Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-05-07
STRONG GOVERNMENTS.

oLHONG dOIEHN-HENIS
During the cxcitements and panics
That attended the strike riots of two
Summers ago it was common thing
to hear faint-hearted men and women
talk in favor of q strong government"
TO keep down worklngmen, Socialists,
tramps and other dangerous classes. "
There was talk of . large standing
army and the need Of having soldier
at the head of affairs. Such people
are invited now to contemplate the
condition of two strong governments
in the world-Russia and Germany.
Socialism, so far from be repressed in
these governments. is iostered by them
in spite OF themselves. Nowhere does
the Soeialistic spirit spread wider or
sink deeper among the people, or
threaten more radical changes in laws,
religious and social customs, than in
the States that maintain the strongest
standing armies and tho most ubiqui,
tous spy and police systems. In Ger
many, fortunately, the Socialistic re-
volt against personal and military
government is in the hands Of a high
class of men. Philosophers, social and
political economists, able writers and
speakers, give an elevated tendency to
the blind impulses Of the lower orders.
1t has a representation in the Reich.
stag that secures the respect of the
Government and it is even able to put
something of curb on Bismarck, as
was shown in the rejection of the
Parliamentary Discipline bill. The
German Government is alarmed at the
progress that Socialism is making. 1t
has vast army, but who knows how
many of the soldiers are Socialists and
therefore, to what extent the army
could be relied on to suppress Social.
ism An army composed of men who
sympathize with the people is not very
useful as a support to "strong govern
ment" when at issue with the people.
1t is this fact which unnerves even
Bismarck. But in Russia, ,.partly be-
cause the people have been less cdu
Gated, partly because they have no
share in the government, partly be-
cause they have been so abominably
misgoverned and partly because they
are so ground down beneath an army
and police and spy system, the Social.
istic or Nihilistic revolt has gone
deeper and become more passionate
and desperate. 1t disbclieves in law,
in patriotism, in God and religion. The
stronger the government the more
radical is the Socialism. The more
fiercely they burn for liberty-the
more reckless they are of consequences
in seeking to secure it. The conse.
Iquencc is that Russia to day, the very
beau-ideal of strong government, is
the weakest in Europe. 1t trembles
on the brink of a revolution more dis
: astrous and destructive than the French
: Revolution of ninety years ago. Turn
: now from the Strong government
! and look at France, the only Republic
of any magnitude in Europe. 1t is in
the most splendid industrial and
} financial health and is moving rapidly
toward the leading position in Europe.
/ Her social and revolutionary troubles
} are nearly over. They ended with the
} "strong government when the I'm
perial fraud of Louis Napoleon, with
its imbecile statesmen and cowardly
, army tumbled into dust Turn also
and look at this Republic, which OF al
A. in the world is ireest from Socialistlc
. dangers. Why freest2 2 Because il
does not seek to fight opinions with
force. A great part of Socialism ig
norancc and gasconadc. Let it speak
out in the open all that it has to say
) and il becomes harmless. The Social
lists and Red Republicans held Their
Tompkins square meetingin New York
at the time of the greatest excitement
of the tramp riots and labor strikes
and nobody cared rush. Half the
spirit was taken out of the meeting
, when the Socialists found that nobody
was afraid of them. Government
which is freest is strongest, because
there is least TO rebel agains. The
people who want "Grant and strong
government" are blind indeed if they
do not sec the significance OF the pres.
ent condition of Europe. Baltimore
Gazette.