The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-16

individual rights in property.
See Encyclopaedia Britannica or Com
munism Socialism. In some of these
societies individual liberty is entirely sus
pended, the smallest minntial of daily
life of their members is regulated from
headquarters.
During the French Revolution Babenf
. and others Taught that dat men hueE eQatsl
rights IN all property and in the enjoyment
of it; that every exclusive appropriation
of the soil or of branch of Industry was
a crime; that all persons should receive
the same kind and degree of education
The principles of Babeuf and his numer-
Gus followers are best given in the official
declarations of their Manifesto des Eoaux
We not only want equality as il is set forth
J in the declaration of mems and citizens
rights (as Mr.. Danforth claims for them
we want it also among US in our homes.
Let all arts perish, if necessary, provided
true equality be maintained. No more
individual ownership of the earth. Hence
forth there must be no differences
between men except those of sex and age.
Nearly all have the same qualifications
the same wants, therefore let them have
the same education, 1.-The same support -
Now Mr.. Danforth is this not the very
doctrine You declared was not held by
| these men? aud is it not the very charge |
raised against them? Nor were these men
a mere handful of agitatOrs. So vast
powerful and complete was their organi-
cation that IN 1896 they had made all
needed preparations to overthrow the
| existing government. Their plans were
| matured, their agents were taken their
places to dead the final blow, when one
| of their number betrayed them and thus
caused the attempt to miscarry. Babenf
I Il
ed for their crime on May Goth 1897 See
| Cyclop. Amerc. Babeuf.
| Fourier Louis Blank and others. fol-
| lowing in tae wake of G. q. Rousseau,
| stoutly maintained the same doctrines
| and put them into practice on greater
or lesser scale. Proud hon plainly states
| their doctrine when he says: Ownership
| is robbery"
Coming to our own country let us see
| whether no organized body of men held
and practiced equality as l charged in my
lecture, Mr.. Danforth. did you ever hear
of Brook Farm and its communistic So
ciety? Did you ever read the lamenta-
tions of Hawthorne over the failure of
that communistio undertaking, ofwhicil
he was practical supporter? You ought
not rs learned representative of the
press, he ignorant of the "Harmony
'Amana Society" of Iowa.
If your perception IS not difficult, perhaps
you perceived charges made by the in
famous Guiteauagainst the no less in
famous community of "Oneida Perfect
ionists." These men are so far from agree
ing with Mr.. Danforth's broad assertions
that they hold in theory and practice not
only community of goods but even of per
sons (via. wives and claim thai it is
taught in the new Testament. They
strongly discourage, as ''sinfuIness selfish
ness, F." what they call 'erclusioe and idoIa
tors attachment Of t1oO persons for each
other.
I think it would be well for you. Mr.
Danforth, to take up the article of Right
Rev. James O'Connor in the American
Cath. Quarterly Review of April 1888.
You would not be so apt to make an igno-
ramus of yourself by teaching that which
you do not know.
1t would do you no harm at all were
you to read the same Review of July
1878. You might, by comparing your
ideas with those of learned men and
Catholics, perceive if your perceptions is
not too difficult, that your Theology is not
very sound and your knowledge of his
tory, even of our own, not very trust
worthy or extensive. ss zas
Where now is the straw Mr.. Danforth ?
Who made the valiant and vigorous at
tack on the myth, the creation of his own
distempered Imagination? My man was |
a real man. He was candid and in
telligent enough to state the truth in his |
own words. All that you said was mere |
fiction of your own distempered magma
ton. That is where straw comes into the /
lecture. Verify, little learning is~a
dang erOus thing.
Spot 3rd. HE evidently gets his in
formation from a preiuaiced source.
have stated the precise sources of my in
formation. These sources are the very
individuals themselves, against swhomI
levelled the charges. You may possibly
object that the NihilIsts are not as wicked
as | painted them. Take up the Annual
Cyclopaedia of 1877 You will there find
the principles of the Nihilist stated in
most indubitable terms. In 1878 in the
month of September the Nihilists publish
ed a pamphlet called Life for Life" or
Buried alive" at st. Petersburg. This
was regarded as the Nihilist manifeste.~It
declared: 1--WE are Socialists. Our pur-
pose is the distinction of the present eco
nomical organization and inequality
Spot 4th Here Is Mr.. DanfOrth's faith
erly advice to the lecturer:
Il y
covert drive at labor organizations in
this country. IT it was not that it is
difficult to preceive what it was meant
for. Now. ! have some acquaintance with
the principles, objects and ends OF such
and, unlike Father Cook.
[ Cbtain my information from those or
CARNATIONS and the people engaged in
them, and not from party press misrep-
IF Father Cook would do
the same he would probably not again
them. No labor reform or
CARNATIONS, or men engaged in promulzi
eating the principlessof such organize
tions hold that all men are equal, or
that all property should De equally
divided. They know, better than that.
They know just as we'll as Father Cook
does, and without the aid of his funny
that all men are not equal.
They know that men develop unequally.
according to thier opportunities, and
that they are entitled to the property
they fairly accumulate as individuals"
The first few lines of this criticism l do
not hesitate to stamp as a wicked SANDER
against the lecturer and his words. / hayej
shown to an evidence that no such terms
occurred in the lecture and no such inter
probation could Justly be made. As to
the paternal advice Mr.. Danforth offers
il would he ridiculous, if it were mott
ARROGANT t#