The Labor enquirer., 1885-02-21
1hs i've Kinds II Murder.

L
The Two Kinds of Murder.
For The enquirer.
There is q story about the inhabitants
lof certain town, who, tinding their jail
accommodations were too small, held 9
meeting, and resolved: First, that We
build new Jail second, that we use the
old jail until the new one is completed
third, that we build the new jail where
the old one now stands" Those who
believe that the new system can be in
augurated, and the principles Of Social
ism be carried into practice before the
present system is overthfown, would do
well to learn lesson from the above
resolution Of the simple towns-folk. Dis
organization and disruption must come
before reorganization and reconstruction
are possible. As the old building must
be destroyed before the new one can bc
built Oh it's site, SO the present 4oyern-
ment and state must be abolished before
the Social Republic can be instituted.
1t Is on the site Of the present system
that we must build the new tits not
in the moon, or in some other planet
that we want a change. We cannot
build up Socialistic state somewhere
else, and then, when the new edifice is
completed move into it. We must lay
our foundations here, and no matter
what the plan may be, whether the uni
versal commune, the state, or the anarch-
zeal group; here, where the old edifice
now stands must the new one be erected.
Here the ground must be cleared and
broken, the debris removed, and the
material for the coming structure be
placed. How is it possible then for the
new system of society Ito be commenced
whilst the old still encumbers4 the
ground? Sewing machines, railroads
and telegraphs are not systems. A mil
lion sewing machines may be in exist
ence while millions of women still ply
the needle. Thousands of miles of rail,
roads and telegraphs may be in opera
tion, while the stage coach and the pony
express continue to be used. ! \
IT has been said that nothing can be
found in nature to show that destruction
is necessary to progress. fby the term
progress" is meant reconstruction and
reorganization, then answer that all
nature teens with such proofs. The
grass is greenest in the spring where.
during the previous summer, the scythe
or the ire have been. The pure gold is
only extracted from the dross by the ap-
piication of the fiercest heat. Theax and
the fire are valuable agencies in clearing
the forest for the settlers home. En-
Epires and dynasties have been erected
upon the ruins of other empires, swept
from the face Of the earth by destructive
war, in order that civilization might ad-
vance. The liberties which the French
people enjoy in 1885 are made possible
only by the revolution of 1898. The re-
public of America could only be brought
into existence by the thunder of the
guns and the clashing of arms at Con-
cord and Lexington.
The severity of the means employed
is ever measured by the greatness of the
reforms to be inaugurated and the mag
nitude of the wrongs which have been
suffered and are to be righted. Thus,
while a British parliament can give nom
inal freedom to million men who have
suffered little or nothing from its depri-
walton, it cost this country millions Of
money and human lives to liberate four
millions of blacks, whose cries for deliy
erance had been constantly heard for
hundred years. Bleeding is therefore
sometimes necessary, and often alone
will suffice to right terrible wrongs; but
the magnitude of the change which we
contemplate, precludes its accomplish
ment by any other means except that of
the absolute destruction, root and branch,
of the infamous system which has caused,
and is causing such terrible desolation.
a system whose countless millions Of
victims to cry to heaven for vengeance,
and shall not cry in vain, for the law of
retribution is as certain as the, law of
diurnal motion, and while the punish
ment may be slow in coming, it is, none
the less sure.
The term murder" is often loosely
used and given an obsure meaning; and
even reformers frequently misapply the
word. In the estimation Of great
many people it is murder" to shoot
down a grasping capitalist. or rack
renting landlord; it is murder" " to rid
the earth of q tyrant; but it is not MUIR
der, apparently, when these same capital
lists, landlords and tyrants cause the
death in various ways of helpless men,
women and children. And yet the only
real difference is that one is killing with
out the sanction of the law (which law,
mind you, is made by these same capi-
talists. landlords and tyrants) and the
other is killing with the sanction Of the
law and under the protection of the
state. Socialists and revolutionists Of
every kind and degree might employ
themselves better than IN denunciation
of such methods as would rid the earth
oe uholaeo Ia yourf}arpra tn cav noth-