Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-11-29
OTHER COUNTRIES BOXERS.
Secret Societies That Work Evil Else
where Than in China.

where Than in China.
Chinese are particularly committed to
the policy Of the secret society. It is
always the way in land where might
is right. Here in Eli gland, where it is
possible to publicly insult royalty in
! Hyde park, to openly proclaim ones
: sympathies with the enemies Of one s
country and to slate the war minister
in no measured terms without the
slightest fear OF police intervention,
| there are practically no secret socie-
| ties.
IN China practically every man Is a
| member of some society Of this nature,
while in Europe the most notorious
secret societies are the various anarchi-
al brotherhoods. which by the sheer
! desperation Of their methods have &C.
casionally terrorized entire kingdoms
The acknowledged father OF anarchy
was the celebrated French economist
Proudhon, who, after beinga prominent
leader in the revolution Of 184S. died
in 1865. His exceedingly advanced"
views-to call them by no stronger
name-were promulgated in his famous
book, What is Property" issued in
1910.
Together with George Sand and the
Russian, Michael Bakunin, Proudhon
was the cause Of much unsettling OF
mans minds. The Russian apostle,
after suffering several years imprison-
ment in Siberia for his share in the
German riots of 1S49. founded the So
cial Democratic alliance In 1869. In
1870 he anticipated the Paris COM
mune by an unsuccessful rising at Ly-
ons, and his works and speeches have
largely nodded the characteristics of
the excitable Spanish and Italian an
archical societies ever since. His prin-
c1pal text was the entire rejection of
all external authority, no matter how
esteemed by the general people.
With the idea Of attaining their
ideal, nothing has been too diabolical
for his followers. Spanish risings of
1878, instigated by him, were full of
horrors. In the same year the large
number Of young Russian students
then in Switzerland Ito which coun-
try Bakunin had fled from his native
land) were recalled to Russia by an
imperial ukase.
They returned as commanded, but
took with them the seeds OF Russian
anarchy, which was eventually to be-
come world-famous as the dreaded nj
hilist. The first signs OF nihilism, al
belt OF an exceedingly mild type, were
crushed with the utmost severity.
This brought about retaliation. Men
and women OF culture fought for their
liberty Of thought and speech with a
saVagery that can only be appreciated
by those who know the ruthlessness
OF the Russian disposition.
These deeds Of active retaliation be-
gan IN 1877, when about 100 Of them
were exiled to Siberia; and eliminated
IN the assassination of Alexander II.
n 1881, by means Of a bomb thrown
beneath his carriage Among their
other victims may be mentioned Gen
erals Trepoff, Mexe1tzoff and Drentein.
Commander Hezking and Prince Kro-
potkin.
After the murder of Alexander, how
ever, the Russian Nihilists addressed
memorial to his son, Alexander III. in
which they promised to abstain from
further acts Of violence if he would
concede them national assembly mod
eled somewhat upon the lines of the
British parliament. This was a dis
tinctly healthy departure from the
broad lines Of anarchy. Unfortunate
ly, however, nothing came OF it, and
Russian Nihilism, albeit momentarily
quiescent, IS still a power to be reck-
oGed with.
The other European anarchical So
cieties have hitherto failed to show
| similar signs of grace Their work
has been written in ghastly letters of
blood across the history Of the CONT
nent. We in England have only been
free from their outrages on account of
the protection which Soho has afforded
their fugitives, and our national disin-
clination to interfere with liberty of