Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-01-02
SAFE FROM
RED FLAG; TRIED|T
Bolshevist Doctrines Once Made
the Streets of Paris Run
Red With Blood.
From the Kansas City Star.

There is one country where. it is safe
to assume, the doctrines of bolshevism
will find Judgment nor the red
nag ever muster again the human wolf
packs that prey upon social disorder.
That country is France. 1t had its day
OF bolshevism, and SO years have not
wiped out the memories of it.
1t 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-
clated with ideal schemes of govern
ment, based upon social justice, 'lib-
erty. fraternity, equality" for which
the names of Plato, More. Saint Simon
ana Robert Owen stand as distin-
guished sponsors.
But the reign of the Commune Of
Far1s,' whose deeds sent a wave of hor-
ror over the world in 1871. had nothing
IN common with the theories of these
honest dreamers Of fine dreams. II was
not an economic movement. 1t was q
political movement of an origin whose
mystery has never been satisfactorily
solved by history. Very closely in it's
development 1t paralleled the more
hooern evolution Of bolshevism.
very similar, too. was the framework
OK It's organizations system of COM
.n'etees and subcommittee Indicating
tue political fiotsam Of many nations
unoer the red nag of anarchy.
AFTER the surrender of Napoleon III,
az eeoan, tho empire, which was his
creauon' Tell to pieces. and upon it's
runs was created the third republic.
Proclaimed September 4, 1870, when
TIC republican deputies of Paris. at
ene Hotel de Vile, constituted a pro-
.isiohal government under the presi-
dency OF General Trochu. military
governor of the capital. Following
SEDAN, Paris was invested by the Ger
mans, and for five months stood
siege, bombardment and famine. While
.nls was In progress. Bazaine surren-
dered the last remnant of the regular
french army at Metz. Paris, defend
ed by the National Guard, under the
authority Of the provisional govern
ment' held out until january 90, 1871,
1t c%apitulated. The same day the
preiiminaries 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
~ had they withdrawn. when insurrec-
tionary mobs began to throw. up bar
rlcades in different parts of Paris.
The National Guard, with the excep-
ton of a few loyal officers and compa-
MES, soon 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
and Haunting red flags.
Guns and ammunition were seized.
the streets were barricadeG and the
heights of Montmartre and Pere La
chalse fortified by the insurgents.
March Is The Commune" was pro-
claimed and the reign OF terto or began.
AT the outset there was no formal
declaration of principles or purposes
for which he insurgents proposed to
fight. There was no visible head to
the movement. 1t broke out like an
incendiary conflagration whose essen
tial spirit was destruction.
The economic theory Of the Com
munards. as 1t was later advanced by
the central committee" was that
Paris was to be a free town." recog-
nszing no government except that of a
federation Of self governing communes
acknowledging no central organization.
Later they formulated a more definite
platform-the abolition OF all religions,
he abolition of all property. the aboli-
ton Of all family. the abolition of in
heritance and the abolition Of nation
ality. And all this was to be accom-
plished in, the name of liberty, fra
ternity and equality" with the red flag
az its symbol.
EQNh dQv PQR40 'Oeoo n1ona rSAH vr,;$I
grandtloquent proclamations issued by
THE Central Committee or "The Com
mittee Of Public Safety" The follow
ing is a fair sample Of their tenor:
"Partsians! The struggle we
have commenced cannot be aban-
doned. for II is q struggle between
the past and the future, between
liberty n despotism. between
equality and monopoly. fraternity
and servitude. To arms! Let
Paris bristle with %barricades and
from behind these improvised RAM
parts let her shout the cry Of war.
let the pavements Of the streets be
torn up. The paving stones. sery-
tnga as q new means Of defense, can
be carried to the higher floors
where there are balconies. Let rev.
o~lutiOEary Paris, the Paris Of great
deeds. do her duty. The Com
munards will do theirs"
Reds Defeated.
But finally the day came when tha
tide turned. After long delays n n
policy Of temporixing. Theirs. the head
OF h government Of the republic at
Versailles. had mustered at Versailles
3 strong army. made up Of the prisoners
g 8eoan ana Nets. releaa ed NV tba