted general atten-
ton for some time past, but this California
movement was generally regarded as excep-
tionaI and extraordinary, and none OF the
other cities of this country anticipated any
similar danger at home. Some eight or ten
DAYS ago, however, Chicago discovered that
q number of Socialists were drilling in her
streets Two days after similar news was
received from Cincinnati. 1t cdme next from
St. Louis; and now nearly every Western
town has horrifying and alarming tales to
tell of the aims and intentions Of the Socialists
and Communists.
The great question in this movement is not
somuch the organization of the Socialists, for
there seems no doubt of the existence Of this
class. but the views entertained by them and
the demands made by them. In q republic
can government like this it is generally sup
posed that all evils can be corrected by the
peoplc. II the Socialists, therefore, have
aught to complain of they have the right and
power to correct it by rallying around the
ballot-box and voting. An election is coming
on soon; there is already a good deal of dis
organization in politics; il the laboring
classes, therefore, have anything to demand,
any ill treatment to complain of, any inlus-
tice to right, here is their opportunity. close
at hand. The great question:, therefore, is,
What do these Socialists and Communists
want"
And it is this very question which the
, fn fbnu pap nat no
mnutest particulars as to the drilling Of the
Communists, the number of muskets they
possess, the men they can turn out; they can
even tell where their weapons and ammuni-
ton are bought, but when 1t comes to reciting
the principles for which they propose to
shoulder their weapons, march out and fight,
the newspapers and the Socialists them
selves are wholly unable to explain
anything. Their general platform seems
to be that times are bad, and that
a little fighting may improve them;
that the labor market is overstocked, and
O few persons killed would give those left
behind q better chance for work and higher
wages. Of the hundreds of Socialists inter
viewed by the reporters OF the Western
papers not half dozen could give any idea
of what they wanted done; they complained
of the hard times, of the suffering among the
poorer classes, of the necessity for all making
a living: they pronounced their employers
tyrants, and capital curse, but none could
suggest any way by which these evils could
be corrected. These men, therefore, are of
very little real danger; they may grumble,
they may strike, they may arm themselves
with guns and march around town, they may
even, here and there, commit depredations on
property but having really no principles for
which they contend, any movement they may
attempt will naturally subsde in a very short
time.
But there are a dozen or so men anxious to
profit by this general feeling of discomfort,
who are dangerous, men with new ideas and
principles, which, if they become popular,
will really plunge this country into civil war.
Mr. Longley, one of the St Louis Socialists,
laid down his platform to the workingmen of
that city the other day as that "all the land
and machinery should be owned by the gov
eminent and all the business done by the gov
eminent"
Such are the principles that these men are
endeavorng to teach the workingmen of this
country, and herein lies the great danger of
this so-called labor movement. If the work
ingmen ever get impressed with the idea that
the government owes all of them a living as
the French artisans were taught in 184S, the
danger of Communism is no bugaboo, after
all, but reality. The coming campaign is a
most dangerous time for such movement.
Demagogical members of Congress- anxious
to secure the vote of the diSaffected working
men, are already preaching Socialism at
Washington. One of the Pennsylvania
members wanted to give every unem-
ployed laborer farm, house and farm
ing utensils; while another went even
further, and proposed to divide all
the property of the government among
laborers out Of work. These men are sowing
the whrlwnd. The principles they announce
are identical with those of Longley, and must
end by converting strikers and unemployed
workingmen.
If the laborers are let Alone their feelings of
discomfort will rapidly subside. The country
is economizing and must soon be on a pros
porous footing again. 1t is only to be feared
that demagogues will take advantage of the
coming election to preach Communism sew
eral members of Congress are doing already.