The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-23
SHE TELLS WHY THE
PARIS COMMUNE
FAILED
Mrs. Olive, NJ. Johnson, Of
MINNEAPOLIS, Addresses the
Socialist Labor Party Of
st. Paul-says Commune's
Department of War and
Police We're Entirely Ne
elected. q

The causes which led to the failure
| of the Paris commune in that city in
1871 We're explained and deplored yes
terday afternoon by Mrs. Olive M.
Johnson, of Minneapolis, in an address
| which was delivered at Federation hall
before an audience Of 200 people.
The occasion was the celebration or
the thirty-second anniversary of that
reign of terror" by the St Paul sec
ton of the Socialist Labor party.
Mrs. Johnson. who was introduced as
! "Comrade Johnson described the par
| agraph in the history used in the Min
neapolis schools, characterizing the
commune as "a reign of terror and
murder" as far from true.
The Paris commune is remarkable"
said the speaker, because it marks the
first occasion in history when the
wage working classes attempted self
|, government. The elections held ten
days after the gates of the city had
been closed and the commune eStab-
lished in the popular election of seven
ty-six men. OF these. sixteen being
identified with the capitalistic class.
resigned, and of the sixty others, but
twenty-four We're wOrkingmen. The
balance were of the Utopian school Of
dreamers, and j upon these lies the
cause OF the failure of the Paris COM
mune.
The Paris commune was destined
to fail, for thee reason that the de-
partment of war and police were en-
tirely neglected, During the months
of the commune Paris was a model
city. Night work was abolished in all
bakeries, and the disagreeable. features
of certain work passed away. 1t is
true some hostages Were shot by the
commune, including( DarbOy, the arch
bishop ofParis, but the lives of the
hostages rest not upon the commune,
but upon the head Of NJ. Theirs.
They Blame Theirs.
"The commune offered to exchange
| the archbishop land three others for
one man, but Theirs refused. He was
| ready to have the archbishop sacrificed
| in order to hold UP to the world that
| the commune had killed the prelate.
The commune failed May 81, and
| after it was overthrown 10000 men.
| women and children were shot. The
! only reason the carnage was stopped
| was owing to the pestilence caused by
| so large a number of dead bodies,
| which was carrying off the members of
| the capitalistic class.
1T is in the failures and blunders
| that the Paris commune teaches it's
| lessons. The people had no Organiza-
| ton. Had the commune seized ths
! Bank of France, members of the ma
! tional assembly and a number of prom
| lnent men, instead of allowing them to
leave Paris. then it could have die
| tated terms.
THE fact is today we stand in the
midst of a social revolution. All the
wealth IN this countFy- is gathered i'll
| the hands of less than 8 per cent of
| the people. Over IS per cent of the
people are propertyless and have MOTH
| ing but their labor to sell from day to
! day. The trusts of today are organ
lied and operated by those opposed
| to the working classes.
| This shows rus the necessity of es-
| tablishing a socialist republic. We can
! do Thy the ballot. That is, 1t is posi-
| BILE to bring it about peacefully by the
| ballot. The Paris commune teaches us
we must have organization. The ques-
! ton to be settled is that of one class
being allowed to live in luxury and
| idleness, and the liberty and right of
! the working classes to live. The So
! cialists are fighting for human liberty
| and humanity"
A programme of musical and vocal
| selections. including numbers by the
| Vega and Socialist singing societies
| followed the address of Mrs. johnson.
| Henry CARING contributed recitations,
| and in the evening a dance closed the
| celebration OF the anniversary