New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-03
TTPE OUT CAPITAL,
StIiIlcrS.

leaders Of woriingmcn in Spain passionately
call upon them to rise and wipe out capital
and EMPLOYERS" This is but an incident IN
the expensive agitation which alarms European
cities and the bomb throwing Anarchists whose
cry is Remember Chicago" are hunted just
now with relentless vigor by the authorities.
Hut Of all their frantic uttcrances perhaps no
other casts more light upon the spirit and the
folly Of these agitatorS than their thrca' u
"wipc out capitalists"
There is no love Of humanity at the bottom
of this agitation no lofty patriotism, no zeal
for iusticc. SeishncsS is the main issue. Men
who have not been willing to work conscien-
tio,lslv and with industry. men who have not
been able to satisfy all their wants with such
labor as they were willing to give, envy others
who have earned more and saved more, ana
want 10 snatch their savings without 'heir
self denial True. the agitators are rarely con-
scious of their own motives. They often mag
inc that the wrongs and privatons OF their
follow men move them to deeds of vengeance,
and profess with more or less sincerity that
their aims are unsclish and for the good of all.
Hut the passions which at bottom move them
and to which they appeal in others are greed
and envy They want the property OF others
without their work, the advantages of Others
without their services. the independence OF
others without their sclf-dcnial.
Human society is SO clearly based on sys-
TEN ~ wages for those who work and savings
for those who deny themselves that the men
who want to enjoy without earning become
Anarchists and enemies Of society. The be
ginning il the natural desire 10 get more pay
for less work The next step is an attempt
70 cocrcc employers by organization But IN
depondcnt workers who desire To hit them
selves by industry and thrift are a greater OBJ
.taclc 10 coercion than any combination Of
cmplovcrs. and therefore tho boycott comes
next 10 deprive the worker of his freedom
Then laws and officials Of law come in To pro-
Tee, the individual worker and the employer.
and nj that point the Anarchist resorts 10 rcvo-
luton and cries: wipe ont the capitalists.
How little these agitators realize that the
capitalist is not only necessary to the Garner
now but would he in any state OF society they
can conceive OF thousand men one has tho
wit 10 plan and the patience 10 wait He there
fore can employ somebody with profit tn him
self and 10 all The rest must work with that
man or not ut all. No capital for him means
no work for them. Long ago il was said with
truth that if all the property in this or any
other country were equally divided among the
pcoplc in n very short time IL would be more
uncqually held than il is now. The shrewtcSt
and the most competent would quickly pos
scsS. not only all that they have now. hut
much greater share. because the inherited and
invested estates. derived from the capacity
and thrift of many who are no longer living.
would also he thrown into the common fund
TO become thc spoil Of the shrcwdcst
Anarchy is merely short cut to dcspoflSm.
The world can never tolerate a state of things
without order and without law. IL freedom
regulated by law is once ovcrthrown self
defence instantly impcls the shrcwdcst and most
powerful elements in human society to provide
dcspotic power under which enterprise and
thrift can have some protection aud secure
some reward. The worst enemy OF the wage
Garner is he who would deny TO the competent
employer either the capital with which to en-
ploy workers. or the safety and assurance of
returns which stmuat-' capital to take risks