The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-30
Last Week S Lesson.

instruction to those who dig deeper than
hesurface into significant evout-. From
every section Of our country the wees
has brought identical narratives das-
crIptivs Of the progress OF a so,ial re
volt against order, stability, Intelli
geuce and wealth. The march Of Coxay
along the thorough'arss OF Maryland
has been psrallelel iu dozen initiative
uprisings, while in two or three In
stances the property OF transportation
corporations has been seized 10 defiance
OF law ana held against the peaceful
protests Of the civil authorities until,
upon at least one occasion, the strong
arm OF the military had 10 be invoked
to restore coudscated property to its
owners and enable commerce 10 pro-
coed along its accustomed channels
While, in an immediate sense these
irruptioDs Of ignorance aud crime have
not been formidable, they nevertheless
involve germs Of disorder which should
not be mistakenly brushed aside as OF
little cons. quauce. Int which should b.
studied with most earnest attention.
1t should be said to the credit Of th.
authorities who have thus far been
con irouted with the necessity OF cop
ing with these errant contingent. OF
mi-ts ken enthusiasts and vagrants that
without exception they have jone their
duty promptly. thoroughly, yet with
prudence and skill. Llwpssness up 10
tuis point has found no direct encour-
agement from any OF the governors Of
the states through which the eccentric
corps are meandsying. But the methods
OF enforcing the law lave fortunately
been discreet The local officials have
IN each instance made due allowance
for the ignorance ana perverted vsga
ries Of partly real aud partly imagin-
arY sense Of wrong which are the ani
mating impulses to these various Popu.
lislic movements They have recog
uizsd that justice and authority are
lottisst when tempered with mercy
and that Of all the virtues charity il
chief Thus they have boeu disposed
to soften duty with pity; and to re-
frain from that overoflicious harshness
and aosrb bily which. coming upon
minds already inf ,msj aud disorlered,
would seem to SAVIOR Of persecution
and therefore call into being that
s.rougsst Of all indictments, a mistaken
sense Of martyr1om.
Coxeyism, as this present phase OF
discomfort is now doubtless perman-
entity designated, Is really much less to
be blsmsd than appears on the surface.
Men who steal should be punished;
men who assemble disorderly should
= dispersed. But the real oulprits be-
hind all this shifting phsutasmagoris
of ill.digested efforts toward the bet.
terment Of social conditions; the ones
who are the prime movers In all this
hideous nightmare of fantastic econ
omic couceits are not tho Fryes and
the Kelleys and the Coxeys whom it IS
upbeaving into ephemaral publicity.
but the polished, genieel aud calculat-
ing apostles Of so called scientific
socialism who. during the past thres
decades, no. content with the greatest
and swittest progress made by any peo-
pie in the history of mankind, must
needs set their busy brains to work at
leavening the masses with discomfort,
and feeding uncultivated minds upon
the insdious seeds of social revolution.
This species of socialistic negation OF
the rights Of property, this polite ef-
fort to obliterate the golden rule from
the philosophy of republican govern
ment reached its crest wave Of success
in the presidential election OF 1892
eliminated in the installation of half
Democratic. half fanatic national ad.
ministration; and is now merely
strewing its political fotsam along the
margin Of its recsdiug tide.