The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-14

81 those whose disposition " most
violent Most Americans have IN,
doubiedly approved his activity
against the Reds
Just what anarchism Is, though. IL
still uuapprceiatcd BY nincty-rinc
people out oi hundred
That Is to say, philosophical anarch.
ism, although il has existed rs phi,
losophy Of life for countless centuries
and under It's present specific name
for q good many years, II not popu-
l,rly understood. Most people think
OF il as having some connection with
inaamnatory ora,ory and bomb
throwing They don't associate il
with such men as Tolstoy, Ibsen
Walt Whitman, William Lloyd Car
rison aud many others who have moi
been wild-eyed fanatics. bat who have
believed so thoroughly in the free
dom Of the individual that they have
stood opposed to what is called "cotr
Give authority" Such men believe
that in power there is quality which
leads TO its abuse and that the ideal
condition is one in which enlightened
seldqhness and intelligence make each
individual law 10 himself
II Is the fashion TO speak Of anareh
ism as foreign and un-American
product Very few people seem TO be
aware that the founder Of the cult Of
philosophical auarchism was an
American. d member OF one of the
most famous families Of Massachu-
se,ts, man OF strictly moral and
helpful lie, and a mechanical genius
{ 10 whom we owe, among other inven.
tions. that OF the cylinder press, which
throws hundreds OF newspapers in
less than II took the old fiat press
to print ten This very able American,
Josiah Warren, born in Boston in
1908. and resident during consider.
able part oi his career in and. near
Cincinnati, has had very little atten-
ton in the books on American history
and IL is only very recently that a
little biography, written by William
Baille. a Boston manufacturer, who
ii especially interested in the doc
trines OF philosophical anarchism, has
thrown much new light on most
remarkable ehaacte OF the nine
teenth century, one whose theories
and observations had q large influence
upon such English leaders as Robert
Dale Owen, John Stuart Mill and
Herbert Spencer. Personally Josiah
Warren was. OF course, a very differ
ent kind Of anarchist from the fierce
reds OF France, the story Of whose
\ strained relations with the police has
lately been described graphically by
Alyan r. SAnborn in his Paris and
the Social Revolution" the best book
ever written on the subject Of the
foreign brands Of anarchism against
which President Rooscvelt's activities
have been directed. Warren, who was
a versatile Yankee individualist OF the
same stock as the hero OF Bunker Hill
battle, was a man whom no one
would have wanted TO deport, even il
there had been an anti-anarchist agi
tation in his day, He simply carried
to its logical conclusion the belief OF
Thomas Jefferson and the anti-feder'
alist leaders Of our carly history e
the effect that that government is best
which governs least, His favoritt
doctrine was that Everyone should
be free to dispose OF his reputation
as he pleases, but always at his own
cost" He claimed that imam seeks
freedom as the magnet seeks the polS
or water its level, and society car
have no peace until every member Is
really free" Mr. Baillie's investiga
tions, recalling very interesting IN
cidents in the history Of what was
ythen the far West show that although
Josiah Warren was not by nature
great organizer, his undertaking.
were much more successful than th'
socialistic and communistic ventures
which were popular back in the nine
teenth century and which without ex
ception failed because they did no
take into account the difference
which Nature has established among
individuals,
IN Cincinnati, where Mr. Warrel
got his start in life as a manufacture
Of lamps, he opened on May u, lSz'
the first equity store designed 7
illustrate what he called the "cos