The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-07
AssAULTING MILLIONAIREs.

A second attempt with dynamite upon
the Rothschild OF the Paris bank has been
made, apparently for no other reason than
that Rothschild is millionaire. The Sec
ond assailant has announced himself an
anarchist. 1t is to be observed in all at
tacks OF this kind that the persons usually
assailed are useful members of society and
that their assailants are fanatics of one
kind or another.
Unfortunately for all social and political
organizations which advocate such radical
reforms as are aimed at the foundations of
the social structure, they attract to their
ranks and evolve into engines of destruc-
ton all within their influence who have a
fanatical temperament. The situation is
parallel to that of martyrdom for a faith,
and Is based upon the familiar psychology
cal principle of suggestion. 1t presents
one of the most difficult of all forms of
lawlessness to handle, and, curiously
enough, operates as the most efficient of
checks to the PRONUNCIATION of revolution
airy doctrines. 1t is the discredit which
rabid extremists throw upon such doc
trines, rather than the worth or unworth
of the doctrines themselves, that prevent
the spreading of revolutionary ideas. Had
not q policeman been killed by bomb in
the Haymarket riot at Chicago anarchy
might now have been force in America.
1t could not be claimed in France, where
the.interests of the poor are guarded with so
great jealousy, that a millionaire, even
though he be Rothschild, is an institu-
ton encouraged by the favoritism of the
Government at the expense of the poor.
In the case of Rothschild it seems to have
been solely matter of his being conspicu-
Gus by reason OF his being rich. A similar
danger never menaces one who has become
equally famous in learned profession or
the arts. It's limited to men prominent
in politics and finance. By some vague
ratiocination of the fanatic mind those
two classes are responsible for all the ills
of which sufferings accruing from poverty
are the expression.
In tracing back the mental operations oil
the fanatic to their inspiring cause we find
! that he is very generally the logical con-
clusion of destructiveiv revolutionary
| ideas. The fanatic who stabs Carnot OIL
| aims bomb at Rothschild is giving 8
| concrete extreme application to the alb.
stract doctrines which he has imbibed
| 1t is true that theoretical anarchy, like
theoretical communism and socialism, il
regarded by some of the ablest thinker,
as an ideal scheme for the social con
duct of mankind. But their very
essence is the overturning of condition.
which the ages have fastened upon US, ano
therefore they are destructively reyolu
tionary. Just as surely as the magnet
attracts the needle will they draw discon
| tented fanaticism to their support; anc
this, impatient at the prospect of dreary
length of time which under the scheme O
the ADLER promoters must elapse in tn,
process of educating the race to an accept
ance of their views. rushes blindly forth t.
hasten the end, and by employing dyna
mite and the pistol brings the execration o
the whole world upon the scheme, of which
they are the distorted product.
| Conservatism is wonderful force, anc
the millionaire represents it in its ultimate
form. TO murder him wantonly because
he is rich rouses all the spirit out of which
| conservatism was created. Itisan assault