The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-01-02
FRANCE SAFE FROM
RED FLAG; TRIEDlT
Bolshevist Doctrines Once Made
the Streets of Paris Run
Red With Blood.

W absuAuS, Tue uOctTlueS Oh DOisneVlsIu
win never find Judgment nor the red
nag ever muster again the human wolf
packs that prey upon social disorder.
That country Is France. II had its day
OF bolshevisn, and. so years have not
wiped out he memories OF II.
IT WAS not called bolshevism In that
DAY. 1t was known by a more eupho-
mic. q more attractive title. 1t was
called The Commune.--a name asso-
ciated with ideal schemes OF govern
ment, based upon social justice. lib
erty. fraternity. equality" for which
The names Of Plato. More. Saint Simon
and Robert Owen stand as dIstin-
guished sponsors.
But the reign OF the Commune OF
i'aris,' whose deeds sent a wave Of hor-
ror over the world In 1871, had nothing
IA common with the theories of these
honest dreamers Of fine dreams 1t was
NOT an economic movement. It was a
pontical movement OF an origin whose
mystery has never been satisfactorily
solved by history. Very closely In its
development IT paralieled the more
modern evolution OF bolsheyism.
Very similar, too, was the framework
OF It's organizations system OF COM
mittees and subcommittee Indicating
the political fiotsam of many nations
under The red flag Of anarchy.
After the surrender OF Napoleon III.
az sedan. the empire, which was his
creation. fell to pieces. and upon It's
ruins was created the third republic,
proclaimed September 4, 1870, when
lne republican deputies OF Paris, at
'ne Hotel de Vile, cof1stitnted a pro-
visionai government under the presi-
oency or General Trochu, military
governor OF the capital. Following
Seoah. Paris was invested by the Ger
mans, n for five months stood
siege, bombardment and famine. While
this was in progress, Bazaine surren-
dered the last re mnan OF III regular
French army al Metz. Paris, defend
ed by the National Guard, under the
authority OF the provisional govern
ment. held out until January 20, 1871.
when 1t c~apitulated. The same day the
p~reliminaries Of peace were signed at
Versailles.
History Of Revolt.
In March the Germans marched
through the streets of Paris and occu-
pied the city under the terms of the
peace for forty eight hours. Scarce
ly had they withdrawn, when insurrec-
tionary mobs began to throw up bar
ricades in different parts OF Paris.
The National Guard, with the excep-
ton OF a few loyal officers and compa-
MES, 0 o Joined the mobs, and the
movement began to assume the shape
OF an organized revolution, directed
from some unknown source by a secret
COMMITTEE" Mobs of frenzied women
paraded the streets wearing red caps
n Haunting red flags.
Guns and ammunition were seized,
h streets were barricaded and the
heights of Montmartre and Pere La
chaise fortified by the insurgents.
March Is 1.-THE Commune" was pro-
claimed and the reign OF terror began
Al the outset there was no formal
declaration OF principles OF purposes
Tor which the insurgents proposed to
fight. There was no visible head to
the movement. 1t broke o X an
incendiary conflagration whose essen
tial spirit was destruction.
The economic theory of the Com
munards, as II was later advanced by
the central. committee was that
Paris was to be a "free town." recog-
nizing no government except that OF a
federation of self governing communes
acknowledging nc central organization.
Later they formulated a more definite
platform-the abolition of all religions.
the abolition Of all property, the aboli-
ton OF all family. the abolition of in
heritance and the abolition of nation
atty. And all this was to be accom-
plished In the name OF liberty, fra
ternity and equality" with the red flag
as its symbol.
Each day Paris was ~placarded with
grandiloquent proclamations issued by
THE Central Committed or 1.-THE Com
mittee of Public Safety" The follow
ing lie a fair sample Of their nor:
"Parisians! The struggle we
have commenced cannot be aban-
doned, for 1t Is a struggle between
the past and the future. between
liberty n ~despotism, between
equality and monopoly. fraternity
and servitude. To arms! Let
Paris bristle with b~arricades and
from behind these improvised ram
parts let her shout the cry of war.
let the pavements OF the staeets be
torn up. The paving stones, sery-
Ing as a new means OF defense, can
be carried 10 the higher noors
where there are balconies. Lee rev.
olutionary Paris. the Paris Of great
deeds. do her duty. The Com
mnnards will do theirs"
Reds Defeated.
But finally tho day came when the
tide turned. After long delays and a
policy OF temporizing. Theirs. the head
az the government OF the republic at
Versailles. had mustered at Versailles
strong army. made NJ OF the prisoners
OF Sedan and Metz. released by the
Ssermans. and the remnants OF the reg
ala troops Of the line. He placed Gem
efsl MacMahon at the head OF the
troops n tho second siege OF Paris
began. In sight OF the German army.
which still occupied the heights around
h city. passive. awaiting the issue.
The Reds fought with the desperation
OF despair. Their last stand was made
npon h heights OF Pere Lachaise and
OF Monfmartre. where the Red reyoIu-
ton had first started. These strong
holds were captured after a bloody fight
n 1000 prisoners were taken. Most
or the leaders werc either slain In the
street battles or captured and summar-
tly put to death. Many OF them. hdw-
ever. escaped In various disguises into
foreign lands. And on the red ruins OF
ekA -