The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-02

TIE same reasoning which led to a be
lief in the end of the world and to de
sire to return to q primitive state OF
society, leads also to Nihilism; only. a
Nihilists look for nothing from divine
justice, the existence of which they de.
ny, it is not fire sent from heaven, but
the avenging flame of petroleum that is
destined to destroy the present social
order. The Utopian schemes of Owen,
Fourier, CADET, and Louis Blanc ali
failed; the difficulty of carrying out
economic reform has been proved by
science and by facts; must we then wait
till the gradual spread of education and
of equality improves, by slow degrees,
the present situation? In that case there
are still centuries to be passed with
things as they are. No it is too muchl
A curse on society! Away with its in
situations and its laws We will over.
throw all and re-establish things in
their natural and primitive condition, as
Rousseau proposed.
If we examine closely the present
social situation we cannot feel any sur
prise at these sentiments; civilized
States at war, either open or secret, one
with the other, draining their popula
ton by unlimited ornaments and re.
tanning for military service the flower
of the nation's youth; crushing debts
everywhere, national, provincial, and
communal, in all about E5, 900, 900, 900,
bringing in a revenue of.about f3, 000,-
600, taken from the necessitous, and
serving to allow an ever-increasing
number of people to live on their in,
come and donothing; everywhere enor-
nous budgets, quite out of proportion
with the advantages which accrue
thence to the people; the cultivators Of
the soil reduced to live on bread and
water, on potatoes, as in Ireland. and
on oetfagra-engendering maize, as III
Italy; the workingman' condition =
trll1e ameliorated, it is true, but not al
all in proportion to the increase in pro
duction; in the upper classes luxury
overlooking and becoming daily more
refined and more wanton; parliament
airy administration, which was to have
brought with it salvation, incapable OF
carrying out any great social reforms
OIuhOl hiidDi a. 1OHSiliulIDHtl IuOudlCI
or republic; and if at times a minister
is met with who, like Prince Bismarck,
desires to take steps in this direction,
the satisfied middle classes raising OBJ.
iections to such policy, with the watch.
word of laiSSez fare.
Anarchism and Nihilism, in spite Of
the growing number and the despairine
energy of their adherents, are, at pres
ent wholly powerless to jeopardize the
safety of the present social order if all
goes as usual; but suppose one of those
crises when there is collapse of power
to take place-a great defeat, middle.
class revolution, or, for instance, an at
tempt at restoration in France-then
it is much to be feared that the terrible
scenes of the Commune of 1871 would
be repeated with even more terrific
features. In the last volume of paris
ct SEES Organes," M. Maxine du Camp
casts melancholy glance at the beauti-
full city, rejecting thatit will one day be
the prey of fire. Let us hope that this
will not befall our capitals, and that 9
transformation of the social order will
take place, without the aid of petrole-
UNI and dynamite. = F'orteightly Re-
pietO.