Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-10-26
Are There Anarchists in Kansas9

Are There Anarchists in Kansas9
Something of d sensation has been
created in southeastern Kansas over
what purpOrts to be the exposure Of a
secret society known as the National
Order of Videtts, 50 which, it is claimed,
is an organization Of anarchists. The
headquarters of the Kansas part of
the order is said to be at Winfield.
The Courier of that place first pub
Ished the ritual of the ''Videttes''
and made the charge that the Vim
cient Bros, editors of the american
NOnconformist, a Union Labor paper,
were the chief anarchists" of the
society. These gentleman are also
proprietOrs of a cooperative printing
establishment, and furnish patent
insides," or ''ready prints for large
number Of the Union Labor papers
of the state. Since the Winfield
Courier published the said exposure,
other papers have reproduced what
appeared in the Courier. The expos
ure is too lengthy to be given at this
time in the HFRALD, but it will prob
ably appear in these columns in our
next issue, as the Kansas Newspaper
Union, which also furnishes ready
prints, and from which firm we pro
cure ours, proposes to give it in full.
We have pretty carefully read the
exposure, and while there are some
things that smack of anarchy IN the
ritual Of the ''Videttes," we are not
prepared to say that the members of
that order are ''vipers," anarchists
and "dynamiteIs." who ought to be
stamped out without mercy by force
as is proposed by some Of our ex-
changes Tt is not wise nor just to be
in too great haste to condemn our
fellow men and pronounce them guilty
of crimes on ex-parte evidence. So
far, but one side has been heard.
While it looks bad for the editors Of
the Winfield NoncoWfornist, @. j.
Lamb, of Kirwin, and the leaders of
the Union Labor party generally, yet
they are, in all fairness, entitled to a
! hearing. Let us patiently hear what
the accused have to say about the
matter, and then when the evil
dence is all in, render our verdict. It
is but Just to say that the editors Of
the NoncOfOynjst, Editor Lamb,
and the other accused, deny the
charge that they are anarchists or be
long to any organization Of anarchists
and they ask a suspension of Judge
ment until they can be heard in their
own defense. There is no court in
any civilized country that Will con
denim one accused of crime without
giving the defendant an opportunity
to prove his innocence. If it should
be shown that the "Videttes' is an
oath-bound political secret society,
with or without anarchical tendencies,
then we will condemn it and oppose
it's officers and projectors in their
work, for in this republic there is no
need Of a secret political party. In
despotic Russia the order of Nihilists
may be all right; in monarchical gov
ernments where tyrants rule, and men
and women are unjustly deprived OF
life and liberty, there may be good
reason for secret organizations which
seek to overthrow despots and iber-
ate slaves, but in this country there is
no need nor excuse for such orders
Here every man is a sovereign; here
the people enact the laws and admin
lister them; here we have practically
a perfect system of government, or i
it is not perfect, it is the peoples fault
= that they do not make it so. Educa
ton, enlightment, reason, expressing
themselves through the ballot box
p are the agents to be employed il
I abating wrongs instead of violent anC
: unlawful acts. Let all secret oath
l bound political societies of whateve
1 name or kind be condemned by al
5 American citizens who love gooC
/ government.
b The charge now being made agains
@ the Union Labor leaders that they
have organized in Kansas such a par
, ty, and that it is of military form, i
a very. serious accusation. and it be
- hoOves them to make haste to estab
It lish, if they can, their innocence.
Z
SUMNER.