The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-07-25
FALL OF THE GREAT REPUBLIC.

Drawing on the ImaginatIOn-A Lively and
Absurd PredictionIof Impending Ruin
BY Sir Henry Standish Coverdale, New
York, 1895.
There is in these days marked ten
dency toward discounting the future in
the form of literary predictions. The
''Battle of Dorking" has had long line
of successors, of which "The Fall of the
Great Republic" is the latest and by no
means one of the worst. In this in
stance it is Socialism through which the
Republic is to be wrecked, and the
anonymous author has worked out his
conception so skillfully that few read
ers on closing the book will feel dis
posed to assert positively the impossi-
bility of such disaster. The growth
of Socialism is supposed to be stimu-
lated during several years by secret
organization. Finally riot occurs at
Chicago. 1t is put down with difficulty
after much damage has been done. A
few months later, through the co-opera-
ton of the trades-unions with the So
cialists, another Chicago outbreak oc-
ours. 1t is so serious that help is call
ed for from all the principal cities in the
Union. These denude themselves of
their militia in response to the appeal,
and when they are on the way, at a
given signal revolution breaks out in
every one of the now defenseless CEN
tres. TIE result scarcely requires to be
narrated. The Socialists overwhelm
the peaceful citizens. Anarchy of the
most frightful character prevails. Mas
sacre, pillage, arson are eVeryw here.
Society has no time to collect itself Its
enemies are too thoroughly prepared.
They destroy the telegraphs, seize the
railroads, render effective combination
against them impossible. The little
Federal army is on the frontier fighting
Indians when the revolution breaks out;
but when it is brought back the Social
lists have aleady conquered the country.
The law-abiding citizens are fugitives
in the unsettled regions, The towns
and cities are all in the hands of
the sworn foes of order. The Irish,
who have held back during the over
throw of government, now through their
leaders offer to the President to restore
order on condition that their chiefs are
virtually given full control of the Ad-
ministration. The President, after
fruitless resistance, consents, but, find
ing the Secretaries of State and War
ignore him, he rebels, only to be at once
deposed.
The Irish, German and French leaders
propose to seize and imprison the diplo-
matte agents of London, Paris and Ber-
lin. War is at once declared against
the United States by these Powers, who
enter into a firm alliance for the punish
ment of the Socialist revolutionaries.
A powerful English fleet is swiftly dis
patched, and Boston is seized before the
new Washington Government can do
anything. Then half a million Euro
pean troops are landed on the shores of
Long Island Sound, and after a stubborn
fight New York is taken, though not UNI
til the Socialists have burned half of it,
The defeated revolutionists retreat upon
Washington but are overtaken by the
allies and a desperate two days battle
is fought on the field of Gettysburg.
The close of the second day sees the
Socialist Army not merely beaten, but
annihilated, reduced to fugitive crowd
without organization or capacity for le-
sistance. A general occupation of the
country by the allies concludes the mar
rative, which is supposed to be written
by "Intendant for the Board of Euro
pean Administration in the Province OF
New York." and to be published by
permission of the Bureau of Press Cen
sorship."
Unjust be admitted that the idea has
been artstically worked out, and that
the literary skill of the author, which
is considerable, imparts to it a verisi-
Multitude productive of unpleasant feel
ings. Yet it is necessary to point Out
that the kind of apprehension presume
bly, sought to be reinforced by such in
ventions is really good deal like tina
from which Clever Grethel suffered il
Grimm's story, when she saw the
Ratchet on the wall, and reflected that i
she should marry Hans and they SHOULD
have a son, and he should grow up, anC
some day 90 down into the cellar, anC
the Ratchet should fall on him, how ter
rible it would be! Just so, if the ami
malcules in drop of water were reall,
as large as they appear under the micro
scope, and if they should get loose
what havoc might they not cause.-N
Y. Tribune.