The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-30
Socialism Not Anarchism.

Loltor Inc washington Herald.
I have taken your paper since last
August. and have often thought Of telling
YOU how well pleased I am with it. Par
ticularly do / admire the stand you have
taken on the so-called "unwritten law, ="
and your editorial paragraphs. which are
always bright snappy. and full of wit
But / do strongly object 10 your mislead-
ing headlines when the subject matter is
socialism. For example: few days ago.
when that Italian anarchist paper. which
had advocated violence. was very properly
denied admission 10 the mails, you headed
the article: Socialist Paper Suppressed"
II you viii open James c. Ferualds
English synonyms and Antonyms' 10
pase S3S, under the caption Socialism,
you will learn that "Anarchism is properly
an antcnym OF socialism" for as the
former seeks TO destroy. by violence. il
necessary. all existing government and
social' order, the latter aims 70 establish
a more perfect social order
In this mornings Washington Herald
you have an article headed socialists
Riot" Reading the article one learns that
some prominent socialists in New York
sought 10 obtain a permit TO address a
meeting OF the unemployed in Union
Square. Failing to obtain such permit
they sent out notices that the affair was
postponed and stayed away themselves"
A large crowd gathered. however. which
was peaceably dispersed by the police. and
the officers were about TO return TO their
station house when one Silverstein at
tempted 10 throw a bomb. which exploded
prematurely. injuring himself and killing
hts compaion.
Now, where's your riot" and what is
there in this affair 10 implicate the So
cialists? That there was no riot is proved
by the fact that no riot call was sent
out by the police. The meeting had
already dispersed. There were not a
dozen persons within the limits Of the
park" II the time the bomb was exploded
besides the twenty officers who We're
about to march back 70 their station.
As 10 the b0mb-thrower. himself. your
paper says: The real story Of the bomb
throwing, the police assert. is the effort
OF an anarchist with grievance against
the world in general" And again: "Sev-
eral letters found in Silverstein's room.
-
Ign department were written by AIexan-
der Berkman. the anarchist"
Now. the socialists have no affliation
with the anarchists. The two doctrines
are Numerically opposed. Briefly stated.
the socialist philosophy is this: That
human society. since the dissolution Of
primitive tribal relations. has been pass
ing through different stages Of economic
evolution; that each successive stage was
Inevitable and necessary for human
progress; that as feudalism prepared the
way for capitalism. so capitalism IS now
preparing the way for. socialism, and
will only disappear when its work shall
have been accomplished. The socialist
believes that the natural trend of man
kind is upward. and not downward. and
that as capitalism is a more perfect state
OF society than was feudaIism. so social
ism viii give Us higher civilization
than does capitalism.
Now. what is there OF bomb-throwing
in this? You may say that the preach
ing Of socialism incites men 10 deeds OF
violence. Socialism is preached with but
one object. namely. 10 acQuaint the
masses with the causes of the economic
changes that are taking place about them
so that when the transition period comes /
they will act wisely and with moderation.
instead OF rushing blindly to arms as IN
the days OF the French Revolution.
Socialism IS emphatically a doctrine of
peace. and not Of war. II numbers among
its adherents many men Of wealth and
culture who. while conforming 20 their
present environment. are thoughtful
enough to realize that the present eco
nomic system cannot last forever
A philosophy which has drawn to II
many sincere, cultivated thinkers in all
lands cannot be blown away b. an un-
truthful word or misleading statement |
The way 10 combat socialism is 10 show
the socialists that their reasoning Is false.
and in order 10 do this an editor must
first acQuaint himself with what social |
ism really is, the philosophy on which
ii is based. and the economic theories
which il teaches Early IN such studies
the editor viii learn not 70 confound
socialism with anarchism.
There are, Of course. in every large
community certain mentally Unbalanced
persons who are liable to resort 10 deeds
Of violence. whether the particular sub
jet on which they are crazy be love.
politics. religion. of even temperance. A
certain Western divine advocated taking
up arms 10 bring about prohibition; but
do not think you would charge the
Prohibitionists with seeking 10 spread
their propaganda by force.
B. G. CLAPP.