The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-09
Does Not Necessarily Mean
Blood Social Convulsions-
Are Not the Work of
Demagogues and Agitators, but
of Tyrants- Tyranny
Always Breeds
Its Own DestructiOn-ssTh Upper
Classes Resort to Force if Their
Authority is Questioned"

August last, was forwarded for publica
ton in the columns of THE ENQUI
RER. Notwithstanding it's length it i,
we'll worthy every "em" of space il
occupies:
FRIENDS: Many people reject Social,
Ism at once on hearing that it is Revolu
tiOnarY. To the ordinary mind a Revo-
utionist who simply wishes to subvert
social order, displace government, and
to set loose upon society the forces of
plunder and rowdYism and all this, of
course, without the least thought of put
ting another system of regulation in
place Of the one demolished. This is
the common idea and to many people
the mere mention that you are Revo-
Iutionist is enough to bring about your
Danish ment from respectable" society
The various newspapers that have pub
lished accounts of the ideas and career
of Krapotkine have remarked as mat
ter for wonder that he, the violent and
implacable RevNlutionist, is man Of
mild bearing and gentle temperament
suppose they expected to find fero-
cious, plratical looking customer, with
explosives in every pocket and murder
mirrored in every line of his features.
Now, if these gentlemen had ever taken
the trouble to study the aims Of Social :
lists and Anarchists they would never
have felt this astonlshment. 1t is Just
men of humane sentiment who are most
likely to be attracted to the ranks of the
Revolutionists. Those who want to rob,
swindle and Cypress will not become So,
cialists while they have eyes to see that
our present system gives every encOur-
agement and opportunity for the exer-
else of their prOclivities Whoever has
taste for playing the tyraut will aspire
TO the bench, parliament or the boss
ship of large factory; the born rogue
will find a congenial place Of operation
On the stock exchange; while the nu-
merous horde Of differently disposed
persons who agree in yaarning Tor
wealth without work, honor without
service, or good living in return for in
doIence will find every inducement held
out to them by this commercial Civillza-
ton. Depend upon it, men and women
who espouse the cause of labor against
capitalism in these days, are, at least,
not self seeking people.
But why Is it that Social Revolution,
ur rather the name of it, is 80 much dis
liked? The reason is plain enough
those now in Dower, knowing the cor
ruption and injustice Of the system that
keeps them there, are frightened that a
great social change might disturb them
in their snug places. Not that the prop
ertied class and its hangers-on under
stand clearly how they would be effected
by Socialism. If they did, and were at
all well-intentioned people, as many OF
them are, they would find little cause
for personal alarm. But they do not
understand this; they are simply lnfu-
enced by an instructive dread that a re-
volt against the established order of
things would imperiI those who admin
lister that order.
Now, Revolutonist is very far from
being madman wishful only to run
amuck among his neighbors. Those
who champion Social Revolution have
definite reasons for the hope that the
present system will soon be ended, anC
they have also clear idea Of the prlncl'
pIes of that new system which will take
its place. These principles l will ex'
plain to you now as best can. Reject
them if in themselves they areunrea
sonable or pernlcious-but don't cast
them aside for the hazY reason that they
are Revolutionary. If ReYoiuuon
meant all the bloodshed and disorder
that our enemies falsely say it does 1t
would still be the duty OF every sensible
man who was not a coward to do the
right-even if Revolution were the roac
to it
To Revolutionize anything is to dis
card an old principle in favor of ne"
one. Thus, we speak Of a Revolution II
the means of transit when steam powe
superseded horses of Revolution II
warfare when gunpowder superseded th'
spear and the bow and arrow; OF Rev
outon in government when, power
wrested from a despot and vested in
parliament. In these instances the
change is effected bv putting aside one
principle to make room for new ano
very different one. Bear in mind ths'
the important point is not that th'
change should be great or wonderful
but that it should involve the displace
ment of one principle by another
When the steam engine supplanted th'
power of cattle there was Revolution
in consequence. That first engine ha'
been greatly changed, so much that Al
inexperienced person could not tell, Oh
seeing modern engine and an old on
side by side, that they were the sam'
kind of machine; so much that the i'm