The record-union., 1894-11-08
SOCIALISM, ANARCHY, FERRERO
AND ELY.

1t would be grave error to underesti-
mate the danger that resides in the falla-
cies of radical socialism; but on the other
hand there is no need to grow nervous
about the threat of the socialistic theory.
Nor should we take serious alarm at
anarchism, though we should not close
our eyes to its vice, or cease to hate the
Rbominable thing.
Neither radical socialism nor anarch-
ism are new. They have fretted the
world before this era, and society has not
been thrown from its base by them. The
men who made it point of honor to
assassinate Kings were of the type of
those who now throw bombs to murder
people generally. We find no essential
difference between them when each class
is considered in the light of it's time. As
Signor Ferrero holds american Journal
Of Politics for October), the regicide of
the past and the dynamitard of the pres
ent are alike; every stage of social life in
history has been productive of individu-
ais who, like the radical, or red flag So
cialists, would upturn things. and recon
struet upon the lines of fanciful and ab-
surd theory. The born criminals con-
sorted with the one class, and the born
cranks and dreamers with the other, then
as now. Each class has at widely sepa-
rated periods produced here and there
strong and brilliant advocate and leader,
Ferrero holds all these people in all
times to have been, as they now are, in
tellectually, not morally, anomalous per-
sons. Among them was, and is, found
those born criminal, as stated. Ferrero
takes rather amusing view of the whole
lot when he says:
They are generally men without sanguinary
1nStlnctS-Sometimes, indeed, personally hon.
orabe; and the terrible conseo uences of their
crimes are often anything but analogous to the
tendencies of their characters. IL is, there
fore, not the elementary moral sentiments in
which these criminals are detective unless
we make the exception that vanity predomi-
mates, more or less in them all. H. NJ. Hynd-
man, too. says he has noticed that in his ex-
perience most of them (the anarchists have
been clever but vain and boastful" While
however, their moral faculties are sufficiently
sound, the intellectual are not. Modern
pSychlatry has shown that there are very
weakness between reason ndinsanity which
render some individuals little fit for social
life, although their segregation is not neces-
sary; and that greater number of persons
who suffer neither from delirium nor balIuci.
nation, nor any other of the acute symptoms
OF madness, are yet in many respects defect
i've in intellect. Now many of the "rebelsv
whose characteristics we are examining are
men that live ION the borders of madiandv
and belong to that class of anomalous per
sons. The principal characteristic of these
''degenerates" is their susceptibility TO srp-
gestion; that is to say, their readiness TO ac-
cept as their own the ideas, the sentiments the
Will of other persons. 1t is well known that
IN the special condition called hypnotism this
susceptibility to suggestion is artif1cially car
ried to the extreme Now these ''degenerates,,
are naturally and always in state that NAV
be called semi-hy pnotic, when they have al
most no personality and they accept the ideas
aud sentiments OF the environment in which
they happen to be placed, just as the polypus
takes the color OF the water IN which it lives.
This characteristic can be found in MANY of
the political delinquentS we are examining
and 1t explains the strange contradictions OF
their conduct.
That is the elegant and scientific way of
describing cranks-to put it fatty, those
destitute of "inhibitive power of the
brain"-otherwise the faculty of self
control.
This class of people are subject to alb
normal excitement, and while their
moral sense appears to be keen, their in
tellectuality is found to be weak under
analysis, betraying them into needless
ness, volubility, and the influence of
others, making them easily misled, and
generally unhappy because of their EASY
mental disturbance and vain theorizing.
Ferrero inquiries what should be the
treatment Of these types? We say, gen.
orally, leave them alone, but introduce
checks and punishments for their crimes:
hold them. along with all others, amen
able to the common criminal laws: con-
tinue to despise and pity them, but be
not the less watchful and on guard
against their mad and capricious acts and
dangerous misleading.
Ferrero thinks the anarchistic epidemic
now raging will subside as it has done
before, but whatever will aid rapidity in
elimination of it it is well to employ-as,
for instance, restriction of the anarchical
press and pamphleteers; for freedom of
the press does not give warrant to preach
destruction of the social order that guar