Omaha daily bee., 1894-03-04
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE. SUNDAY MARCH 4 1aol-TwENrY PAGES.
WHAT IS AN ANARCHIST?
Rev. DR., Duryea Writes an Answer to on OPP
perfume Question,
TWO CLASSES WITH DIFFERENT AIMS
Constructionists May Be Reasoned with, but
Dynamite Throwcrs Must BE Restrained
-Bettering of Present Social Con-
ditions IA Plain Duty.

The recent dynamite outrages in Paris,
London and other European cities were a
few days ago the subject OF conversation in
a group of Omaha business men, during the
course of which the question was raised,
What is an anarchist 1t was suggested
that an answer be sought from Rev. DR..
Duryea, and he replied as follows:
"The word anarchist signifies one who de-
sires to see the established order of society
in his country entirely destroyed. He con-
ceives it to be unjust, hates it, and there
fore wishes it to perish.
The term first became familiar q think
in connection with two classes of persons in
Russia. Both classes regarded the consti-
tuition of government as designed to favor
the prerogatives of the royal family and the
privileges of the nobility, while using the
people, without regard to their welfare, as
material and tools for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
of these aristocratic classes.
CONSTRUCTIVE ANARCHISTS.
'Srhe first class of anarchists are those
who purpose to use the peaceful means to
obtain a change of the social system. They
wish freedom to speak and write. They in
tend to show the injustice of the system
and appeal to the judgment of their people
in behalf of a system devised for the COM
mon good. They may be called construc-
tive. 1t is known to them that the de-
struction of the present system would not
secure the welfare of the people. 1t must
be followed by the construction of a better
system. Hence people must be convinced
that the present system is bad and pre-
sented with another which can be COM
mended as good. They would prefer a sys-
TEN like our own in some particulars, yet
with certain notifications in the direction
of socialism. They would differ as to the
extent of these notifications. The moder-
ate would like to see the state own and OPP
crate many enterprises which are now left
to private management. The radicals would
like to see what they call nationalism, the
state owning land and all the native re-
sources of the earth, and organizing the
people in a general industrial system for the
production and distribution of the neces-
saries, conveniences and comforts of life.
DYNAMITE FINGERS.
1.-THE second class is composed of the de-
structive anarchists. They contemplate the
wrongs they endure or think they endure,
and get excited until the wrath becomes
madness. They are then ready to strike
at those who las they think have an un-
due advantage from the present system.
They seem to be revengeful. The trouble
is that they have no knowledge and wisdom
which might enable them to offer a better
system in place of the present. Hence they
are called destructive.
1.-THE persons who are properly called an
archists belong to the second class. They
lHTOW dynamite. L ID tnel ain "
ize society. They are morally insane.
Surely this must be so.
"a man Is insane when he proclaims an
object, and then deliberately goes to work
to prevent the accomplishment of it. The
destructive anarchist would tell you. when
he is calm and able to reason, that he wishes
to better his condition. and then he will go
and fling dynamite and get his head cut off.
He deliberately faces this catastrophe. He
may think he is bettering his condition by
diving Rut 81 wholly rational man would
conclude that he could attain his end more
comfortably by chloroforming himself.
1.-THE reasonable man who thinks the or
ganization of society unjust should be
reasoned with. But the man who is beside
himself should be placed where he can not
fling explosives about.
ANARCHISTS N AMERICA.
There have been and are anarchists OF
both classes in this country. The first class
believe in agitation. They would convince
all men that the present system is so de-
fective and partial to a few that it ought
to be changed and made to conserve the i>
terests of all. They do not propose to use
foul means. They will stand with all good
citizens for law and order.
'The violent, cranky anarchists are few
comparatively among us. Some OF them
have been driven out of other countries.
Some of them have suffered peculiar hard
ships in this country. Some of them are of
unsound mind on every subject, and, when
interested in political matters, reveal their
crankiness in new ways.
'While we understand that our present
system is a growth and has come to us
after the mental and physical toll of genera
lions, yet we must concede that 1t is not
perfect, and keep 1t open for revision ana
improvement. 1t certainly does enable some
men to become too rich and forces many
men to become too poor, for it's own health
and stability.
"Our plain duty is to modify it so that the
greatest good to the greatest number may
be achieved. This surely has always been
the principle underlying all our institu-
lions and our attachment to them. This
world and this land do not exist for the
minority. We have decided that both shall
be used at least for the benefit of the
majority, until we can find and employ the
measures which will cause them to be used
for all, and for all alike and equally.
This does not mean a dead level of con-
dItion. That cannot be obtained for genera
lions to come. So long as men differ In
themselves they will differ in condition, But
there surely can be a better division OF the
fruits of labor, so that every one may have
what he is capable of using wisely and able
to enjoy in view of his special susceptibility