The Labor enquirer., 1885-01-24
rHE GOSPEL OF DYNAMITE.

,;nu ~ ali sides Of the labor questions OF the
iev contributions always welcome. f
THE GOSPEL OF DYNAMITE.
Chicago seems to be headquarters fer
the gospel of dynamite. The discontented
there candidly advocate the use of force
90 = reyolutionizer, and regard dynamite
as the most forcible of all forcet,-the
f;naI argument thrown at capitalists who
can comprehend no other.
It is the experience Of the world that
tyrants can readily see the logic OF force
after their victims have demonstrated,
petitioned and prostrated themselves at
the foot of tine throne" yet to-day The
world condemns the use ofiforce by a.
class which has better reason for using
it.than has ever been known. Men who
glory in the valor of their Revolutionary
forefathers, and Union men whe shot
rebels have suddenly concluded that
vorkingmen have become utterly de-
prayed and fendish when they falk Of
applying force to their alleged oppressors.
Of course wnen people sge an act of
revenge and do not see what aroused the
revengeful spirit, they condemn the act
as though it were unprovoked. It's not
fair to Judge Anarchists IN that way. We
should ask, what is that catse for which
these men wish to shed blood :? What
lis the crime for which their intended
victims are to be punished? ? The answer
will enable US to judge whether or not
the punishment is merited !; then our ar
gument offered to Revolutionists will be,
not that force is wrong in itself, hut that
it is inappropriate, or that lis toe severe,
or that it is undeserved, as we may de-
eide.
Let US glance at some o. the indict-
ments against the proposed victims Of
dynamite:
An officer of railroad slid, in an in
terview with a Chicago reporter, that
wages must be reduced; that working
men can easily live on less bay; that they
can get along without many things which
wealthy men consider necessity that
the cost of living is now le5s than for
marlY flour now being SIS per barrel even
-
for the rich man, while grade could be
had for $3.50 quite appropriate for the
poor man.
Now here is man who has the power
and the inclination to strike blow at
the comfort, pleasure and gsneral welfare
of the people. Such an act constitutes
treason in all enlightened" countries.
How shall we serve traitorsP Are the
the dynamiters too severe
Divest railroad officers work of the
shrewdness necessary under foolish
wasteful competitive system, and their
function is clerical work Of the simplest
kind We have then man whose work
is not SO important as a..track-layer, die
tating as to how other mote useful men
shall live. A drone governing bees.
When asked whether the pay of railroad
officials would be reduced also, our nabob
suddenly had important, business to
attend, so says the reporter.
What are the effects of such men on
society," Immense wealth causes intense
poverty. Poverty caaset misery and
death. 1t is remarkable fact that not
one death in ten is from old age, nine
tenths being caused prematurely by the
conditions into-which people are forced.
AS rich men operate directly against the
general welfare they are traitors, and the
dynamiters are consistent if we allow
them to argue from precedent. But shall
we always be governed be precedent :?
Then progress is impossible. We already
have reformers who offer clear, definite
and Just plans, by which we may avoid
blood.shed or any other lnjustiee if we
will but adopt them. Millionaires them
selves are coming to perceive the logic of
the times and will avoid dynamite by be-
coming just If bombs mnst<be thrown,
Andrew Carnegie should escape them.
No person of sense thinks Anarchists
wish to shed blood with no other object
than to be cruel. They lave no such
object even five admit that they show
more desire for revenge than for reform.
They would tear down the old, believing
the new will grow, while the reflective
reformer offers plan for the new. Some
men may deserve punishment, but it
would do no good, for after all the wars
and murders that the world has seen,
poverty is as intense, and as many are
forced into premature graves as before.
WEALTH COVERS 1T ALL.
Two New York misses went off on a
sky-larking trip few days ago, and
wound up in a police station at New
n,b ~, d;dpt NO M m M ~ cphnni