The Labor enquirer., 1885-04-04

The dynamite that quarries rock quashea
an emperor. Goths and vandals have risen
! from the dead to shatter gothic cathedrals
and to endanger modern civilization. Among
the most perilous facts OF this age we name
Socialism, which, in the minds Of many,
gathers to itself all that class Of people who.
being disguised with society. seek to change
it By violent means. Those people who, not
being satisfied with the normal growth of the
organism, would, If necessary, pluck it up
by the roots, and, having given it body to
please themselves, would then stick it into
a new soil. From this point Of view Social
lists, Nithilists, and Communists are all
placed in the same category. We ought in
fairness, however, tomake clear distinction.
The Nihilist is a destroyer, the Socialist q
leveller. The Socialist puts his faith In the
state; the Nihilist declares the state to be ut
teriy rotten and seeks to clear it away as an
incpmbrance. He despises the Socialist and
haIt-nearted, while the Socialist calls him an
Anarchist. They unite in seeking new
condition of society. All of the Nihilists
and some of the Socialists would use vio-
lence.
Recent events have shown that the agita-
tors are prepared for the NEST ruthless bar
barity. They hope to secure their ends by
lawless violence, but the destruction Of pub
lie buildings only arouses the indignation OF
right-thinking men against them. At the
same time there can be no question but that
the demands of the Socialists call for some
attention. Recent outbursts in the most un-
looked-for quarter have drawn public atten-
tion more than ever to all kinds OF agitation.
France win probably soon have another ex-
plosiDn. Switzerland was thought to be safe,
but, for the first time in its history, the fed
eral palace at Berne is placed under the
guard of armed men. The dastardly outrage
in the English house of parliament is fresh
in the memory OF all, and threats are being
made that even American public buildings
are no longer safe. The peril is a real one.
Ii the French revolution was the bonfire of
feudalism, a Russian and German revolution
may become the bonfire of imperialism, and
an American revolution may yet become the
bonfire of capitalism. The bowling at New
York mob before the house of a notorious
capitalist means much.
How are these things to be met? One says
preach the gospel, and the answer is good
one. But the gospel has not yet kept back
the destruction Of any nation. Our social
disorders have a cause, and it is wise, in
stead of holding up our hands in pious hor-
ror, to ask what is the cause and how can we
remove it? In Russia each man of 100, ,0O0,-
600 can be murdered at the word of a tyrant.
The press is gagged. There is no public
meeting. The clergy are often the tools Of
the government, and the government is only
an organized despotism. What other means
have the Russians of securing freedom than
secret societiesP
We never can judge man truly until we
put ourselves in his place. The dynamite
fiend is terrible In its uproar, but the dynasty
fend is not less terrible in its silence. In
Germany Socialism has not yet become Nihi-
lism, but Socialism itself is there often allied
to Anarchy. Among many other causes of
the central force needed to WELD the nation
into unity, is now pressing heavily on the
nation as monopolistic tyranny. Second
public education in Germany has, at least
till recently, been education void Of charac-
ter The intellect has been developed but
the character has not been trained to good
ness. Social disorders are not repressed;
they must be cured by removing the cause.
Thus far America has been largely free
from the outbreaks, but her daywill come.
Anarchists are allowed publicly to advocate
the destruction of the constitution and the
murder of capitalists. The froth of their
speech is that of madness on the jaws Of
dogs. .s.- ~ y
Why does Socialism flourish in America?
We answer, for three reasons: Capitalism,
protective tariff, and immigration. Huge
states are being given up and private owner
ship of land is being fully acknowledged.
Soon the land laws of America will be on a
par with those of Europe. The protective
tariff is social blunder, if not crime.
When free trade is declared the nation will
have more freedom from Socialism. Social
ism is against both revelation and evolution.
Socialism says" Man is good by nature and
made bad by condition" The bible says:
''Man is fallen, and his surroundings will
never change his heart" Socialists should
seriously ponder the fact that they are drift
ing away from faith in personal God, which
is the greatest calamity on earth. At the
close of the paper it was generally discussed.
PittsburR.