The morning call., 1891-04-10
THE ANARCHISTS AT CHICAGO.

One of the curiosIties of the recent mu-
ncipal election at Chicago was the small
vote cast by the party known iudiferenly
as anarchists or socialists. 1t was so small
as 10 be hardly worth counting. This was
the more remarkable as since The Haymar-
ket massacre an opinion has prevailed that
the anarchists, whe are European crankS,
constituted large and formidable body.
The mistake has arisen from meas uring
the strength of purity by the noise 1t
makes. The orderly citizen goes about his
business in peace, and does not roar or
bawI; the crank fills the air with clamor
over the wrongs of society, and people
think he must be very numerous to make
make such a disturbance. In point of fact,
men who seek to overthrow existing institu-
tons by violence in order to build some wild
ediice of license on their ruins must always
be few in a country where every citizen is
free to assaiI any law or institution of
which he disapproyes. and elaborate ma
chinery is provided for his doing SO at his
ease, without danger of molestation from
anybody. People of ordinary discretion
only conspiTe and plot violence when they
are prevented from advocating reforms in an
orderly way.
In many countries in Europe reformer
is an object of distrust. The police keep
watch upon him; authorities arrest him and
lock him up Neither his property nor his
liberty are safe for moment In Russia
his life is in danger. Ali this may nap pen
because he has devised plans which he
thinks are calculated to improve the c0ndi-
dlton of his fellOW-countrymen and to dim
inish poverty, crime and suffering. Such
monstrous injustice converts him into
secret conspirator. Instead Of writing let
tiers to the papers or hiring a hall to ex-
pound his views, as American refOrmerS do,
be lays ia a stack OF dynamite bombs, and
fires them of when occasion serves against
the ruler who represents the system of which
he complains. His proceeding Is illogical;
his reasoning is unSound; his methods are
brutal; but, after all, it is the repreSsiVe
system under which he lives which is the
ultimate cause of his conduct.
Among the hundreds of thousands of Eu-
TopeaDS who migrate to this country every
year there are naturally some such conspir-
ators. They come here imbued with the
idea that Governments and authorities are
the natural enemies Of the citizen. They
have found it so at home. They fancy it
must be so here and they begin to plot in
this country as they plotted in Russia or
NtL uldbN VI AuStlid MY lOl III SlAbo anu
hold meetings at which ignorant demagogues
spout stuff for which may have an excuse in
despotic countries, but which is simply nom
sense here. If occasion serves they resort to
the lavurite weapon of the anarchiSt-dyna-
mite. There is a newspaper published in
State east Of California which heads its ed-
torial columns with the market price of
dynamite.
The trouble with these gentry is that they
are out of rlaee and have 10 following.
Ninety-nine huudredths of the immigrants
from Continental Europe go to work as soon
as they can find it and do not trouble their
heads about politics or reforms. They have
no quarrel with the Government, for they do
not feel it. So far as they are concerned
they do not realize its existence. When the
reformer comes round with his cry for blood
or liberty they shove him out OF the way and
go on with their digging, or their spinning,
or their weaving, or petty trading or ped
ding This is why the anarchist-socialists
OF Chicago, WHO were so dreaded by the au-
thorities, materialized as SO very select a
party at the election.
a small blanket will cover all the inhabi-
tants of the United States who propose to
cure the ills OF humanity with doses of
giant powder. All that is needed to dispose
Of them is TO give them air.