The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-28
Who are Anarchists?

Not content with endeavoring to
force free American citizens to vote
against their own personal convictions,
the Republicans, if Edward lauter-
bach, chairman of the Republican
County Committee of New York, is to
be taken seriously, contemplate force
to prevent the seating of Mr.. Bryan
should he be elected. No other mean.
ing can be taken from Mr.. Lauter-
bach's language during speech he
made last Saturday night in New
York City. Speaking of the pension
question, and alleging that in case of
the triumph of the Democrats pensions
would be cut off, he went on to say:
"You are fighting today for just
as important principle as did those
brave men in 81; but it is a bloodless
fight. No blood will be shed-at least
not yet; but if they attempt to subvert
your Supreme Court, il they should
succeed by any chance in foisting up
on you the horrible doctrines -anar.
chistic, socialistic and communistic-
which the platform adopted by the
Populist convention contains, we will
not abide by that decision"
On Monday, after having had time
to consider his words, Mr.. Lauterbach
concluded to modify them somewhat.
He alleged that he said 1--WE may
not abide by that decision," instead of
I'VE will not" The stenographer
insists, however, that he said will
not" The change is not really mate
rial, taken in connection with his en-
tire speech. Repeatedly Mr.. Lauter-
bach referred to the Southern repre-.
sentatives in Congress as that South
ern gang" "and to the Western silver
men as "that Populistic BROOD" He
also characterized the trainers of the
Chicago platform as 'devils", and the
platform itself as Infamous, dishon-
orable and anarchistic
1t is true that Mr.. Lauterbach has
not much influence or weight outside
of New York City, and probably not a
great deal there, but his position as
chairman of the Republican Commit
tee adds to the force Of his words.
These words constitute a positive
threat of revoluti N; they express a
desire not to abide by the will of the
people; an intention to make this
country, if possible, on a par with the
pretended republics of Central Amer.
lea. 1t is clearly defined "rule or
ruin" policy.
The pity of it is that Mr.. Lauterbach
is not without support in his anar-
chistic ideas. Senator Palmer, the
presidential candidate of the gold De-
mocrats, in a speech at Detroit on
Monday night said, "For myself, 1
would prefer to live under righteous
monarchy rather than submit to such
principles as these declared by the
Chicago convention"
"Who are the anarchists in this
campaign2 Nothing that has been said
by Mr.. Bryan; nothing that is con-
tained in the Chicago platform; no
utterance by Governor Altgeld or
Senator Tillman, or by any leader Of
the free silver party, is in any degree
so startling, so revolutionary. Had
any free silverite hinted at a determi
nation to resort to bloodshed should
Mckinley be elected, what howl
would have gone up from Wall street
and from the whole Republican press.
If Mr.. Bryan himself or any of his fol-
lowers had expressed a preference for
king rather than Mckinley as Presi-
dent, what political capital would
have been made of it.
The real anarchists, it is plain, are
not supporting Mr.. Bryan.-Pittsburg
Post.