The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-20
American Anarchists.

Somebody has been abusing the Oma-
ha World-Herald because of its lively
comments on the acquittal of the Ha-
zleton sheriff, Martin, and the critic,
a Republican organ, by the way,
calls the World Herald an anarchist.
The Nebraska paper tersely replies
that il has heard that sort Of thing be-
fore, and that every time a Republican
institution is attacked, or peryersion
of the law in favor Of the rich as
against the poor is mentioned, there Is
some Republican newspaper which viii
call out anarchy"
We nave noticed this phenomenon our
selves. During the last campaign there
were some Republican newspapers that
seemed 10 think that a large part Of the
population Of these United States con-
sisted Of anarchists, and that more
We're being converted every day. They
found more anarchists, and abused
more nihilists, and detected more red
riot and incendiarism, in this great free
country Of ours, than we ever supposed
existed outside Of Russia. And as
things like that never exist unless there
is reason for them, an innocent on-look-
or might have been led TO suppose that
something serious was the matter with
this country. Nothing short Of Rus
sian despotism could have caused so
many anarchists to be wandering
around drawing large audiences who
seemed TO agree with them.
1t really looked, at one time, as if the
great missionary organs Of the Repub-
lican party would not be able to sup
press this flood Of lawlessness, and in
cendiarlsm, and dishonesty. and anar-
chy, and so on, that was sweeping over
the land. But they did, somehow or
/ other, and now every time any Demo-
cratic organ dares hint that rich man
may have done wrong, personally, po-
Htically or pecuniarily Especially
should that rich man happen to be d
I church member) there is a cry of An
archy!" like the chorus in an old Greek
/ play. 1t is very curious.
! 1t leads one, on mature consideration.
/ 10 labor with those Republican organs.
/ 1t must be rather unpleasant for them
( TO feel that their fellow-citizens are in
( danger of bacllsliding down the broad
road to ruin unless they are constantly
watched and labored with. Why is ii
so improbable, dear missionary friends
+ that a millionaire who is extremely
anxious to get his own way, should
occasionally get it Illegally? We see
every day Instances Of poor men trying
TO get what they want in illegal ways
the jails are full of them. Is il to be
supposed that because man has a for
tune Of twenty millions of dollars he
Immediately determines TO give il al
10 the Lord? Is it not much more likely
that he will undertake to get what ht
wants with il? And why should it bt
considered impossible for him TO Dc
wrong because he happens TO be a dea,
con in the church, or a Sunday -schoo
superintendent or TO have given few
thousand dollars TO good works? Whel
one considers what a little money anC
time expended in that way win do fo
a man, il is to be wondered that any
rich man should refrain from such al
investment And why should all tht
people who reason that this may be so
and apply their reasoning to some par
ticular man in some particularly sus
picious situation, be dubbed anarchists
AS a matter Of fact, an anarchist Is
man who does not want any govern
ment, and when you find real, genu
inc, simon-pure plutocrat, he does no
want any government, either, that vii