Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-04-11

Nihilism and Communism, and the
crimes with which they are associated are
the rssult of oppression, of the insolence Of
power. When the weak are persislenlly
abused by the strong, when they fsel them
selves day by day goaded by the prick and
! thrust Of injustice, indignant and desperate
they ssize such weapons az are within reach,
! the torch, the knife. the explosive dynamite.
Their sections are wrong, their revenge cruel /;
| it is always wrong to seek to repsir one
wrong by the preparation Of another The
torments Of hell consist in the tortures tie
wrong.doers there infict upon each other,
But what of those who gosd their fellow
creatures 10 desperation? Men do not take
to desperate crimes in large numbers
aud in various countries, unless they
are driven 10 it by wrong. Evil-mind.
ed individuals may become ircendiarIes and
murderers, from delight in guilt, but no t
whole m asses of men, and masses in various
lands. II is the crime of the powerful that
| arouses the evil passions Of those they in
sult and degrade. The insolencs that spurs
to desperation is not, We are cory 10 say,
wanting even in this free lard. The New
York Bulletin is a mcst excellent commercial
paper, snd as such naturally seeks the good
| opinion OF merchants and manufacturer,
bat when il seeks to please by pouring con-
tempt upon and using language OF taunt ,ans.
singing scorn towards the employees Of such
men, it pursues a wrong method of securing
| favor. In its issue of Friday last. the R,li-
i.fa mentions The stIiks OF nearly 5000
bricklaysrs at Chicago, who ask that their
wages be raised from IS 80 to 81 day. The
reader will remember that the bricklayer
can work only when the weather will per-
NIT, and in a climate liks that OF Chicago he
must be go paid iu the summer as to have
sufficient to keep himself and his family
in the winter; to do that 81 day is
certainly net too much to receive during
the fair weather days of a brief summer.
| Because these men AJAX for this pay the BulLe'
tin uses the following language respecting
them: "The sticking out on the part OF the
can get other peeple to pay their grocery
bills, rent, etc, while they are loupsing
about the parks, making or listening to elo-
queut speeches about the rights of labor,
etc. Three dollars and a half a
day for bricklaying is not bad pay; but, as
tbs weather is getting 10 be fine, tho tempta-
ton TO do nothing rathsr than work is IRE.
sistible." IL not this language inlolerable
TO use toward 5000 industriAns A.Asrio an
| worknasna Tbs men hass-e perfect right TO
AK an advance of wages, and as perfect a
right to fuse to work for less. Why then
should they be insulted about their grocery
bills ard their rent, charged with fhirk-
iEg work and INDUCING in idlenesr.
This is the sort of couduc', display Of
contumelious arrogance, naughty impua-
ton Of degrading motives and unworthiness
Of personal character that arouses all that
is ressntful in 4 msn, and awakens the
sleeping lion that no amount OF civilization
can Danish from human nature. II is this
hardness, this disregard for cur fellow-crea-
lures feelings, this contempt uous spurning
and trsmpliug down men who are estimable
citizens and creditable members OF society,
that sets fire to rsgings passions snd makes
men Communists and Nihilists. This is how
the process begins, aud the creator of the
Nihiiist and the Communist is he who, by
Insult aud srrogsnce, has stamped the man
hood out OF the human form and put 4
devil where, but for wrong and oppression
and unmarried sccrn, kindly heart and a
brave spirit might have added honor to the
human character. Such tauntings aud de-
rogatory limitations are as uuwise as they
are unkind. The American workmeu are
not the ignorant class TO which long
oppression has reduced so many of
the toilers OF Europe, and TO arouse
them is a dangerous game to play al.
Tue sort of men that met each other in our
late war would be dangerous people 10 m get
il Indignation should fire them 10 vengeance.
| Gunpowder is bad material to throw sparks
among. Prudence, a reg ard for public order,
the very instinct of self-preservation should
keep intelligent people from the use Of con-
tumelious language, especially toward per.
sons who are exercising their unquestonable
rights. We do not wish to speak harshly, or
depreciatingly, or uniustly of respected
Contemporary, but We think language such
as We have copied shove, and which is not
the frat OF the kind we have seen, should not
! pass without grave though respectful rebuke