The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13
FANATICS BRED BY
THOUSANDS IN U. S,
So Says Doctor Buckley in Ar
ticle Which Reveals How
They May Be Found.
NAMES CLASSES OF cRANks.
includes Political Reformers,
Trust Formers and "Trust
Busters" Modern Spirit
ualists and Mormons.

udlISlS dlu .AUfIlUlS.
America is the hotbed OF fanaticism. II
says James NJ Buckley. Ii. D., in the cur
rent number of the Century Magazine. and
then proceeds to show that since the
founding of the Republic fanatics have
taken leading part in public life. Among
the various classes Of persons who are
called fanatics by Doctor Buckley are the
following:
The members OF the Oneida Communi-
y.
Modern Spiritualists
sMormons.
Dowieites.
Christian Scientists.
The majority of political reformers.
Trust formers and trust busters.
Many Of those who took part in the
Sampson-6chley controversy.
Doctor Buckley traces fanaticism in its
progress In Europe. and quotes Disraelrs
causes Of It: An application of the mind
to the quadrature OF the circle. the multi
plicatton OF the cube. the perpetual mo-
ton. the philosophers stone. magic and
judicial astrology." Then he turns to
This country, he says. appears to be
exposed to {anat1cism for reasons peculiar
to the American people. It Is the most
congtomerate large nation on the globe.
The freedom allowed ard exercised, the
fncessant experimenting, the extraordinary
genius Of the people for free and full
speech, the immense proportion Of half.
sorts Of truths. half-truths. errors and
chllneras, the importation OF all Sects in
religions BY Immigrants from all lands. the
Of on nd political fns
press and the mails, by a house-to-house
canvass. and by countless speeches under
exciting circumstances, by alarming
cal character, and the scattering OF dis
to1ted statements far and wide, might nat
urally be expected to generate fanaticism.
have been formed. and have long pros
pefed, o6vefal OF them based upon Ideas
incompatible with morality. A conspicuous
81: Example = the Oneida Community. with
necttcut This system. involving strange
ana unnatural relations between the sexes.
was founded on perverted view of the
Scriptures and the doctrine of perfection
by John 81. Noyes. an alum US of Yale
aid q CONGREGATIONAL minister.
Here modern 6piritualism arose. and
Other forms 81 70 Sav tnn
lised many of the class which furnished
It's believers. and the present generation
cannet realise how that wave; with its
exereecence OF free love. spread through
out the States. as rapidly In cultivated
Massachusetts, as in the scattered and
{G, srtly educated communities Of the FROM
Here Mormonism originated; and. con-
trolled. concentrated and stimulated by the
powerful personality OF Brigham Young,
lapse Of sixty years. in spite OF the op-
position It has encountered. shows ela
meqSS Of permanence. and sends out mis-
saSn:sss. =. to aI parts r,,;. Of the world: .,-
despottsm over his adherents which be-
comes grotesque when at his call theysrise
by the hundreds and furnish the testimony
views on the eating of pork. his financial
ability, his miraculous healings, or his be-
ing the speciea messenger who was to
HIS votaries. undismayed by his many
failures to heal. and not undeceived even
by the complete contrast between his
m mel .. manner M, utteranses and spirit
do his bidding as they might had he visibly
descended from heaven in their presence
Almost all the attempts Of reformers to
le1 abcrttve BY fanaticism. Some have
ima9ined that great political parties can be
totally broken up by new party COM
f n one the an sI
principle that IN a Republic any party. to |
endure. must stand for principles in which |
a majority Of the people viii be perma- |
nently interested. have systematically set |
out to destroy one party. intending after |
wards to destroy the other.
The sound sense Of a business commu-
nifty often fails 1t when over the land a |
wave OF fanaticism sweeps. A trust IA |
natict4m now exists in the United States, |
enta9onised by an antitrust fanaticism. |
Out Of this has grown a situation 80 COM
piex that each party bids for the fanatical
etem1ufs. seeming to believe fanatics to
hold the balance Of power
The United States il a hotbed OF fanati-
ctSm, but II ID much more: Its institutions |
ana traditions develop men OF sense. self
control. and patriotism. It has had narrow |
escapes. Before, during and after the Civil
War II was In great danger. Fanatical
common sense and national patriotism
were never wholly submerged, and speedi-
~ rsasserted themselves.
The trinity Of dangers which the Re-
public has to fear are immortality, indif-
ferentism, and fanaticism. immortality
produces one or the other. according to
Unfortunately. in the body
polite. fndifferentism and fanaticism do
not anftdote each other