The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-05-25
The Cause Of Communism.

ingmen. IN oan tranclsco, SI' Loulsj Nh'
cago, Cleveland, New York, schuylkill
County, and other towns and communities
societies have been formed. From accounts
of the doings of the members of these or
carnations it would seem that they have
been formed with the intention Of shedding
blood. In Western cities, when asked why
they were drilling with firearms, the reply
was something like this; " We are prepar-
ing to defend ourselves" 1t is true that
men are drilling with firearms, no matter
how much the would-be conservative citi-
zens may laugh at the idea. Is there any
necessity for these Communistic demonstra-
tionsP There may be. But there should
he no cause whatever. 1t is not to the
dscredt," says a writer, "of any element
in society to say that suffering and priva-
ton resulting from involuntary idleness in
evitably result in making any class of men
desperate and dangerous. There are Com
munists in every land who are such by
reason of innate wickedness or perverted
teaching. These are powerless, by reason of
the smallness of their number, in times of
prosperity" The time when they are most
successful is when business is depressed;
when rolling mills, blast furnaces, and
foundries are idle; when hungry human
ity, woe and want, sin and suffering, are
real things. "This is all the argument of
any man of sense needs to understand why
the spirit of Communism is abroad in this
land to-day, and why it must continue to
spread unless an improvement Of the times
comes SOON" "Hard" times are the cause
of Communism. Now, then, what is the
cause of the hard times? Is there re-
medy for the depression which pervades the
land? We year after year send men to
our State Legislatures and to Congress.
They are to make laws that will promote
the general welfare of the citizens of the
United States. If they had done, and
would do, their duty, it is more than likely
that we would to-day not be suffering the
way we are.
Dishonesty has caused the hard times.
Dishonesty has reigned almost supremely
throughout the populous North, the sunny
South, the intellectual East, the great West !
in short, though true Americans may blush
with shame when they think of it, through
out the whole United States We can go
back few years, and, with memory's aid,
bring before our minds the Credit Mobilier,
and the rascality, bribery, and perjury con-
nected with it; the Tammany Ring and
the attendant corruption; the Whisky
Rings Robson and the millions squan-
dered and stolen by him; Belknap, the
thief and extortioner. Coming down TO
more recent events, we have Hayes's induc-
tion into office; the deceptions Of Morton,
of Philadelphia; the Fall River thieves,
who, while they could not find money to
pay wages for which their employees asked,
found thousands of dollars for themselves /;
and the numerous defaulting bank officials.
There are many, many similar cases. The
ones we have cited will more than suffice,
however. What dirty record The sad
dest thing is that the end is not yet. A
secretary of war, secretary of the navy, a
vice-president and president of the Union
tainted with dishonesty The man who
holds the highest Office with which the
American people can honor any one, reduced
to level with the professional tramp who
pleads poverty or i'll health so that he may
get money to get drunk! A vice president
lowered by his own actions to the status oi
the being who, having the money, never
pays the printer, grocer, or clothier
Speaking of the payment of debts, we here
give something from the Lebanon Cou,ic,
that all honest people will indorse:
ANY one who has observed the legislation
of this country, for some years past, State
and National, pertaining to debtors and
creditors, must have been struck with the
large amount of it that was calculated to in
teriere with the obligations of contracts, anC
the little of it that was calculated to hell
honest creditors obtain their dues. Undel
the plea of legislating for the "poor man d"
commercial honesty has been almost de
stroyed. The law, instead of being an in
strument to enforce contracts and encourag,
honesty between citizens, has been a ready
help to battle fair dealing and most effect
i've aid to all those who chose to resort {,
dishonest practices. Honest debts could no
be collected according to agreement; whil
sharpers, with fortunes in their possessions
have been able to snap their fingers at thei
creditors, and, through the facilities pre-
sented by the bankrupt and other laws
could wipe out their Indebtedness and star
on fresh campaign for making obligation
which they never intended to pay. W
could name many cases where men hav
gone through the bankrupt law, while liv
ing in prineely style, and, as soon as thei
obligations were cancelled, starting out agai
as ii their credit had never been affected
The repeal of the law which enabled this t
be done is a proper thing, but the repea
should Immediately be followed by legisla
tion to encourage honesty in the bushes
world and protect honest creditors in the
rights. Unless there be legislation of tn
kind, there will be no diminution Of success
full rascaity. Through preferences, &c
there will be no safety for creditors. tn
honest business interests of the country no
want legislation that shall be some qua
antee Of honest dealing between man an
man. We have had a surfeit of the 9th,
kind.
Low, deceptive kuavishness, want of il