Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-05-11
The Spirit of Communism.

| ism or communism which has pre-
sented itself in various parts of tn
country. Good men sometimes en-
courage lynch law, seeming to for
get that they are encouraging tn
communists and feeding a monste
which will feed upon them. Th
demonstrations of the communist
at Chicago are alarming. 1t is saiC
| that these outlaws, composed of tel
thousand desperate men, are armed
and are ready for an outbreak at {
moments notice. The people o
Chicago are alarmed, and seem tt
think that they are lowering over {
volcano that is liable to burst forth
at any moment. An outbreak al
Chicago would be the spark to fire
the magazine, and there would be-
an explosion in other cities where
idlers and ruffians are making in.
cendiary appeals to honest men out
of employment. In times of long
continued distress the baser ele-
ments of society show a strong in
clinatiOn to subVert the established
principles of law and order. The
greater the public calamity the more
violent become the efforts and meas
ures of the substrata to work to the
surface and assume forcible and
even bloody control of public affairs.
During the French revolution the
mob forced down all safeguards, and
where but a few days before had
been peace and safety, the bloody
guilIotine began to drink the blood
of the best and bravest citizens of
France. AT the close of the late
war between France and Germany
the commune once more came to
the front, and in a few hours sacked
Paris, burned her fiiirest palaces,
destroyed her works of art, over
threw her prOudest monuments and
inaugurated a reign of blood, fire
and murder. 1t has been the pride
and boast of Americans in the past
that our Government being one by
the people, and for the people, no
such danger could ever come to US.
OF late years, that boast seems likely
to prove but a boast after all. The
dreadful scenes in Pennsylvania,
Illinois, Ohio and other States last
summer, where mob violences seized
great railroads, burned and sacked
their property, refused obedience to
the civil authorities, and only
yielded when the military forces
had shot hundreds of the rioters,
with arms in their hands, TO death,
was a rude awakening from the
dream of fancied security and sup
posed established order. The Mollie
Mcguire assassinatiOns, for which so
many of the murderers are being
punished, was another symptom of
a dangerous character. A few days
since a New York journal gave a
description of band of communists
in the metropolis; the reports from
Chicago during the past week show
that a large band of communists are
openly drilling and training with
weapons for some future operations.
and other large cities are
infested with similar organizations,
and in San Francisco they have a
bold, desperate man by the name Of
Kearney who has placed himself at
the head of the tramps, loafers and
men who never did an honest days
work in their lives, and having ev-
to gain and nothing to lose
by a riot are threatening the de-
of the property of honest
men and industrious citizens. The
object of Kearney and his gang is
publicly proclaimed. They avOW
their purpose to be the suppression
of all law, the overthrow of all gov
ernment, and to establish mob-rule,
by INSCRIPTIONS ruff
ans, devoid of character, principle
and common decency. Kearney,
night after night, harangues his fol-
lowers in one continued storm of
vulgar blasphemy, billingsgate and
brutal threats against law, order,
life and property. "Prominentc citi-
zens who are pioneers in the State,
and by their energy, skill and labor
have built for themselves homes,
reared families and developed the
resources of the State, are openly
to be thieves, plunder-
9rs and capitalists, and by name are
pointed out as objects of attack and
outrage by the unthinking mob.
The right of inflicting the death
penalty on the citizen is openly
asserted, without the intervention
Of a trial or an opportunity for de-
iense, or for exercising the right of
speaking or voting for
according to the dictates of
lis own conscience. The Legisla- |
.ure, as a body. is publicly reviled +;
he female population of the capital |
prostitutes the courts
branded as corrupt and purchasable,
and every man not cOncurring in
such sentiments declared q thief, a
'Obber and a public enemy. Free |
speech is stricken down in open
lay, and no public meeting is per-
nitted to be held by citizens to con-
;ult on public affairs without the |
of this band of auda- |
.iOus cOnspirators. The press of the |
State is alleged to be mercenary,
md that the editors support their |
papers by money stolen for that |
purpose. The Grand Jury are de-
led and pronounced perjurers.
Judges, by name, are held up to |
public ridicule and contempt. Men |
n all parts of the city are being en-
oiled in clubs and military compa-
lies, with open threats to burn the |
oity, murder the citizens and revo-
utionize the State. The laws and |
reatieS of the United States, which |
protection to all residents,
native or foreign, are denounced, |
md threats to set them at defiance
publicly asserted. Men of capital |
ire held up to scOrn and animadVer
ion, whose property is justly sub
ect to seizure and division by the |
without law or any re-
traint." This is a fearful picture
o contemplate. We are in the
midst of a crisis. 1t is to be hoped |
he country will pass in safety
through the terrible ordeal. An
at this time would build |
Up a party of red Republicans, agi-
ators and revOlutionists who would |
menace the peace and tranquility of
he country whenever it was neces-
ary to enable them to live in con-
inued idleness. In due course of |
ime the Democratic party will give
uch prosperity to the country that
wen communists and agrarians will
lave nothing on which to base their
appeals. The present distresses are
he result of Radical cOrruptions.
legislation on the part of
he Republican party has aggravated
,ur trouble, but political chaos will |
lot remedy our evils. Democracy
s to-day legislating for the people,
lot for q class When all the |