The Labor enquirer., 1888-03-17
F.W. Brokmeyer & Co, new Insta|Iment Store.
.C1ar7oet 5t5ve dT7a1a.es
.fHI ANARCHISTS
A uaessine Writer Tells q Ia'e
Not Unfaverable 10
Anarchy.

current number of the Amf'7ean
Masa.;ur on "The Anarchists
and 4 is written ostensibly to an
swer the question, What do the
anarchists want and why do they
want ita" Notwithstanding the
fact that there crops out well
defined vein Of anti-anarchist SEN
timent the article is remarkable
for what can be read between the
lines. For instance. when the
writer speaks of the great love v, and
reverence all good citizens have
for government, law and order
etc. he says: "And yet strange as
il may seem, the fundamental
doctrines of anarchy have been
taught by some of the profoundest
thinkers on sociology, and they
have a so-colled scientific basis.
He says the doctrines are the
natural fruits of the teachings of
Proudhon, Blanc, Krapotkine and
Reclus, the latter OF whom he
speaks as "the celebrated geogra-
pher.', "They," he says, in speak
ing further Of the doctrines, "are
even favored by some who would
least be suspected Of sympathy
with any form Of conspiracy
against society.
"For instance" he says, "Cardi-
nal Manning recently declared
that every man has right to
life and the food to sustain life.
So strict is this right that it
prevails over all positive laws OF
property. Necessity has no law.
A starving man has natural right
to his neighbor's bread"
In closing his article the writer
used the following language which
will be amusing to some and con-
tains some significance regarding
the estimate placed upon the
progress of radical ideas by the
l"better" classes and also how they
Oealize the tendency of the man
with the empty belly to drift, in
telligently or otherwise, into the
current of radicalism:
II is difficult to ascertain the
strength Of the revolutionary So
cialists in this country. Since the
Chicago executions the anarchists
have been more discreet than for
years, and their organizations have
always been secret. There are
probably as many as twenty-five
socialistic newspapers and period
icals published in this country; Of
these majority advocate the
doctrines of the extremists. Be-
sides these, there are great
number Of papers which are the
organs Of the Knights Of Labor or
other labor organizations, or inde-
pendent labor journals, that are
"socialistically inclined" and are
sowing the seeds Of discomfort
and hatred among hundreds of
thousands Of workingmen.
DIR. Ely, in 1885, said that the
lowest estimate of the numerical
strength of the revolutionary an
archists in this country that had
at that time been brought to his
attention placed their numbers at
6,ooo, but that prominent Chi
cago lntcrnationalist claimed at
the same time $4,000 "all armed
and drilled" DR.. Ely's own esti-
mate, two years ago, was that there
were then at least $4,000 anarchists
in the United States, and that
their numbers were rapidly in
crcasing.
AS it is no part of my purpose
in this article to combat anarchist
doctrines, ! shall leave to others
the discussion of the means of|
protecting society from attacks.
When they actually plot mur,ler|
and make preparation for it, they
must, Of course, be treated as /
criminals. But the severest pun
ishment Of those who break the
laws will be no antidots for the
poison which they are constantly
instilling into the minds of hun
dreds Of thousands Of workingmen
WHO feel themselves wronged
under the present institutions of