Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-03-18
by all the citizens Of the county and
sustained with a generous hand.
The election is called for April 18th.
BUTTE'S NEW DANGER.

AhtiAb ooNoAh 'tOSa INV
very serious manner in which the
newspapers of that place profess to
take the nomination of a municipal
ticket by the socialists it is very evil
dent that so far as Butte is concerned
socialism is anything but the proven
bal dream. But this need not be sur
prising to those who have even a pass
ing acquaintance with conditions and
things in that city. From the very ma
ture of the preponderating element of
| the population of the town it is to be
| expected that the doctrine of COM
munal ownership of all property
should find strong advocacy there. 1t
is prominently the home of the walk
ing delegate and the agitator, the men
who never work when by any exercise
of cunning and deceit they car avoid
such a calamity as earning IN honest
dollar. BY the tricks Of the demagogue
and the charlatan a class of fell
lows has succeeded in securing a fol-
lowing that is really amazing, consid-
ering that Butte is supposed to be pop
ulated by American citizens and as
such supposedly intelligent and en-
lightened men. These loud-mouthed
disturbers have played on the pas.
| sions of those who think that in its
| treatment of them the world has been
unkind and unfair and they eagerly
grasp at the fallacies which the agi.
tators and anarchists preach, fatuous.
ly believing that in socialism is to be
found a cure for the ailments the body
polite is said to be suffering from.
Instead of thinking and reasoning for
themselves as sensible men and good
citizens should. they permit the blat
ant howlers to lead them on, blind
ly following, they know not where and
caring less. In some way they do moi
understand and which their blind lead
ers cannot explain they think that 1
their cult they accept will only pre-
vail all the ills of which they com
plain will be remedied and the tim'
will come when all men, whethel
worthy or not, whether endowed will
reason or not, will become happy shar
ers in the vast wealth that has BEEF
accumulated by individual effort intel
ligently directed. They care not tina
the churches to which many belonl
have raised their voices in condemna
ton of the vice, for socialism rational
ly considered is a vice, and continu,
on the course which would end in tn
destruction of our most cherished II
situations, and speedily change tn
land from one governed as good as |
is possible for finite MIND to govern
into an abode of anarchy and disser
ton.
Were it not for the pity that the
compel for themselves the whole thin
would be absurd and ridiculous. N
sympathy exists for the men VIII
are responsible for the evil that threat
ems any community In which socialism
has obtained a foothold strong enoug'
to entitle it to serious consideration
for as a usual matter they are endow
ed with more brains and intelligenc
than the poor dupes Of their vile:
, They should be treated as {
the community in whwich they ar
permitted to abide and care should b
taken that they are not enabled to ca
, ry out their designs to an extent wher
4 they may become dangerous. Blu
sympathy should be accorded to thei
followers as 1t is accorded to all
weak and feeble minds. They arc th
, ones that in the end will have to su
fer for the idiocy which the we'll
put into practice. The other fellow
, are willy enough to step from undc
: should a crash be thought a. be in
pending and save their preciOli
selves.
Those who believe in socialism ma
say that a vast difference exists b.
tween their cult and that prea,ned b
the anarchists. but the line Of dema
cation is so finely drawn ih1 II
hard to diferentiate as to whe = re;
socialism ends and anarchy begiL.
y To advocate cconfiscation of priyai
L property for communal use an ben
fit Is but little short OF downright al
archy, for it makes for the v~iolatio
of all law and the destruction
; things held sacred since time immer
orial. Besides, those who advocate