The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-13
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1903.
BUTTE's NEW DANGER,

place profess to take the nomination
OF a municipal ticket by the socialist!
it is very evident that so far as Butte
is concerned socialism is anything bu1
the p%roverbial dream. But this neel
not be surprising to those who have
even a passing acquaintance with con
ditions and things in that city. From
the very nature of the preponderating
element of the population Of the town
it is to be expected that the doctrine
of communal ownership of all proper
ty should find strong advocacy there
1t is prominently the home of the
walking delegate and the agitator, the
men who never work when by any ex
ercise of cunning and deceit they can
avoid such a calamity as earning an
honest dollar. By the tricks of the
demagOgue and charlatan a class of
fellows has succeeded in securing a
following that is really amazing, con
sidering that Butte is supposed to
be populated by American citizens
and as such supposedly intelligent
and enlightened men. These loud
mouthed disturbers have played on
the passions of those who think that
in it's treatment of them the world
has been unkind and unfair and they
eagerly grasp at the ~fallacies which
the agitators and anarchists preach,
fatuously 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 reason
ing for themselves as sensible men
and good citizens should, they permit
the blatant howlers to lead them on,
blindly following, they know not
where and caring less. In some way
they do not understand and which
their blind leaders cannot explain they
think that if their cult they accept will
only prevail all the ills of which they
complain will be remedied and the
time will come when all men, whether
worthy or not, whether endowed with
reason or not, will become happy
sharers in the vast wealth that has
been accumulated by individual effort
intelligently directed. They care not
that the churches to which many be-
long have raised their voices in con-
demnation of the vice, for socialism
nationally considered is a vice, and
continue on the course which would
end in the destruction of our most
cherished institutions and speedily
change the land from one governed as
good as it is possible for finite mind
to govern into an abode of anarchy
and dissention.
Were il not for the pity that they
compel for themselves the whole
thing would be absurd and ridiculous.
No sympathy exists for the men who
are responsible for the evil that
threatens any community in which
socialism has obtained a foothold
strong enough to entitle it to serious
consideration, for as a usual matter
they are endowed with more brains
and intelligence than the poor dupes
of their wiles. They should be treat
ed as menaces to the community in
which they a,a permitted to abide and
are should be taken that they are not
enabled to carry out their designs to
an extent where they may become
dangerous. But sympathy should be
accorded to their followers as it is
accorded to all of weak and feeble
minds. They are the ones that in
the end will have to suffer for the
idiocy which they would put into prac-
tee. The other fellows are willy
enough to step from under should a
crash be thought to be impending and
save their precious selves.
Those who believe in socialism
may say that a vast difference exists
between their cult and that preached
W In IL ALlSIos Oul IAC llilC vi uS-
marcation is so finely drawn that it
is hard to ~differentiate as to where
real socialism ends and anarchy be-
gins. To advocate confiscation of pri-
vate property for communal use and
benefit is but little short of down
right anarchy. for it makes for the
violation of all law and the destruc-
ton of things held sacred since time
immemOrial. Besides, those who adj
vocate it show themselves to be dan
gerously ~intolerant of all restriction
placed upon those who would take
that which by right belongs to others,