Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-04-18
NEWS, VIEWS AND GOSSIP
Anarchists Not all Foreigners as
Proven by BENJAMIN Tucker.

~
(By Glenn Guernsey
NEW YORK. April 1s.- Benjamin
Ricketson Tucker, first and foremost
among American anarchists. yester-
day celebrated his saith birthday. Mr.
Tucker. II is true, does not possess a
press agent so versatile as those of
his communist comrades, Alexander
Berkman and Emma Goldman. He
has never shot capitalist nor melted
his followers to bomb throwing, and
thus has largely escaped the atten-
tion of the daily press. Despite this
neglect of anarchistic etiquette. Mr..
Tucker has attained international
fame as an authority on philosophic
anarchism and has fairly won place
among that double trinity which In
cludes Tolstoy, Prince Kropotkin,
Goodwin, Proudhon, Stlrner and Bak-
pnin.
The popular conception that all an
archists are foreigners Is disproved
by MIR. Tucker, who comes of old New
England stock. Incidentally, his
chief rival for first place in the anar-
chistic hall of fame Is also an Ameri-
can--James f. Morton. Jr,, grandson
OF Francis Scott Key. Mr.Tucker was
born in Dartmouth, Mass. on April
II. 1854. and was educated In the
Friends academy at New Bedford
and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, For many years he was
on the editorial stan of the Boston
Globe and the New York Engineer
Ing Magazine. He is llnguist of
ability and the translator of the
works Of lola, Tolstoy. Tohernychew-
ski. Proudhon, Claude Tillier, Felix
Pyat and Octave Mirbeau.
Mr., Tucker has resided in New
York since 1899, but his public acti-
yltles. aside from his literary work,
have not been such as to bring him
directly into the llmelight which Gus
tomarily plays upon kings. presidents
and anarchists. Personally he is
strange combination of man of the
world and philosopher. His sympa-
thies with the "downtrodden prole-
tariat." ! suspect. are purely academ-
ic. His books and his little magazine
probably have a larger circulation
among professional men than among
laborers, In other words, Mr.. Tuck
er IL hardly the sort of anarchist who
frequents low groggerles, eats raw
meat, packs red flag and heaves
bombs at bluecoats, The Tucker at
mosnhere is that of the library and
his satires on government are best
appreciated with fragrant Havana
and Manhattan cocktail.
In view of the present attempt to
stamp out" anarchy--which Presi-
dent Roosevelt declares is an issue
before which all others shrink into
insignificauce" examination OF
Mr.. fuckers philosophy and that of
his distinguished fore-runners and
contemporaries is not without inter
est.
MIR. Tucker adheres to the theories
of individuallst anarchism. as OPP
posed to the communist ideal. The
basis OF the anarchistio philosophy.
according to Tucker, is self-interest
In this, however, he agrees with none
OF the other great anarchists. with
the exception OF his German col
league. Stirner. Prince Kropotkin
and Bakunin hold 10 the evolutionary
and scientific view of the progress of
the human race. To Goodwin the ba-
sis OF anarchism is the supreme well
fare, while to Tolstoy It Is summed
up in one word, love. II win thus
be seen that anarchists. like other
people. disagree among themselves
Mr.. Tucker has no great objection
TO law. and even upholds the right
OF society to enforce its general
win OF necessity" by means OF impris-
onment and capital punishment. In
his anarchists society. too. Mr.. Tuck
er would secure individuals against
hurt, protect their ownership of prop
erty. provided 1t was obtained by lab
or or secured from others without the
use of force or fraud, and would en-