The record-union., 1897-06-23

not demand the destruction of Govern
ment or the abrogation of law and or
der On the contrary, the true So
cialist is the direct opposite Of the An
archist. The latter wants no law. He
is for the free individual alone, and
wishes each to be a law unto himself
| under the conviction that all are equal
in all things, and should share in com
mon, and that no regulation under the
guise of law or government in any
form should intervene.
Anarchism is based upon the mis-
taken idea that human nature is possi-
BILE of such change as to make each IN
all his acts and thoughts regard anoth-
er as his brother. and do for him as he
would for himself. Hence we have the
Anarchist as the foe of law, and the
| fanatical Anarchist employing violent
methods to down the law, and to do
away with those whose success or po-
sition in life is an offense to him. The
Socialist on the other hand, is for ma
tionalization Of all things for social
! polity that viii secure better distribu-
ton of the products of labor. Com
munity under law and regulation is his
| doctrine. With no capital except the
common effort, no honest need that may
not be gratified out of the common gam,
| the Socialists would reconstruct soci-
| ETY. by vesting ownership in the State,
and by a system of collectivism intro
duce a social polity that will distribute
wealth evenly and the results of labor
among all according to their need. So
cialism means the State in stronger
and more absolute form than we now
have it; anarchism means no State, no
government. The men whom Debs ad-
! dressed in Chicago, if as described by
| the telegraphic correspondent, are not
Socialists in the true sense Of the word.
They are more likely fanatics, social
istic radicals who seek with violence
the ends others pursue with reason.
At that meeting Debs is reported to
have declared with all the nervous en-
ergy and hysterical vigor of the IA
matte that his Democratic Common
wealth." which he proposes to establish
somewhere in Texas or Washington,
ter, control it's politics, reform its con-
stitution and set up the commonwealth
system, and if opposed when it crosses
the scheme of the American Republic
to take up arms and fight the nation
He shouted that his crew will accom-
plish what they aim to do peaceably, II
| they can, but forcibly if resisted.
1t is all vague and indeterminate as
vet what it is Debs. and his colonists
propose to do. save to get a hundred
thousand discontented men together, go
into Western State and try the COM
monwealth plan and fight, if need be,
to establish it. The laws they have
adopted for their government suggest
an autocracy under a committee that
will prove more intolerable and tyran-
nous than the most absolute monarchy
The inflammatory speech of Debs and
the disclosure of his desire for trouble
| throws 11SnL upon MS dliIlS III COilSCdi
ed, in the Judy days Of 1894, when he
entertained revolutionary ideas and
plotted for seizure of the Government.
BY all means let Debs be encouraged
to try his new-fangled plan. 1t will
be the speediest way out for all con-
ce1,ned. If we can herd a hundred
thousand cranks as fanatical as him
self, who happens to have organizing
ability, however, let him be encouraged
to do so, and given full swing in the
establishment of his commonwealth, so
long as he does not trespaSs upon the
rights of others, violate the law, or
seek to coerce men to his way of think
ing. We can rest content that the or
der of society viii not suddenly change,
| will change for the better under any
conditions and that civilization Will
not go backward, nor will the progress
of the race be checked or the scheme
of self government be overthrown.
The English House of Lords is in
trouble with trades unionism, and
whichever way it decides a case now