The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-04-28
The Several Varieties of Socialism
From the Baltimore SIM:

From the baltimore SIM:
Since their free use of the means of destroy
ing life and property has attracted pubic at
tention to the doings of nihilists, anarchists,
socialists members of the Black Hand ana
the anonymous societies at work in England,
it has become Il matter OF interest to learn
what objects and grievances these various
organizations have in common. Whist they
ali agree in being discontinued with the exist
ing order of things, very slight examination
shows that there is no very considerable
unanimity as regards the kind or degree OF
change they desire to effect. The nlhlllst, who
enjoys the doubtful honor of having invented
the idea that the germ of political reform lies
in dynamite, does not exist outside OF Russia,
and has his programme specialized to suit
Russian conditions. His agitation seems to
be directed not against property, social rank
or the distinctions of the nobility, but solely
against the autocratic power OF the Gar he
makes his recruits, indeed, largely from
the ranks of the titled, the official and
educated classes His motive is purely polltl-
cal. and without entering into the details OF his
scheme he simply demands Of the Gar con
stitution. Most strongl in contrast with the
unselfshness of the nihiist is the sOrdld mo-
tive that, to all appearances, constitutes the
sole inspiration of the Black Hand Societies
of Spain and Portugal. Plumber and thlevery
would seem to be their main object. 1t they
have any political or social ideas, they have
not yet been at the pains to formulate them;
1t is not improbable that they have received
instruction in the doctrines of propagandist
communists, but being ignorant and needy,
they have fully appropriated only that ar
ticle of the communist creed which lncul-
Gates disrespect for prOperty-when held by
another. Anarchism, as it exists in France
and Italy, is an outcome of the logical French
mind when it once mounts the hobby OF an
tipathy to all authority whatever. There was
tyranny under the rule of the Bourbons, less
under the empire, still less under the present
republic; and if the loose bands imposed on
the body-poitic by the weak government OF
day were entirely removed, the French an
archist flncies that he would at once enter
upon a millennium Of absolute individual
liberty He observes the conflict of views
not only between monarchists, republicans
and socialists, but also between the thousand
and one factions constituting the last-men-
toned class of theorists, with which he has
most sympathy, and finding them unable
to agree upon an ideally perfect form OF
government, he cuts the knot by declaring Tor
no government at all. The socialist exists
under many names in France, but it is Ill Ger
many that he has best developed his views
s and made most converts, until he has become
Z
. main a theory of property, which, although IN
! contravention of the accepted doctrines OF
: political economy and impractcabe, has been
carefully worked out in a form to captlvate
! persons of an optimistic turn OF mind, but
/ lacking experience Herr Most's utterances
! on the subject display the doctrine from its
/ less amable side, as generating class hatreds
/ and melting to violence; but 1t Is noteworthy
! that the socialists i'll Germany have hitherto
| commonly relied upon moral suasiOn rather
than murder and fire for success Of their views.
/ The attempted assassination of the Emperor,
! some years ago, is the only notable eX-
! cepton. Rational socialism Pounds itself
| on the theory that land is by right com
mon property and should be evenly divided.
! The owner of land, it holds, is rich; the
: laborer, whose toll extracts from it all the
{ wealth in existence, is poor and remains poor.
; To annul this contrast, to remedy this in
equality of benefits, is the aim of all socialists,
though their methods of going about it are
| widely different. Mr.. Henry Georges book
on this subject has been read extensively, but
he presents but one phase of sOcialistic doe
trine, of which the premises have been fire.
quently retuted. The upshot Of socialistic
/ reasoning, as has been stated. is that there
must be a revolution in which property will
cease to be a monopoly, and will become COM
| mon." Socialists talk of eXtirpating pauper-
ism, but they do not state how it is to be
done. They wish first to grasp the dictate
rial power, pledging themselves to use it hon
estly for the benefit Of the masses. Obvious
", 10 party with such vague views as these
can secure the allegiance of the multitude,
who wish to know what is in front of them
before they leap Among the purely indie
pendent socialists who are guided only by
their individual fanaticism are Louise Michael,
Felix Pyat, Lssagaray and others. The
weakness of the socialists, the anarchists, and,
in Il word, the whole party of discomfort, Is
that it is split up into hostile cliques incapa-
bic of cooperating to secure any definite end.
Of them, as of the my Sterious ''invincibleS
now engaged in attempts to introduce a reign
of terror in England, it may be said that they
would never have attained their recent prom
-. inence in the public eye but for the invention
of terrible explosive, of which they are dis
posed to make free use. Their doctrines are
not new; only their instrument of warfare has
the merit of novelty.
A series 0f important sales of cattle began
at Kansas CITY. Mo-, Wednesday. Forty nine
head of poled Angus and Galloway cattle
brought S23.415, averaging S484. Eighty
head of Aberdeen Angus and Heretords, be-
| longing to W. H. Cochrane, of Compton,
Canada, sold for $4,000, averaging $500.
| Eleven Aberdeen-Angus COWS and heiters
averaged $3.50. This is the highest average
/ OF INV colo Of this brood ayar made on the