New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04
ARE ANARCHISTS THUGS?
"A REVIEW OF THE PERSONNEL OF THE
ANARCHIsTIC MOVEMENT.

ANARCHIsTIC MOVEMENT.
AN ANSWER TO "Ex-ATTACIIE's' CONTENTION
THAT ANARCnIsM is NOT POLITICAL
CREED, But CULT OF CRIME.
TO the Editor of The Tribune.
Cir: note in your issue Of November p n letter
on Suppression Of Ararchsm." from an Individual
who signs himself "Ex-Attacht." After outlining
the points 10 be considered by the international
congress in session at Rome TO discuss mea''s
Of dealing with the so-called "Anarch's'ic peri"
he declares that the most vita! question 10 co'i'
before It is the question whether people may be
punished for merely protesting Anarchism ana
ne gives II as his view that they may. lie tens
US that "Anarchism Is not political Greco p"'
cult OF crime association formed Win '"e
avowed object Of outrage and murder; that there
IA nothing political about Anarchism, nut 'ha' II
Is solely and entirely criminal that. once TINS Is
unanimously allowed 70 be a fact. "Anarchs's can
be hunted down wherever found. ana placed u"u'
lock and key: that 1.-THE mere fact OF o''oi's's
10 the cult OF Anarchy constitutes CRIME 'u''
as "the mere fact of belonging 10 the cult OF ihus
gerry" in India constituted crime. ana tha'' !'S'
&C chs English authorities either hanged or I'M
pr,soned for life every native that couid De lu-
dicially proved to be Thug. irrespective VI ~,
question whether he had committed any ue""''
murder or not" so at has now become 'he ou'!
of the various governments in their role OF tne
soo,s,h,e protectors OF the people subject 10 their
control 10 shield them from the Anarchists WHO
are merely white Thugs. precisely In the same way
as the English did IN India
In view of this extraordinary PRONUNCIATION, l
ask YOU and your readers to consider caifniE WIZ"
me for a few moments the TWO Prihop"' H"
involved in It: ,,.,,
First-ls It true that "Anarchism Is not political
creed but cult OF crime" having outrage ana
murder FOR rs avowed objects?
second-Who in the United States. are the ""hi'e
10
execution Of "Ex-Attache's' plan is decided upo'''
to either hang or imprison for life?
But IL is proper that before deahng WIN '"'so
two questions | should show my QUALIFICATIONS 70
answer them with some authority on 'he s"e"s.
OF knowledge gained by experience and accurate
Information.
am an Anarchist the first American
I may say the first Anglo-Saxon-to start pn lssp
en- avowedy Anarchistic newspaper printed IN ''e
English language. / am still the eui'o'' pun
Usher and proprietor OF that paper II is every
where regarded the pioneer and principai oIs""
NJ modern individualist Anarchism. either am
or have been. the publisher of the chief AnarchlShc
works IN the English language. am 'he au'''ot
Of the most widely accepted English teN'pooh VI
Anarchism ! have enjoyed the friendship had 'he
,o,.e, q, tho instruction. and have carefully stud
sod the works of those Americans from whom 'he
Anarchists have largely derived their behers-Josla"
Warren Stephen Pearl Andrews. Lysanoer opoohe'
and Colonel William B. Greene. am 'he Trans
English
~ p j Proudhon. who was the first writer III
any language TO declare himself an Anarchist
am ACQUAINTED perhaps better than any other man.
with the English-speaking Anarchists OF 'he
r-ni,ed States 1t will be admitted then, hope.
that / speak by the card.
WHAT Is ANARCHISM?
Now. TO the first question. What Is Anarchism-
a political creed a cult Of crime?
Anarchisrn as defined by Anarchists. Is the De-
b,ofi
with equality Of liberty. In other words the
belief In every liberty except the liberty 10 lnVaue
II is an Implication of this definition that Anarch-
Ism aims at the abolition of government and the
State for government and the state. as dehieu u!
Anarchists are debarred. by their very nature
Prom allowing the greatest amount OF liberty com
patible with equality of liberty, and are necessarily
Invasive. government being defined as the sunJec-
lion Of the non-invasive individual 70 an external
kx,ll and the State being defined as the embod-
tnent OF the principle of invasion in an individual
or a band of individuals assuming to act as repre-
eentatives or masters of the entire people WITHIN
given area All the foregoing definitions are taken
from the textbooks. The purpose or Aharchls'n'
then Is TO put end 10 every form OF INVASION
and TO establish a condition Of equal liberty
The truth or fasity Of this position is not now
IN question The point at issue is Is II political
creed? Certainly sane man can answer that
question in the negative. True or false. SOUND or
unsound. 1t unquesJionaby is belief and po-
Itlcal belef. Ana IL is TINS even III IL ~ a N"'t
Of crime" also Whether or not Anarchism Is
cult Of crime will depend in the view OF the be-
lever in government-and IL is 10 him that am
now addressing myself-On the means which An
arch,sts intend to employ for the abolition of the
invasive State II those means include violence
and murder then the believer In government may
properly enough from his point of view, consider
Anarchism a cult of crime. But II the means pro-
posed are strictly peaceful. specifically excluding
violence and murder dangerous. futile. mex
Incident and absurd. then the believer In govern
nent from professed point of view. Is bound 10
regard Anarchism only a political creed,
but as an orderly and legitimate political creed
which every one believing ii is entitled to eXpound
without endangerng thereby his life or his liberty.
What then are these means3 Again quote
from the textbooks not giving chapter and verse.
les, may be suspected OF making The tribune
hospitality a means of advertising my wares
The right TO resist oppression by violence Is be
yoad doubt. Only one thing, however can )ustiiy
Sts exercise any large scale-namely the dehlti
OF free thought free speech ana free pless.
Even then its exercise would be unwlse unless
suppression enforced so stringently that al
other means Of throwing It off had become nope
must have freedom of agitation. ana when nothing
but boodshed will secure II, then bloodshed Is
wise But II must be remembered that II can never
accomplish the social revolution proper; that that
can never be accomplished except by means OF
agitation investigation. experiment ana passive re-
eistance and that. after all the bloodshed we shall
possession Of power TO these means
And still again:
THE METHODS OF ANARCHISM.
The idea that Anarchy can be inaugurated by
no idea fhaf IA