Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-09-30
EVERY THIRTY YEARS,
A Progressive Race Movement RipenS, says
G. L. Clemens.


cialists of Kansas.
"What will it be-" asked an increduous re-
porter.
''I don't know exactly" Clemens said, "but
the Socialist movement is going to co some
thing. | believe l have stumbled upon the
discovery of an important natural social law.
Some time ago, began to look up the history
of great movements, to see about how long it
has usually taken to accomplish great changes,
for wished to know how stands the case with
Socialism,. | had not dreamed of finding any
thing like uniformity in the lenth OF the period,
and was almost startled, as in each successive
instance examined, the period proved to he
thirty years.
THIRTY YEARS IN HISTORY.
"The American Anti-Savery Society was or
ganzed in 1S32. In 1862, the Emancipation
Proclamation was ready for use. From the Oh
ganzaiion of the Chartist movement in Eng
land till its demands were part of the British
constitution thirty years elapsed. Several of
the colonies asserted, in I746, the doctrine that
the colonies had independent power as to their
own affairs. The agitation began i'll earnest
then in conflicts with the governors appointed
by the crown. In thirty years, Continental
congress proclaimed the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. In thirty years after Rosseau and
the Encyclopedias began an organized agita-
ton, the Bastile fell and the old monarchy of
France had ceased to be-
"In 1851, agitation began against the at
tempts of the British land holders to restore the
slavery from which the poor had become par
TALLY free. In 1881, thirty years later, came
the Peasants revolt, under Wat Tyler, which
forced the landlords to begin to let go. From
the date when Luther's movement ceased to be
a mere for reform within the existing church,
and became an independent and hostile agita-
tion count thirty years, and you reach the
Augsburg confession, the triumph of Luther's
revolt.
WHY NOT A LAW OF NATURE!
"There are few instances which seem to tend
to prove the existence of a natural law that
apostles have only to begin great movement
and agitate vigorously for it, and in thirty years
heaven will do the rest. Why should it seem
incredible that there is such law? Is such
regularity of periods of growth and consumma-
ton to be found nowhere in nature? Is it not
the rule? Cannot the farmer make pretty
good guess how long it will be after he sows
his crop before the wheat will peep above the
ground? When hen begins to become disa-
greeabe and as suspicious as detective work.
ing for 5000 reward, can an expert have much
doubt how long it will be before the eggs have
sufficiently decayed to be converted into tooth
some chicken? Fixed periods for development
are usual in all natural growths. Is not socie-
ty as much natural institution as a grain of
wheat or an egg? Are there no natural laws of
society?
SOCIALISM is DUE IN 1905.
"Now. the agitation for Socialism, as it is
known to-day, began in earnest about 1879. 1t
was rife everywhere in 1875. If am right in
my inference from history, therefore, Socialism
is due by 19o5-perhaps by 1902; and it will
be due all over the world, for its agitation has
been ernational-cosmopolitan
"Look about and see if this is all unreason-
able expectation. What book, or magazine,
or paper can you pick up to-day and find i'll it
no hint of the universal pervasion of Socialist
ideas? Like the anti-slavery movement before
it, Socialism is disrupting all organizations. 1t
is in the pulpit; it invades schools, colleges,
universities teachers discuss it in their insti-
tutes The chancellor of Western university
some time ago admitted to me that in these days
educators could no more ignore Socialism than