Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-09-28
OFFICE IN TRIBUNE, BUILDING.
TUESDAY, SEPT. %, 1897
NATIVE BORN ANARCHISTS:

NATIVE BORN ANARCHISTS:
We have heard great deal for
years past about the danger of foreign
anarchists, and have been RECALLED
by the bravado of T. V. Powderly i'm
migration commissioner as to how he
intends to guard our shores against
them, etc., etc.
But now comes the Minneapolis
Tribune in an editorial of Sept. 18th
and quotes from a manager of a de-
tective agency in Kansas City, I. S.
Hurst to the effect that there are 200,-
600 armed and organized anarchists
in this country and that most of them
are native born Americans. Among
other things the Tribune says:
''The Kansas City Journal of the 9Th
inst. contains an interview with I. S..
Hurst, manager of detective agency
in that city, in which he AYERS that
there are 100000 anarchists in the
United States organized and armed
with the latest improved rifles, in ad-
ditiOn to a vast number not organized
and armed and admitted into the inner
circle. He says that in the State of
Colorado and territory of New Mexico
alone there are %, 900 armed anarchists
which, considering the population of
that section, is rather out of proper
ton if there are only 100000 in the
United States. Is anarchy a local
disease principally confined to the
Southwestern and Mountain states, or
do the most desperate and radical of
the anarchicts naturally gravitate to
a region where they are less likely to
be molested by effective and numerous
police forces?
"The account which Detective Hurst
gives of the organizations of the an-
archists is interesting. He says that
the first society or training school is
known as the white Cards. AL
most anybody can secure admission
to- this circle, but the members of the
inner circle, or Blue Cards. are
more carefully selected, and are re-
quired to take an oath that if called
upon by the leaders and it is decided
to strike for liberty as they call it,
and to overthrow the government,
they will respond and bear arms, if
necessary in order to establish their
principles.
"A still more exclusive circle is
called the Red Cards. and the men
SO designated are the genuine anar-
chists and leaders. They are sworn
to protect a brother anarchist and to
protect him with their lives: and that,
life of any public officer or other per-
son, who may oppose them, or whom
they may desire to remove.
''Mr. Hurst further AYERS that the
anarchists are planning for a revolu-
as they express it, they will cut the
telegraph wires, explode dynamite in
the railroad tunnels, burn the bridges
and do all possible to prevent the
mobilizing of men. They have no
members among the commissioned Of
fcers OF the army or navy, but claim
to have many adherents among the
seamen and private soldiers. who will
effectively aid them when the crisis
comes. The detective fears that unless
the government takes some steps to
suppress anarchy there will be a for
midable outbreak in less than four
years, and possibly within two years.
1t is generally supposed that the an
alchlsts IN this country are mostly
foreigners; but it appears that the
bulk Of the anarchist army is COM
posed of native Americans, whose pas
sions have been aroused by the asser
tiOn that the government is for the
rich, and the poor man stands no
chance. In proof of this allegation
they aver that in the most of the peni-
tentiaries there are poor men imprison-
ed for stealing clothes Or food or prop
erty of small value, while thousands of
nkswindlers go unwhipped by Justice;
ard il once in a while one is convicted
he is usually pardoned out after serv-
ing a short term. They also make
great use of a couple of cases which re-
Gently" occurred in Kansas City. A poor
man was sentenced to serve five years
in the penitentiary for stealing two
shirts, and a few. days later in the same
court, aman with a princely income,
who had stolen thousands of dollars,
was sentenced to the minimum punish
ment, two years. " "a ..st- {. :. <s.$ .:a
There is no doubt that such unequal
admistra alton of Justice is calculated to
reedzdissatisf action among tKepa6 p1e,,
bit men who look to anarchy as "a
remedy are plotting for the universal
reign of injustice instead Of adopting
afeasible remedy Should the anarch-
ist revolution be accomplished, what