The record-union., 1892-05-27
ANARCHISM IN THE UNITED
STATES,

The AngLo-Ame7icdn Times believes
that anarchism has no root, nor stem
nor branch in Anglo-Saxon communi-
ties. Probably not; it is of continental
origin and growth; but that it has it's
branches, agents and a few devotees in
this Republic cannot be ignored These
are, of course, but driftwood from Europe;
still they may work infinite harm even
ours for their class.
The Malta gained foothold in New
Orleans that resulted in a tragedy, and
anarchism may yet give US greater
shock. Of course, when it rises to the
level of demonstration in this country, of
which the Chicago Haymarket affair was
suggestion, American society will rise
up against it in such manner as to
prove the insignifcance of the following
of the anarchist in our midst.
The laws against crime and for the
preservation of order are ample when
applied to the anarchist; we do not need
special enactments to meet his case; he
should not be given the Importance such
legislation would lift him into. We quite
agree with the Times
There cannot be any secret societies in the
United states which work for public and far
reaching objects, for the moment they attain
10 any prominence, to a position of some i'm
pOrtance to the community, they attract at
tention, bringing upon them the search-lioht
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keenest order OF detectives at work as ferrets
ali around them, and no society has yet been
formed that could stand that scrutiny and re-
main secret. This is one of the advantages of
freedom, for the community gets that sort of
work performed in way that battles the Car
OF all the RuSSiaS In his own dominiOns 1t
costs the community neither thought nor
trouble, nor expense; yet it is done with an
unerrtng instinct, so clearly that the police
are comparatively helpless in unraveling and
disclosing. The United States therefore is
and always must be, tree from the operations
OF any really dangerous society conducted in
secret, and no society can exist openly, for it
is opposed to law.
This is all true, but because it is truth.
it should not lull US into quiescence. We
ought to be diligent in impressing upon
the public and the developing mind the
unreason and the folly of all schools of
radicalism of the anarchical order. For
while it is true that we have every reason
to believe that in this country anarch-
ism can take no deep root, yet we should
not be blind to the fact that its doctrines are
insidious, alluring and appeal to many
strongly, and that even a very small band
of imported anarchists can not only con-
sign our greatest cities to the flames, and
deal death to the helpless and unoffend-
ing through the agency of the dynamite
bomb, but can win over some of our
own to its fold.
We can afford to put up the bars so
high that the anarchists cannot leap
over; we may well exclude the whole
brood as we would rabid dogs, or
the threat of loathsome disease We
will be wise to warn and protect labor
organization against the contamination
by the anarchist, who goes in the very
outset to wage earners to win converts.
Labor, In the United States, happily now
abhors anarchism, since it strikes
at the very root of possession
and ambition, and hence its ex-
tremes revolt the workingmen, who
thus become its enemies and stand
guard against its advances. Only here
and there are there to be found labor rep
resentatives who have been so far misled
as to embrace the infamous doctrine and
advocate the campaign of the bomb and
lead in the work of destruction and the
overthrow Of free government.