The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1889-12-21
CRIME AS A PRINCIPLE.

enlng or changing IN the sense that the
Ten Commandments will in time cease
to be the general rule of human action?
asks the San Francisco Chronicle.
The socialists, or at least part of
them. in Germany, Italy and Russia,
have practically held for long time
the theory that, in spite of the scrip
tural prohibition, they have a right to
kill those who stand in the way of the
execution of their plans. to wit, their
rulers. A fragment Of the Clan-na-
Gael goes even further than this. Two
thousand years ago one Brutus and
certain of his companions propounded
in the name of liberty similar theory,
which they emphasized by an act of
violence, but at that epoch the Ten
Commandments had not been formu-
lated except in Hebrew. The example
of Brutus found few imitators until
modern times, though the right to kill
those whom they thought were acting
contrary to the interests of tine church
was arrogated by the monk Jacques
Clement, who assassinated Henry III.
and Ravaillac, who stabbed Henry Nv.
In recent times we have had as illus
trations of the tendeney-the attempts
on the lives of Napoleon I and Louis
Napoleon, similar efforts to kill the
Emperor of Germany, and the assassi-
nation of the Gear of Russia.
These crimes have certain eleva-
ton of sentiment that is not an excuse,
but may be regarded as slight miti-
cation of their atrocity. The horror
that they inspire raises them above the
sphere of mere vulgarity. The disre-
gard of two other commandments of
the Decalogue Thou shalt not COM
NIT adultery" and "Thou shalt not
sseal," lacks this redeeming feature.
Tney are vulgar, and nothing else.
The nihllists consider that the purity
and nobility of their cause render the
institution of marriage superfluous.
Among the socialists of France and
Germany very vague ideas prevail re-
garding the rights of property. The
anarchists 60 step further and excuse
theft when committed under the stress
of necessity or in the interest of the
cause. There is, especially in France,
an increasing number who have given
up all honest occupation and follow
theft and burglary as means of sab
istence and of propaganda. They
claim that they have perfect right to
despoil the Bourgeoise. When arrest
ed and brought into court they claim
that they are not vulgar thieves, since
they have taken in accordance with
their established principles.
About year ago one Duval was
arrested at Paris for having entered
the house of a wealthy lady, stole
what he could carry away or at
tempted to destroy the rest of the
movable property. The pictures and
other works of art so excited his aver
sion that he piled them up in the md
die of one of the rooms and set them
on fire. The flames were fortunately
observed and extinguished before they
had extended to the adjoining apart
ments. When brought up for trial
Duval defended himself on the ground
that he was a socialist, and theft and
arson were matters of principle with
him when directed against the wealthy
classes. This did not prevent his being
condemned to death, arson being re-
garded in France as crime nearly
equal to murder. The offense was ag-
gravated by the fact that the accused
had nearly killed the policeman who
arrested him.
A case even more singular has
lately come before the Paris courts.
An anarchist named PM lad, in con-
nection with a band, of which he was
leader, made business of robbing the
villas in the suburbs when the owners
were at the watering places. At his
trial, PM, who is man of some intel
l;gence, confessed to an aggregate of
thefts amounting to 100000 francs.
which he had used to assist other
socialists, and to advance the cause.
He had also, with the money or prop
erty stolen, furnished several apart
ments, one of which, very richly ap-
pointed, was at the residence of Bishop
Gaspardi. When accused by the pre-
siding judge Of being mere vulgar
thief he replied:
"No, I am not thief. I am merely
consistent with my principles. I
shall remain an anarchist. though you
sentence me to the guillotine. was
formerly workingman, and have be-
come what you call thief on account
of the wrongs I have suffered. 1t is
social injustice that has forced me into |
crime"
When asked if he confessed the
thefts he answered:
Perfectly; and ought to be re-
warded, for they were committed to
be useful. not to me personally, but to
those who share my opinions. Be-
sides my thefts are in reality merely a
legal appropriation. If my use of
legal terms does not please you I will
call my alleged Zines Legitimate ex-
preparations"
There was much more of the same
kind of logic on the part of PM and
his associates, and applause, promptly
from anarchists in the aud