Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
WHAT ANARCHY Is.
A Name for the Extremes of Idealism
and SavaGery.

Name for the Extremes of Idealism
and Savagery.
From the London Advertiser.
There are two kinds of anarchy-the an
archy of individual idealism. which needs
no government by force, and the anarchy
Of murder, which would assassinate all
rulers and remove all restraint upon the
lawless instincts of mankind. The anarchy
OF murder is the noisier and better known,
and few people realize that the word an
archy can be anything but a synonym for
violent crime.
A disciple Of the gentler kind Of anarchy
describes 1t as a belief in the greatest
amount of liberty consistent with equality
OF liberty. That excludes government as
the term Is generally understood, meaning
the subsection of the non-invasive indi-
vidual to will not his own. The state Is
looked upon as the embodiment of govern
ment In an individual or set of individuals
assuming to act as representatives or mas
tiers Of the entire people within a given
area. In so governing, the state is alleged
to violate the equality of liberty, and ideal
anarchy would therefore abolish the state.
To ask an anarchist what he would sub
stftute for government, says an advocate
of the theory, is like asking a free trader
what he would substitute for the tariff. 1t
does not exclude under this definition the
right of the individual to defend himself
against aggression the right Of indi-
viduals to organize on purely voluntary
basis for such defense.
This theory may appeal to the idealist
as something very pretty, but to the
coarser being, who does not know the diff
ference between liberty and license. and
would greatly prefer license If the dis
tinction could be discerned anarchy ap-
peals as a religion of vengeance and I'M
bridled passion. That the mill town of
Paterson, N: j., with its heterogeneous
population should breed a nest of anarch-
lists Is, therefore. nothing strange.
The general rules by which anarchists
are guided-they object to the word "gov-
erned throughout the world are under
STOOD to be the same and impress an out
slider as being more inconsiderate of in
dividual liberty, the alleged foundation
stone OF anarchy, than the government of
Russia, Turkey or Zululand. The ortho-
dox anarchists must recognize no country
and no law. They must not permit any
division among themselves. They are to
recognize no judicial tribunals other than
a tribunal Of honor named by themselves
The DEGREES of this tribunal are irrevoca-
BILE. The anarchists form a close body
Each one. at the peril of his life. must de-
fend his companions. They are to look
upon the social revolution as the first and
highest of their duties and the first of
their obligations They must repudiate
every revolutionary movement which does
not nave the destruction of capital as it's
direct object No anarchist dare decline
to accomplish the mission instructed to
MIN unless physically incapacitated In
this case he is replaced by another COM
rade. No anarchist is allowed to exercise
a public function without the authorization
OF the assembly, or to take part in a foreign
manifestation In the interest of the cause
without the same permission His only
care should be the revolution. All an
archfsts should be personally acquainted
with one another. Anarchists are to keep
no political secrets from one another They
are not to become members Of other asso-
Citations unless in the hope Of discovering
secrets interesting to anarchism or to un-
veil the actions of false comrade allied
with the bourgeoisie. This last will be con-
sldered one of the most important services
to be rendered to the cause
One of the leading anarchists Of the
higher class is Benjamin r. Tucker Of New
York. man Of education and refinement
who Is. OF course. opposed to the murder
Gus element. In Mr.. fuckers opinion there
are some 100000 persons in this country in
sympathy with the anarchist tendency al
though the number Of avowed plumb liners
is quite small. These anarchists support unite
a literature, and their publications have
always been admitted to the United States
mails without question 1t is estimated
that about 100000 is now invested in pub
fishing plants devoted to the propaganda
Of anarchy. Various attempts have been
made to exclude these publications from
the United States malls, but hitherto the
anarchists have been able to exert influence
enough to prevent such action.